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Visas/Birth Certs/Legal docco's to travel to SA?


malJohann

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My wife and son are going on holiday to SA, she is a Saffa citizen (with Aussie PR), and he is an Aussie citizen (with Aussie passport). To top is off, she has a Temp Saffa passport hot off the press.

What Visas/Birth Certs/Legal docco's are required for my wife to travel there and back with our Son for less than two months?

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How old is your son? I found this on the web...

Thanks mate, my son is 18 months old. I found a link to DHA on this forum stating that he doesn't need a Visa if the stay in SA is less than 90 days.

The issue for me is around the Affidavit / Court Order, can I get only an Affidavit or do I need both? Also, is the Affidavit a legal document, or just any letter with our details on signed by a Justice of the Peace?

[EDIT] Here's the DHA link for anyone interested: http://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/countries-exempt-from-sa-visas [/EDIT]

Edited by malJohann
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"3. Where one parent is travelling with a child, he or she must produce an unabridged birth certificate (or certified copy of the unabridged birth certificate) and:

A Consent (in the form of an affidavit from the other registered parent on the birth certificate of the child) authorising him or her to enter or depart from the South Africa with the child he or she is travelling with; and

A court order granting full parental responsibilities and rights or legal guardianship in respect of the child, if he or she is the parent or legal guardian of the child; or

Where applicable, a death certificate of the other parent registered as a parent of the child on the birth certificate"

This seems to me, to be incorrectly worded. Surely it should say "OR a court order.." Not "AND a court order".

I would ring the SA High Commission in Canberra & confirm. I think a statement of permission signed in front of a JP and stamped, & original unabridged birth certificate, would suffice.

Edited by Bronwyn&Co
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It's funny.

I had my drivers license stolen in SA and I produced an affidavit to the car rental

Company so that I could still drive the car I had paid for. They would not accept the affidavit, saying that anybody could slap one together.

They are absolutely right, it was the crappiest document on SA Police paper that looked like it had been photocopied 10 times...

The point being: if it's not good enough to prove I have a driving license, then how can it be good enough to prove I'm not trafficking a child!!?!

Edited by HansaPlease
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We had one of those affidavits done at the police station in central Pretoria, the cop didn't even verify that my wife was who she said she was nor did he look at her ID book to confirm her ID number.

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Luckily the affidavids in Australia look a lot more official.

Agreed the (millions of) certified copies we did in Brooklyn police station were a joke. That guy would have stamped a bus ticket without any questions.

Edited by Bronwyn&Co
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I would ring the SA High Commission in Canberra & confirm. I think a statement of permission signed in front of a JP and stamped, & original unabridged birth certificate, would suffice.

It would be helpful if the Canberra SAHC actually answered their phone, instead it goes to engaged after only three rings. No way anyone's going to answer a phone like that, but then maybe that's the intent?

I would have thought the OR clause is the go instead of AND too, because otherwise they're just making it a no-brainer NOT to go. Who goes to court so that you can go on holiday? I know, nobody does!

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This from Canberra SAHC via e-mail, its the OR clause yay!:

As of 1 October 2014, when parents are travelling with a child, such parents must produce an unabridged birth certificate of the child reflecting the particulars of the parents of the child. Provision is also made for one parent travelling with a child and where one parent or both parents are deceased or the child is travelling with a relative or another person. Requirements are listed below and detailed in the Immigration Regulations, 2014.

Immigration Regulation 6 (12)

(12)(a) Where parents are travelling with a child, such parents must produce an unabridged birth certificate of the child reflecting the particulars of the parents of the child.

( B) In the case of one parent travelling with a child, he or she must produce an unabridged birth certificate and –

(i) Consent in the form of an affidavit from the other parent registered as a parent on the birth certificate of the child authorising him or her to enter into or depart from the Republic with the child he or she is travelling with; OR

(ii) A court order granting full parental responsibilities and rights or legal guardianship in respect of the child, if he or she is the parent or legal guardian of the child; OR

(iii) Where applicable, a death certificate of the other parent registered as a parent of the child on the birth certificate;

© Where a person is travelling with a child who is not his or her biological child, he or she must produce:

(i) A copy of the unabridged birth certificate of the child;

(ii) An affidavit from the parents or legal guardian of the child confirming that he or she has permission to travel with the child;

(iii) Copies of the identity documents or passports of the parents or legal guardian of the child; and

(iv)The contact details of the parents or legal guardian of the child,

(d) Any unaccompanied minor shall produce to the immigration officer-

(i) Proof of consent from one of or both his or her parents or legal guardian, as the case may be, in the form of a letter or affidavit for the child to travel into or depart from the Republic:

(ii) A letter from the person who is to receive the child in the Republic, containing his or her residential address and contact details in the Republic where the child will be residing;

(iii) A copy of the identity document or valid passport and visa or permanent residence permit of the person who is to receive the child in the Republic; and

(iv)The contact details of the parents or legal guardian of the child.

Edited by malJohann
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Luckily the affidavids in Australia look a lot more official.

Agreed the (millions of) certified copies we did in Brooklyn police station were a joke. That guy would have stamped a bus ticket without any questions.

You reckon? Week before last I had to sign an affidavit for a court order (business stuff) and had to sign it in the presence of a JP. I must look like a very honest bloke because he did not ask me for ID! I was disappointed because for the first time, I was actually prepared with the 100 + points of ID! I signed the docs on each page, he stamped and signed and I was out of their in less than 5 mins! That was right here in Perth!

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You reckon? Week before last I had to sign an affidavit for a court order (business stuff) and had to sign it in the presence of a JP. I must look like a very honest bloke because he did not ask me for ID! I was disappointed because for the first time, I was actually prepared with the 100 + points of ID! I signed the docs on each page, he stamped and signed and I was out of their in less than 5 mins! That was right here in Perth!

I've never taken 100 points of ID to a JP but they always ask to view my driver's license.

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  • 2 months later...

Has anyone travelled back to SA recently with kids and been asked for birth certs/affidavit etc? We're leaving for a visit next week (just myself and the kids) and am wondering if I need to carry everything now, or if they're not bothering until June 2015?

Edited by beval2011
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