Travel Advisory

1. Passport

• Passports are issued at Home Affairs offices in various cities and towns.
• No person, including children, will be allowed through the Ports of Entry without a valid passport which is machine readable (Foreign passports: at least one page of the passport should be unused). The passport should be valid at least 30 days after the intended visit to South Africa.

2.  Unabridged Birth Certificates 

• All minors or children (below 18) travelling in or out of South Africa, must have unabridged birth certificates (UBC), except where a visa was issued to a minor, the UBC forms part of the visa application and is not needed as a required supporting document.
• Minors’ travelling with one parent a consent affidavit is required from an absent parent listed on the birth certificate.
• If an absent parent listed on the birth certificate cannot provide consent, a court order must be obtained allowing the other parent to travel with the minor.
• For an unaccompanied minor, a copy of the identity document or valid passport and visa or permanent residence permit of the person who is to receive the minor in the Republic.
• In all instances, if an unabridged birth certificate has been applied for and cannot be produced or be obtained at the time of travel, an official letter stating this fact can be obtained from the nearest Home Affairs office before travelling through a port of entry.
  Suggested format for the parental consent affidavit can be downloaded here <<<

NB: Dedicated numbers to call for assistance regarding the unabridged birth certificate are:

• 072 634 0614
• 072 634 0589 
• 073 567 6208 
• 073 567 596

No person is allowed to take firearms through to Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Botswana.  The South African Police Services (SAPS) officials are no longer permitted to keep firearms for temporary storage.

• South Africa regulates importation of animals and animal products, liquor products, plants and plant products, honey and honey products as well as any other potentially harmful materials from other countries into its territory.
• All travellers who will be visiting or returning to South Africa should comply with the country’s import requirements for agricultural and related regulated products.
• Compliance will assist our country in preventing and/or minimising the potential risk of introducing alien invasive species, foreign pests and diseases that could be associated with imported plants, plant products, animals, animal products and other regulated goods.
• The importation of certain liquor products with an alcohol content of more than 1% into the county for drinking purposes is restricted, except on the authority of an import certificate issued by Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF).

Please note that import conditions may differ according to the country of origin/ export, global pest distribution, type of products, etc. Travellers are therefore advised to contact the following DAFF offices for detailed information regarding the product/s to be imported:

Animals and animal products:
Tel: +27 12 319 7514/7476 Fax: +27 12 319 8292
E-mail: VetPermits@daff.gov.za

Plants and plant products:
Tel: +27 12 319 6102/6130/6207 Fax: +27 12 319 6370
E-mail: PlantHealthPermits@daff.gov.za

Liquor products:
Tel: +27 12 319 6333/ +27 78 754 4488 or +27 60 527 3622 E-mail: MerciaR@daff.gov.za, NjokoS@daff.gov.za or WillieMath@daff.gov.za

Upon arrival in South Africa, all the imported consignments of the above mentioned regulated products must be presented to the DAFF inspectors at the port of entry for compliance inspections as per import conditions. The consignments may not be removed from the port of entry without written authorisation or before being granted entry by the DAFF inspectors.

For information on DAFF inspection services and procedures, please contact the Directorate Inspection Services at tel: +27 12 309 8701, fax: +27 12 309 8785 or e-mail: ErnestP@daff.gov.za

• People travelling to and from countries with the risk of yellow fever, must be in possession of a yellow fever certificate. Port Health Official will recommend refusal of entry to Immigration for travelers without a valid Yellow Fever certificate.
• Travelers going abroad or coming into the country are only allowed to bring medicine which will last for 30 days if they are in possession of the doctor prescription.
• All corpses/mortal remains of the deceased need a permit to enter/depart the country.
• Illegal cosmetics and medicine (cosmetics with medicinal claims, prohibited ingredients and medicines that are not registered or incorrectly labelled) will be confiscated and destroyed by Port Health Official.