Amendments in ID Books & Birth Certificates (ADULTS)

AMENDMENT MAJOR

Important note: The forms mentioned below are provided at a Home Affairs office, unless otherwise specified.

 

1. AMENDMENT OF BIRTH REGISTRATION OF CHILD BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK

 Section 11 (1) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 51 of 1992.

Requirements: 

  • Only natural parents who are legally  married to each other
  • Copy of a Marriage Certificate
  • ID copies of both parents and online verifications
  • Birth certificate and ID copy of the applicant 
  • Part D of Form DHA-24 with new particulars must be completed - Acknowledgementof Paternity section of a child born out of wedlock, obtainable at any Home Affairs office
  • Re-registration is not gazetted
  • Issued once, age limit is from one to 17 years old
  • Free

 

2. INSERTION OF NATURAL FATHER’S PARTICULARS IN THE BIRTH REGISTER OF CHILD

Section 11 (4) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1992

Requirements: 

  • ID copies of both parents and online verification
  • ID copy or birth certificate of the applicant and online verification (to be provided by a Home Affairs office)
  • A DNA test result not older than three months is required in the case of non-South African citizens
  • If the mother is deceased, a paternity test is required from the father
  • Applicable fee

 

3. AMPLIFICATION OF A BIRTH REGISTER

Section 23 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 51 of 1992

  • This section mainly provides for Indian people who previously were not assigned a forename or surname.
  • This section, however, does not include other racial groups. 
  • Any person who was registered without a forename or surname before the Act came into place (i.e. before 1992) may apply to have a surname or forename(s) added or amplified into their birth register.

Requirements:

  • Marriage certificate, if applicable
  • Applicable fee

 

4. ALTERATION OF FORENAMES

Section 24 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 51 of 1992

Requirements: 

  • ID or birth certificate of applicant (certified)
  • Parents must apply on behalf of minor children: 16 and 17 years respectively
  • Applicable fee for minors: 16 and 17 years respectively
  • Applicable fee for applicants 18 years and older
  • 18 years and older must be published in the government gazette 

NB: (a) A person of age who, in terms of section 24 of the Act, has previously applied for and was granted a change of a forename may not thereafter apply for a subsequent change of his or her forename, unless:

  • There are exceptional circumstances, which must be clearly stated and attested to in the form of an affidavit (from the South African Police Service - SAPS) or
  • His or her forename was initially changed whilst he or she was still a minor
  • The identity number of a person who has altered his or her forename in terms of section 24 of the Act may not be amended.

 

5. ALTERATION OF SURNAME OF MINOR 

Section 25 (a) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 51 of 1992

When the birth for the alteration of the surname of a minor born out of wedlock has been registered, and the mother of that minor marries any other person other than the natural father of the minor:

Requirements:

  • Birth certificate or ID copy of the child
  • Stepfather’s consent to the alteration
  • Mother’s consent to the alteration
  • Copy of marriage certificate (certified)
  • Online verification print-out result (for both parties) must be attached to the application(to be provided at a Home Affairs office)
  • Applicable fee

Section 25 1 (b) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 51 of 1992

When the father (High Court) of any minor is deceased or his / her parent’s marriage has been dissolved and his/her mother remarries or his / her mother is a widow or divorces and resumes a surname; which she bore at any prior time and the father, where the marriage has been dissolved, consents thereto in writing, unless a competent court grants exemption from such consent:

(i) If both child(ren) parents were married but are currently divorced, and the Decree of divorce has indicated the following:
  • Father has been granted permission to pay visits for his child(ren)
  • Father to pay maintenance for his child(ren)

Requirements:

  • Birth certificate or ID copy of the child
  • Written consent of the biological father as part of the application form (he must be present at Home Affairs)
  • Copy of biological father’s identity document to be submitted (certified)
  • Online verification report of all parties involved (to be provided at a Home Affairs office)
  • Copy of mother’s identity document (certified)
  • Applicable fee
 
(ii) If both parents were married but are currently divorced, and the Decree of divorce has indicated that the child(ren)’s mother has sole custody; therefore

Requirements:

