BIRTH
The legal period to register birth is within 30 days of you giving birth.
To correct the situation, you have to apply for rectification of false birth registration and amendment of the birth record. To do this, you have to provide proof of birth and all other supporting documents to the Department.
Your child was issued with a handwritten notice as computerised birth certificates are only issued to South African citizens, permanent resident permit holders or legal refugees. Being born in the country does not automatically make one a citizen of the country.
If the father is South African, he can register the child as a South African by birth. If you agree to him using his surname, then the child can be registered in the father’s surname.
Yes, the father should be present during the birth registration process and acknowledge paternity himself in writing on the notice of birth form. If he is not present, his details cannot be inserted on the birth record.
You can apply for the insertion of the father’s details and pay the prescribed fee. Please note that he has to be present during the application and complete his section himself on the form. A new certificate will be issued with his details on.
Your unabridged birth certificate was issued using your original birth record which only had your parent’s dates of birth and not ID numbers. The unabridged certificate is a computerised version of your original birth record/ notice of birth and the Department should issue the certificate with the details as on the record. To have your parent’s ID numbers on your certificate, you should apply for amendment of your birth record, provide supporting documents and pay the prescribed fee.
To register the child’s birth, you will need to make an appointment for an interview at the office. Submit the notice of birth form obtainable at the office, affidavit as proof of birth for a child born at home, another affidavit giving reasons for the late registration of birth; bring the child with you for his palm, footprint to be taken. Your ID book and fingerprints will also be required for the interview and for the application to be processed.
Only the Department of Social Development can provide you with the details of your biological parents, also only if the adoption was an open one, where the biological parents have consented to their details being disclosed.
Yes, they will need to bring along the receipt, a copy of your ID and their original ID to collect the certificate.
The child needs to be re-registered as born in wedlock and the husband’s surname as the nominated surname be used to register the child. There is no cost to re-register the child.
If the mother refuses to consent to the insertion, only the High Court may issue a court order exempting the mother’s consent.
No, insertion of father’s details can only be done with the consent of the mother or a court order clearly ordering the Department of Home Affairs to insert the details.
Yes, the Act allows you to change the child’s surname to that of your husband, however, the husband must also give consent to his surname being assumed by the child.
Yes, a guardian is allowed by law to change the minor child’s surname to their own surname
MARRIAGE
Yes, a married woman can use her maiden surname after marriage or assume the husband’s surname or join her maiden surname with that of her husband as double double-barreled surname.
If he is registered with the Department of Home Affairs as a registered marriage officer, he can conduct the ceremony.
Yes, you need to book and the marriage officer will give you an available date for you, your partner and witnesses to come to the office with your ID books and marriage contract if any.
It is a letter or notice indicating that there is nothing stopping the partner from getting married to you. For example, the partner is not legally married to someone else.
No, there is no waiting period. Once the divorce is registered on the system, a new marriage can be registered.
Yes, polygamy is allowed in South Africa, provided all the requirements are followed
Customary marriages should be registered within three (3) months of taking place
Yes, you can register a marriage if you have all the supporting documents and witnesses to attest to the marriage.
No, the couple will have to divorce then remarry through customary law.
It could be that the pastor did not submit your marriage register to the Department or the Department delayed in capturing the marriage on the system. This happens a lot as most pastors wait to conduct a number of marriages before submitting the register to the Department. It does, however, not mean that the marriage did not take place.
The legal age to get married is 18 years. Any person below the age of 18 should get written consent from parents/ legal guardian/Minister of Home Affairs or Commissioner of Child Welfare.
Unfortunately, you can only end the marriage through a divorce as you are already above the age of 21. You were supposed to apply for dissolution of the marriage before you turn 21 or within three (3) months after turning 21.
Asylum seekers and refugees do have the right to get married in South Africa as long as they meet the Home Affairs marriage requirements.
Yes, an immigration interview is a prerequisite for a marriage to a foreign national. A letter of no impediment has to be submitted as well by the foreign national.
No, cohabitation is not regarded as marriage in South Africa.
A civil union is a legally recognised union of a same-sex couple with rights similar to those of marriage. Civil unions offer some of the same rights and responsibilities as marriage. Yes, the Department of Home Affairs recognises it as a marriage.
No, the only way to change a marriage contract is if you divorce and remarry the partner again using a different contract.
It is unlawful to marry someone else while still married to the other person, it is considered bigamy which is a punishable offence. It is also prohibited in South Africa for a woman to marry their husband’s father.
Once a person is deceased, the system does not allow any applications for abridged certificates. Abridged birth and marriage certificates can only be issued to people who are still alive with active ID numbers. Thus, the reason you were told to apply for an unabridged marriage certificate.
DEATH
Yes, the family can bury the deceased with a handwritten death certificate while waiting for the computerised certificate to be issued.
Yes, if the funeral undertaker is authorised by Home Affairs to issue burial orders, then they can issue it.
The USA must issue a death certificate and a copy must be submitted to the South African embassy or mission to report the death.
The South African embassy in the USA will assist with paperwork and arrangements for transportation of the remains to South Africa.
A person can be erroneously or fraudulently registered as deceased on the system. To correct the problem, an investigation has to be conducted and your fingerprints taken to resolve the case. Police might be involved in resolving the matter.
Her marriage was not registered on the system. It could be that the marriage register was not submitted or captured. To correct this, the marriage register or alternative supporting documents should be submitted for her marriage to be captured and a new death certificate with her status indicating her as married issued.
ID documents are only issued to people who are alive for the purpose of identification and transactions while still alive. Once the person passes on, the document has to be cancelled and returned to the Department of Home Affairs.
Yes, a stillborn child has to be properly named, their birth registered and immediately after their death should be registered and a death certificate issued before burial or cremation.
