THERE is little more than
two months to go until
the Department of Home
Affairs implements its new
immigration regulations, which
include the requirement for
children to travel with an
unabridged birth certificate.
TNW has received reports
that some parents had waited
up to 10 months to receive
the unabridged certificate. The
DHA claimed it took between
four and six weeks, adding
that it had “jacked up” the
issuing of these documents.
On Friday, June 13, I braved
the Home Affairs office in
Cape Town to apply for my.
daughter’s unabridged birth
certificate. I phoned the call
centre before making the trip
to ensure that I had all the
correct documentation and
was told to bring my ID, my
husband’s ID, my daughter’s
abridged birth certificate and
R75.
When I arrived, I was
handed a number and then
joined hundreds of other
people in the waiting area.
While waiting, I filled in the
application form, which
asks for all the parents’
particulars, and before I had
even finished, my number was
called.
I handed over the form and
was told to go to the cashier
to pay. I was advised that I
could expect an sms within
four to six weeks notifying
me that the birth certificate
was ready for collection. At
no point during the process
was I asked to show any of
the supporting documents
(i.e. IDs and abridged birth
certificate).
On the morning of July 11,
exactly four weeks after I
applied, I received an sms to
say my daughter’s unabridged
birth certificate was ready for
collection. I collected it last
week.
While going to Home Affairs
is never pleasant, I only spent
about an hour at the office in
total, including both visits.