  • Birth certificate or ID copy of the child
  • A consent written by the child(ren)’s father is not required
  • Certified copy of the child’s birth certificate
  • Certified copy of divorce papers/report/court order
  • Online verification printout report (to be provided at a Home Affairs office)
  • Certified copy of mother’s identity document
  • Applicable fee

 

(iii) If the child’s father is deceased

Requirements:

  • Birth certificate or ID copy of the child
  • Certified copy of father’s death certificate
  • Online verification printout report (to be provided at a Home Affairs office)
  • Certified copy of mother’s identity document
  • A written consent from the family of the deceased to give consent to the surname change of the child
  • A written consent from the stepfather to allow the child to assume his surname
  • Applicable fee

 

(iv) If the child is born out of wedlock, and the father is deceased, but the child must assume the father’s surname:

Requirements:

  • Birth certificate or ID copy of the child
  • Certified copy of father’s death certificate
  • Affidavits (from the SAPS) of the family member(s) of the deceased
  • Family member(s) of the deceased must be present at the Home Affairs office to give consent
  • Online verification printout of all parties involved (to be provided at a Home Affairs office)
  • Copy of mother’s identity document (certified)
  • Applicable fee

 

Section 25 1 (c) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 51 of 1992

The birth of any minor born out of wedlock has been registered under the surname of his/her natural father and the natural father consents thereto-inwriting, unless a competent court grants an exemption from such consent. The same is also applicable to a father who acknowledged paternity but is not married to the child’s mother

Requirements:

  • Birth certificate or ID copy of the child
  • Copy of mother’s identity document (certified)
  • Online verification printout report (to be provided at a Home Affairs office)
  • A written consent from the biological father
  • Copy of the father’s identity document (certified)
  • Applicable fee

 

Section 25 1 (d) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 51 of 1992

Minor in the care of a guardian: According to the definition of a guardian in the Act, it may be any person who has in fact or in law custody of a minor, thus the following will be required:

Requirements:

  • Birth certificate or ID copy of child
  • Documentary proof of the custody/ court order/ report provided by the Department of Social Development (DSD) 
  • Online verification printout of the guardian (to be provided at a Home Affairs office)
  • The natural father’s written consent is not required where the mother has sole guardianship of the child concerned
  • Applicable fee

 

Section 26 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 51 of 1992

ASSUMPTION OF ANOTHER SURNAME

The Births and Deaths Registration Act 51 of 1992

The reasons referred to in section 26 (2) of the Act must relate to:

  • A change in the marital status of a woman
  • Assumption by a person of his or her biological father’s surname, where the father has recently acknowledged paternity in terms of regulation 13 or 14; or
  • Protection of a person in terms of the Witness Protection Act, 1998 (Act No. 112 of 198)

Requirements:

  • Birth certificate or ID copy of the applicant
  • Consent in the form of an affidavit (from the SAPS) from the person whose surname the applicant wants to have
  • Certified ID copy of the applicant
  • Certified ID copy of the person who is giving consent
  • Part D (acknowledgement of paternity of a child born out of wedlock) on DHA-24 with new particulars must be completed - obtainable from a Home Affairs office
  • Applicable fee

 

If the applicant wants to assume the surname of a deceased person:

Requirements:

  • Birth certificate or ID copy of the applicant
  • Death certificate of the deceased person (certified)
  • When the applicant is a male and he is married, he may include his wife as well as the children if they are under the age of 18 years
  • When the applicant is a female, she may also include her children if she needs them to assume her surname.
  • DHA-24 new and old - obtainable from Home Affairs
  • Consent from family member and ID copy attached, copy of father’s death certificate (certified)
  • Applicable fee

 

6. FALSE REGISTRATION OF BIRTH

Section 7 (2) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 51 of 1992

Requirements:

  • Birth certificate or ID copy of the applicant
  • Affidavits (from the SAPS) from both biological and false parents
  • If one of the parents is deceased and is registered on the birth record of the child and they need to remove the parent, an informant must make an affidavit (from the SAPS) from the deceased family and an affidavit (from the SAPS) from the biological parent
  • If the child is registered under the false parents and the parents are deceased:
  • An affidavit (from the SAPS) from the deceased’s family is required
  • Copy of an ID (certified)
  • Copy of death certificate (certified

If the biological mother is not registered on the birth record and is deceased:

  • Affidavit (from the SAPS) from the deceased’s family
  • ID copy of the informant (certified)
  • Copy of the death certificate of the mother (certified)
  • Clinic card / maternity certificate

If both biological parents and false parents are deceased:

  • Affidavits (from the SAPS) from both families are required
  • ID copies of the informants (certified)
  • Copy of death certificate (certified by both parents)
  • DHA-24 X 2 from the false and biological mother  - obtainable from Home Affairs

NB: In all of the above, DNA test results are required as well to confirm that the mother is the biological mother of the child.

