*Note - this information changes all the time, so make sure to confirm everything for yourself by chatting with other moms in your life
Note : What if You Don’t Have a Marriage Certificate?
This isn’t a problem, it primarily comes up when choosing the surname for the child. When you apply for the unabridged birth certificate, you simply need to acknowledge who the father is and what surname you want.
As an International Individual or Couple:
Note - your baby is not South African simply by being born in South Africa, but will instead take on the nationality of the parents (unless you have citizenship in multiple places - you then will need to research further)
First, you register the birth by obtaining the correct form from your healthcare provider- which should be a DHA 24/PB Proof of Birth (for hospital births) or a DHA 24PBA Birth Affidavit for home births
Fill out a BI-21 form (Notice of Birth form)
Make multiple certified copies of all your documents:
Make photocopies of your marriage certificate, current visas and passports for each parent, Proof of Birth or Birth Affidavit and BI-21 Notice of Birth form
Bring all original and copies to the police station or post office and asking for them to be certified.
Take two trips to the Department of Home Affairs (more advice for dealing with the Department of Home Affairs is to the left), this need to happen within 30 days after giving birth, so don’t delay :
Trip One: if you are legally married, one parent can take your passports to the section for applying for Birth Certificates at the Department of Home Affairs, otherwise both parents must go. They will make copies of your passport and send the copies off to Pretoria which typically takes 10 days, this is to validate that you are in fact in the country and have a visa. They will let you know when you have been verified and when to come in for a second time - they will tell you a specific time, which is when you need to arrive and wait and be directed and sorted
For the second trip, both parents along with your new baby go to the Department of Home Affairs to apply for an Unabridged Birth Certificate. Bring your BI-24 form, marriage certificate and passports, and all copies. Go to the section for applying for Birth Certificate at the Department of Home Affairs - you should be able to get it that day and it should be free of charge. This trip typically takes between 2-5 hours - so bring snacks.
Once you get your Unabridged Birth Certificate you can apply for a passport and social security for your child at your embassy. Take your Unabridged Birth Certificate along with anything required from your country of origin. Every country has different rules for what is needed and for taking the passport photos (for example, you may be able to bring in your own for example)- so do your own research
To get a passport for your baby - click here for more information
To get a visa for your baby - click here for more information
As a South African + International Couple:
First, you register the birth by obtaining the correct form from your healthcare provider- which should be a DHA 24/PB Proof of Birth (for hospital births) or a DHA 24PBA Birth Affidavit for home births
Fill out a BI-21 form (Notice of Birth form)
Make multiple certified copies of all your documents:
Make photocopies of your marriage certificate, current visa for non-South African parent and passports for each parent, copy of South African parents’ ID, Proof of Birth or Birth Affidavit and BI-21 Notice of Birth form
Bring all original and copies to the police station or post office and asking for them to be certified.
Take two trips to the Department of Home Affairs (more advice for dealing with the Department of Home Affairs is to the left), this need to happen within 30 days after giving birth, so don’t delay :
Trip One: if you are legally married, one parent can take your passports to the section for applying for Birth Certificates at the Department of Home Affairs, otherwise both parents must go. They will make copies of your passport and send the copies off to Pretoria which typically takes 10 days, this is to validate that you are in fact in the country and have a visa. They will let you know when you have been verified and when to come in for a second time - they will tell you a specific time, which is when you need to arrive and wait and be directed and sorted
For the second trip, both parents along with your new baby go to the Department of Home Affairs to apply for an Unabridged Birth Certificate. Bring your BI-24 form, marriage certificate and passports, and all copies. Go to the section for applying for Birth Certificate at the Department of Home Affairs - you should be able to get it that day and it should be free of charge. This trip typically takes between 2-5 hours - so bring snacks.
For their international passport + social security - once you get your Unabridged Birth Certificate you can apply for a passport and social security for your child at your embassy. Take your Unabridged Birth Certificate along with anything required from your country of origin. Every country has different rules for what is needed and for taking the passport photos (for example, you may be able to bring in your own for example)- so do your own research.
To get passports for both South Africa and your home country for your baby - click here for more information
Their South African ID cannot be applied for until they are 16
The good news is that your baby won’t need a South African visa as they are a citizen!
As South African Individual or Couple:
First, you register the birth by obtaining the correct form from your healthcare provider- which should be a DHA 24/PB Proof of Birth (for hospital births) or a DHA 24PBA Birth Affidavit for home births
Fill out a BI-21 form (Notice of Birth form)
Make multiple certified copies of all your documents:
Make photocopies of your marriage certificate, copy of your South African IDs, Proof of Birth or Birth Affidavit and BI-21 Notice of Birth form
Bring all original and copies to the police station or post office and asking for them to be certified.
Take two trips to the Department of Home Affairs (more advice for dealing with the Department of Home Affairs is to the left), this need to happen within 30 days after giving birth, so don’t delay :
if you are legally married, one parent can take your passports to the section for applying for Birth Certificates at the Department of Home Affairs, otherwise both parents must go. They will make copies of your IDs and send the copies off to Pretoria which typically takes 10 days, this is to validate that you are in fact in the country. They will let you know when you have been verified and when to come in for a second time - they will tell you a specific time, which is when you need to arrive and wait and be directed and sorted.
For the second trip, both parents along with your new baby go to the Department of Home Affairs to apply for an Unabridged Birth Certificate. Bring your BI-24 form, marriage certificate and IDs, and all copies. Go to the section for applying for Birth Certificate at the Department of Home Affairs - you should be able to get it that day and it should be free of charge. This trip typically takes between 2-5 hours - so bring snacks.
To get a passport for your baby - click here for more information
