Travel rules relaxed for foreign parents travelling with children
25 September 2018
In a bid to increase tourism, the Department of Home Affairs has relaxed travel rules for foreigners visiting South Africa with minors.
Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba announced on Tuesday that documentation proving parental consent for a minor to travel is no longer a requirement. However, it is strongly recommended that travellers carry this documentation, he said.
"Our immigration officials will only insist on documentation by exception – in high-risk situations – rather than for all travellers, in line with practice by several other countries," Gigaba said.
He added that instead of being denied entry where documentation is absent, travellers will be given the opportunity to prove parental consent.