 

7. ADOPTION

Children’s Act No. 38 of 2005 and Section 240 (2) Child Care Act, 1983

NB: An application for recording of adoption referred to in section 27 (b) of the Act must be made by the adoptive parents within 90 days of the registration of the adoption order by the adoption register.

Requirements:

  • ID copy of the applicant
  • A certified copy of the original birth certificate of the child
  • Adoption order issued by the High Court (certified)
  • Adoption confirmation from the Social Development Department
  • Certified copies of adoptive parents
  • For forename changes minor (DHA-9 fingerprint purposes) – obtainable at a Home Affairs office
  • Applicable fee

 

8. RECTIFICATION OF PERSONAL PARTICULARS - Gender Rectification: 

 Section 7 (2) of the Births and Deaths registration Act 51 of 1992

Requirements: 

  • Birth certificate or ID copy of the applicant
  • Copy of Marriage Certificate
  • ID or birth certificate of applicant (certified)
  • Mother’s ID copy for minor children (certified)
  • Proof of clinic card, or maternity certificate or a recommendation from the office
  • Applicable fee
  • Free if it’s a departmental error

  

9. RECTIFICATION OF PERSONAL PARTICULARS - Surname Rectification:

Section 7 (2) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 51 of 1992

Requirements: 

  • Birth certificate or ID copy of the applicant
  • ID copy of a family member with the correct spelling of the surname (certified) and consent in the form of an affidavit (from the SAPS) declaring the relationship with the applicant
  • Marriage or death certificate of parents with the correct surname (certified)
  • Non-citizens to give a copy of the Permanent residence permit/Naturalisation certificate
  • Applicable fee
  • Free if it’s a departmental error

 

10. RECTIFICATION OF PERSONAL PARTICULARS - Forename Rectification:

Section 7 (2) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 51 of 1992

Requirements:

  • Birth certificate or ID copy of the applicant
  • Applicable fee
  • Free if it’s a departmental error

 

11. PLACE OF BIRTH 

Section 7 (2) of the Births and Deaths Registration act 51 of 1992

Requirements:

  • Birth certificate or ID copy of the applicant
  • Conclusive proof of the place of birth
  • Applicable fee

  

12. COUNTRY OF BIRTH

Section 7 (2) of the Births and Deaths registration Act 51 of 1992

Requirements:

  • Birth certificate or ID copy of the applicant
  • TBVC (Homelands) Documents
  • If the applicant is a Non-South African citizen, a Permanent Residence certificate or Naturalisation certificate and copy of the Passport is needed with the correct country of birth
  • Applicable fee

 

13. DATE OF BIRTH

Section 7 (2) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 51 of 1992

Requirements:

  • Birth certificate or ID copy of the applicant
  • ID copy or birth certificate of applicant (certified)
  • Mother’s ID copy (certified)

 

CATEGORIES

  • From 1990: Need a clinic card and maternity certificate/school register from primary school with the correct date of birth
  • 1980 – 1960: Handwritten birth certificate with a birth entry number or
    • House permit or
    • TBVC (Homelands) document or
    • Abridged marriage certificate or
    • Travel documents or
    • Reference book with the correct date of birth
  • 1950: Any of the above-mentioned and office recommendation signed by a screening committee of three members and their Persal numbers, with a letterhead and the office stamp. Please note that an office recommendation must be a supporting document for one of the above-mentioned documents.
  • Applicable fee

 

14. PARENTS' PARTICULARS
 

Section 7 (2) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 51 of 1992

Requirements:

  • Birth certificate or ID copy of the applicant
  • Correct particulars of parents e.g. ID copy or birth certificate of parent(s)
  • Applicable fee