Child Travel Consent for South Africa From Australia

If a child under 18 travels to South Africa with only one parent, or with someone else, South Africa expects a parental consent affidavit from the parent not travelling. It must be sworn, no more than six months old, and carried with the child's birth certificate and a copy of that parent's passport. An Australian notary can take it.

Key takeaways

• South Africa applies special document rules to all children under 18 arriving or departing, to protect them from trafficking and abuse.
• Every child needs a passport, and in most cases an unabridged birth certificate or equivalent document showing the parents.
• If a parent is not travelling, bring a parental consent affidavit or a court order, plus a copy of that parent's ID or passport and their contact details.
• The consent is valid only for the stated trip, and for no more than six months.
• Both parents named on the birth certificate must consent. Where only one parent is named, only that parent's consent is needed.

Why does South Africa ask for these documents?

South Africa is one of the few countries that sets out, in its immigration rules, the documents a child needs to enter or leave the country. The South African Government says all children under 18 arriving in or departing from South Africa must have the correct documentation, under immigration regulations designed to protect minors from trafficking and abuse. It also warns that the rules may change, and asks travellers to check the Department of Home Affairs guidance before they go.

For an Australian family, that means a trip to see grandparents in Johannesburg or a safari holiday can need more paperwork than the airline asks for at check-in. The documents are checked by South African immigration officers at the border, not by the airline alone.

Which documents does the child need?

The South African Government's summary sets out the documents by situation.

Situation	What South Africa asks for
Every child	A valid passport, and in most cases an unabridged birth certificate or equivalent document showing parentage
Travelling with one parent	Also a parental consent affidavit from the other parent, or a court order granting custody or guardianship, plus a copy of the other parent's ID or passport and their contact details
Travelling with someone who is not a parent	Consent from the parents or legal guardians, copies of their ID or passports, and their contact details
Travelling unaccompanied	Consent from both parents or guardians, a letter from the person receiving the child in South Africa, and contact details

The same summary lists some exemptions: children in direct transit through an airport may be exempt, and foreign children with a valid South African visa need no extra documents beyond those they gave with the visa application. South African children travelling on South African passports do not need to carry a birth certificate. If your child holds dual citizenship, check which passport they will travel on, because the rules follow the passport.

Which birth certificate should you bring?

South Africa asks for an unabridged birth certificate or an equivalent document showing the child's parents. The term comes from South African practice, where a short-form certificate omits the parents' details. What matters for an Australian child is that the certificate names the parents. A full birth certificate issued by the registry of births, deaths and marriages in the state or territory where the child was born does that. A commemorative certificate or an extract that leaves out the parents is not the right document. Bring the original, and consider carrying a certified copy as a spare.

If the child was born overseas, bring the birth certificate issued in that country, with a translation if it is not in English. If the parents named on the certificate have changed names, bring the evidence that links the names, such as a marriage certificate.

What goes in the parental consent affidavit?

South Africa's Department of Home Affairs publishes a suggested format for the consent. It is worth following closely, because the officer at the border will be looking for the same information. The format includes:

• the child's name, date of birth and passport number
• where the child is travelling from and to, and the dates of travel
• the name, relationship, addresses and contact numbers of the person accompanying or receiving the child in South Africa, with a copy of that person's ID or passport
• each consenting parent's name, residential and work addresses and contact numbers, with a signature and date
• a list of attached copies: the child's birth certificate, the parents' IDs or passports, any court order, and a death certificate for any deceased parent named on the birth certificate

Two rules on the format matter most. Both parents whose details appear on the birth certificate must consent, and where only one parent's details appear, only that parent's consent is needed. And the document is valid only for the period stated in it, which may not exceed six months. The South African High Commission in Canberra likewise says the affidavit must not be older than six months.

Who can take the affidavit in Australia?

An affidavit is a written statement made on oath or affirmation, so it has to be sworn before someone authorised to take it. For a document going to South African immigration, the usual choices from Australia are an Australian notary or the South African High Commission in Canberra, which provides a parental consent affidavit form and deals with consular queries.

A notary can administer the oath or affirmation, confirm the identity of the parent signing, and add a notarial certificate, which makes the document easier for an overseas officer to rely on. A Justice of the Peace is a different matter. JPs witness documents for use in Australia, and NSW Communities and Justice says NSW JPs are not authorised to witness documents for use overseas. For a document you will hand to a foreign border officer, a notary or the High Commission is the safer route. For how a notary witnesses an affidavit, see notarising an affidavit in Australia.

Does the affidavit need an apostille?

South Africa's suggested format does not mention one, and the government's summary does not list one among the documents. Many families travel with a notarised affidavit alone. If an airline, a school or another body in South Africa asks for an apostille, only DFAT can issue it in Australia. South Africa is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention; membership changes, so check the HCCH status table on the day. An apostille confirms the signature and seal on a document, never its contents. Our guide to apostilles for South Africa covers that step.

What if the other parent cannot or will not sign?

South Africa accepts a court order granting custody or legal guardianship in place of the other parent's consent. If a parent named on the birth certificate has died, the format asks for a copy of the death certificate. If the other parent refuses to consent, or cannot be found, that is a family law question for a solicitor in Australia, not something a notary can resolve. Do not travel hoping the border officer will overlook a missing consent. Our guide to travel consent letters covers court orders and Family Court watchlists from the Australian side.

How do you prepare the documents?

1. Check the current rules on the South African Department of Home Affairs website shortly before you book.
2. Get the child's full birth certificate naming the parents, from the registry where the child was born.
3. Complete the consent in South Africa's suggested format, with exact travel dates and the details of the person receiving the child.
4. Have the non-travelling parent swear it before a notary or at the South African High Commission, close to the trip.
5. Attach copies of the birth certificate, both parents' passports or IDs, and any court order or death certificate.
6. Pack the originals and the affidavit in your hand luggage, not in checked baggage.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Bringing a birth certificate that does not name the parents.
• Swearing the affidavit too early, so it is more than six months old when presented.
• Leaving out the travel dates or the details of the person receiving the child.
• Getting only one consent when both parents are named on the birth certificate.
• Using a JP for a document going to a foreign border officer.
• Packing the documents in checked luggage.

Here is an illustration, not a real case.

A mother in Perth is taking her nine-year-old son to Cape Town to visit his grandparents for four weeks, while his father stays in Australia for work. Three weeks before the flight, the father completes South Africa's suggested consent format with the exact dates, the grandparents' details and a copy of the grandfather's passport, and swears it before a notary. The mother packs the son's passport, his full Western Australian birth certificate naming both parents, the affidavit and a copy of the father's passport in her carry-on bag. At the border, the officer checks them and waves them through.

In short

Every child travelling to South Africa needs a passport and, in most cases, a birth certificate naming the parents. If a parent is not travelling, bring that parent's sworn consent affidavit, no more than six months old, with a copy of their passport and contact details, or a court order. Both parents on the birth certificate must consent. An Australian notary or the South African High Commission can take the affidavit; a JP is the wrong choice for an overseas document. Our declarations and affidavits page explains how a notary takes a sworn statement.

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