The Extra Mile
Do I need my child's unabridged birth certificate for a domestic flight?
Easier rules apply when travelling with your kids within SA as opposed to heading overseas, advises Elizabeth Sleith
Q. I am flying from Joburg to Cape Town next month with my two children (aged 3 and 5) and am not sure about what documentation is required. I know they would need unabridged birth certificates to leave the country, but do the same requirements apply for travel within SA? - Antoinette Samson
A. You are correct that children travelling to and from SA are required to carry an unabridged birth certificate, as well as a valid passport.
The government says this is for their "protection from child trafficking, abduction and kidnapping".
This law, however, pertains only to international travel. Because there is no border clearance involved in domestic travel (which is also why adults can board domestic flights without passports), you do not have to stress about getting that precious document for this trip.
When you check in for domestic flights, however, you must produce identification - with a name that matches your ticket - and this rule applies similarly to children.
Of course, young children do not have ID books and often don't have passports - but their abridged birth certificates will do. (These you would have got when you registered them at Home Affairs within 30 days of their birth.)
I have made several domestic trips with my young son, where my ID and medical-aid card were accepted as proof of his identity - since it shows my name and him as a dependant.
As always, it's best to give your airline a quick call to be sure but my advice would be to take a certified copy of the abridged birth certificate (leave the original in a safe place at home), and your medical-aid card as an emergency back-up.
Also, take some lollipops for the take-off and landing - they help with the change in air pressure, which often brings babies to tears...
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