Only after ten years from someone's disappearance, a motion to declare the person legally dead can be filed in court. After that, another ten years must pass before the person can be declared legally dead.
No, the cause of death will be captured as on the notice of death form duly completed by the person authorised to complete the form
IDENTITY
No, the issuance of a Smart ID Card automatically cancels the validity of your green ID book. The office of application should mark the green ID book as cancelled.
The Department can unfortunately not pay you for the photos as the photographers are not contracted to the Department. They are independent people operating outside the Department’s premises.
Unlike the green barcoded ID document, the Smart ID Card has a high level of security features making it extremely difficult to either intercept or duplicate.
No, you will first have to finalise any amendments and rectifications to your personal particulars, obtain your confirmation letter before you can apply for a new Smart ID Card. The card application process is faster than the amendment process, so applying for both the Card and changes to your personal details might lead to the card being issued with the old details.
No, except when the card is damaged or lost.
13 digits (first 6 numbers being your date of birth, next 4 being your gender and next 3 if you are a citizen or permanent residence holder)
Yes, if you are over 16 years of age and above, you need an ID to apply for a passport.
Yes, your naturalisation certificate and permanent residence certificate will be required to finalise your application if you acquired South African citizenship through naturalisation
You can apply for rectification of the errors, you do not need to provide proof that the error was made by the Department. e.g. a copy of your birth certificate with the correct name on it. If proven that it was a departmental error, the Department will carry the cost to rectify the error.
As a person over the age of 18, you do not need your father to accompany you to the office to sign documents on your behalf. You can make the application on your own.
No, the Social Worker can only assist in instances where the biological parents are deceased or cannot be traced and there is no legal guardian to assist with the application.
Yes, the Identification Act clearly states that any misrepresentation during the application process should be punished by the law. A fine and jail sentence will be imposed.
Yes, they do, however, the ID number given to PR holders is different from that of South Africans
This means you might have two ID numbers assigned to you or might be sharing an ID number with someone else. Duplicate ID numbers are not always as a result of fraud.
You need to submit an ID application form together with a renouncement letter indicating which ID number you want to retain and which one you want the Department to delete.
No. It is prohibited to renounce an ID number that is linked to a marriage and children without a Divorce Decree issued by the Court of Law
You have to provide supporting documents that you are legal in the country. Visa, naturalisation certificate if any, exemption certificate if any and supporting documents on how you obtained a South African ID document.
No, according to the Identification Act, the only time a person may be issued with a new ID number is if the person was a duplicate case, sharing an ID number with someone else. The duplicate case should have been investigated and found that the person does indeed qualify for a new ID number in terms of the Act. Your case has to be reported to the South African Police Services for investigation and resolution of the fraudulent ID and use thereof.
After a change in identification, a confirmation letter is issued to the applicant. The confirmation letter is used as proof of the amendment of details on the National Population Register.
Each country is assigned a different code on the National Population Register. South Africa is 01. Check with the Department’s Contact Centre or website for the country codes
Yes, the temporary ID certificate is a valid ID document and can be used to vote.
It is issued on the spot; same day and it is valid for (two months) 60 days.
No, you do not have to carry it with you all the time, however, it should be produced when transacting with banks and other state institutions.
It is unlawful to replace the photo inserted by the Department on your identity document. The only time the photo can be replaced is if you apply for a re-issue of an ID document.
All citizens will by law, have to change to the new Smart ID Card when the President announces the discontinuation of the green ID document.
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
- 10 years for an adult
- 5 years for a minor child
No, it is a punishable offence for South African citizens older than 18 years to leave or enter the country with a foreign passport irrespective of whether they hold citizenship of another country or not.
No, South African passports are only printed in Pretoria and dispatched to the offices of application and missions abroad.
No, you have to apply in person as your fingerprints are needed as part of the application.
No, it is your responsibility to apply for your enabling documents in time to ensure that you have them when needed for travel and other transactions.
No, the passport is issued with your details as on the National Population Register. Any changes to your details should be applied for and effected on the register before you apply for your passport.
- The official passport is valid for 5 years. Official passports can only be used for official travel and remain the property of the state. The passport has to be returned to the Department of Home Affairs if you leave government services
- Diplomatic passports are administered by DIRCO
A Maxi passport is the bigger version of a tourist passport. It has 48 pages as opposed to 36 pages of a tourist passport. Maxi passports are used by frequent travellers.
No, Maxi passports are only issued to South Africans older than 16 years.
No, your passport should have at least two pages for entry stamps and be valid for 30 days or more after the date of departure.
No, when the passport expires, you have to apply for a new one.
You need to apply for a new passport and present the office with a loss of passport report and proof that you reported the loss to the police. Should you not be able to provide the requested proof, then you will be charged R800 for a new passport.
If the father acknowledged paternity and appears on the child’s birth register, then he has to give consent to the Department for the child to have a passport and travel outside the country.
Yes, a death certificate is a requirement for a deceased parent.
The matter should be taken to the Children’s court for them to decide on the application and issue the Department with an order.
Passports are only issued to South African citizens, so your citizenship status has to be determined first before a passport can be issued to you. You could have lost your status while abroad so the Department has to verify it first.
Each traveller has to use a passport from their country of origin. Passports are only meant for citizens of a particular country.
They are issued with travel documents, only if they cannot obtain passports or travel documents from their countries. A written confirmation from the country of origin that they cannot issue you with a passport is needed. The only exception is Refugees who have been granted permanent residence as refugees.
Yes, if valid reasons for not being able to obtain a passport from your country of origin are not provided.
You need a crew member certificate. You can, however, while still waiting for the certificate to be issued, use your passport if the employer allows it.