South Africa is introducing tough new regulations on visiting the country with minors. Families planning to visit with children may find themselves struggling through a number of regulations; the rule change was supposed to come into force in October last year, but was postponed by eight months.
As of Monday (June 1), anyone arriving in South Africa in the company of a child will have to prove parenthood or guardianship – while lone adults flying in with their offspring will have to show that they have the consent of their non-travelling partner.
This new policy, designed to counter child-trafficking operations on the African continent, has made tour operators and airlines fearful that it will deter families from journeying to an exotic destination which has become a holiday and safari favourite.
As of next week, parents will have to be able to demonstrate that any children (aged under 18) in their company are their own, by providing their birth certificates to immigration officials.
Difficulties to bypass a number of regulations and red tape becomes even more likely for single parents, who must carry two further documents in addition to the birth certificate. The first is a legal affidavit, signed no more than three months before the date of travel, which sees the absent father or mother consent to the journey. The second is a court order confirming full parental responsibility or guardianship of the child. In the case of a widower or widow travelling with their children, their ex-partner’s death certificate replaces the latter.
Tourists arriving with a child who is not biologically theirs – perhaps a family friend – must be able to hand over copies of the parents’ passports and the parents’ contact details, as well as the child’s birth certificate and the formal affidavit.
The travel industry is shocked at the new policy because of what it could mean for the future of tourism and travel, since families are the number one income in the tourism industry and are big vacationers in general.
“In the first instance, it’s absolute shock and horror,” said the Virgin Atlantic airline spokesperson Liezl Gericke. “There is no country in the world that is going to implement this particular process. Come June 1, we will be in a position where we are likely to turn passengers away who don’t have the correct documentation to hand,” she said.
A lack of clarity has also, she said, hindered the airline’s preparations for the new system.
“Much to our dismay, the standard operation procedures have already been altered three times. It makes it incredibly difficult for us to inform and educate.”
People travelling as a family to South Africa are advised to take their precautions and get well-informed with their travel agency and/or embassy concerning all paperwork in order to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
The full regulations can be found on the South African High Commission website.
