Birth certificate South Africa: How to get one quickly

Birth certificate South Africa: How to get one quickly

Are you concerned with how to apply for a birth certificate in South Africa? Or your question is how long does a birth certificate take in South Africa? Do you also care to know how to get a South African unabridged birth certificate quickly? For all your birth certificate South Africa related questions, this article is written to provide you with detailed information that will enlighten every dark area in your mind. You will also get to know about marriage certificate and how to apply for one as you read on.

Birth certificate South Africa
Image: pexels.com
Source: UGC

According to the latest regulations that were introduced because of the Births and Deaths Amendment Act, the processes that are involved when you want to apply for a birth testimonial has followed a new turn. This is why it is imperative that you know how to go about the new process and also get to know what is involved in registering a child's birth. Therefore, among other things, you will get to understand the requirements that you must meet to get a child's certificate irrespective of the period or years after the child's birth that you are doing the registration.

Read also

Bonalesedi Nursing College: fees, courses, address, contact details

Birth certificate South Africa

Once a child is born within South Africa, the registration of such a child is expected to take place in not more than 30 days after the delivery with the South African Department of Home Affairs (DHA). This is very important because, among other things, the child needs the testimonial when he or she is about to enroll in school and even when he or she wants to apply for any grant that is coming from the government. Even to get an identity document and to secure formal employment, the child cannot do without the testimonial.

READ ALSO: SABC TV licence pensioners discount 2019

When carrying out the registration, the person who has legal responsibility for the child (and that could be the parents or a guardian) will have to complete the information contained on Form BI-24. And of course, the form can only be filled using black ink. Once you finish filling the form, you will submit the same to any of the Department of Home Affairs' office that is close to you if you live in South Africa. However, if you do not reside within the country, you are expected to submit it at any embassy or consulate of South Africa abroad.

Read also

Detailed guideline on how to get divorce in South Africa

But then, initially, when a child is issued a certificate, he or she gets an abridged birth certificate which only indicates the identification number, the child's full name as well as the country of birth. But after March 2014, the Department of Home Affairs cancelled that and began to issue an unabridged birth certificate South Africa that now displays information about the two parents as well as the identification number, the child's full name, citizenship, and the city of childbirth.

What is a vault birth certificate South Africa?

When you hear people talk about a vault birth certificate, you do not have to get confused about it. A vault birth certificate simply means the copy of the original childbirth registration form that your parents filled by hand when they were registering your birth at any of the offices of the Department of Home Affairs. At least, the application form is expected to have been signed by your parents and also stamped as a form of acceptance by the official of the DHA. That must have taken place after they captured every necessary information about your birth in their database.

Read also

Learn the rules for a child traveling with one parent South Africa

Usually, when one wants to apply for a foreign or dual citizenship or passport in another country, this copy of childbirth certificate South Africa could be needed. The reason is that they usually need it to prove one's citizenship or passport. When a resident who is South African applies for any of the services of the British government, the British Home Office may require it.

Birth certificate South Africa
Image: twitter.com, @satsa_sa
Source: UGC

What do I need to apply for a birth certificate in South Africa?

Interestingly, when a childbirth registration is carried out in not more than 30 days after the delivery, the certificate is issued free of charge, but if it is done after 30 days, a penalty fee would be paid. This is because, as stipulated by the Births and Deaths Registration Act, if you do not register the delivery of a child within 30 days, whenever it is eventually registered, it is classified to be late registration. And as such, the following are the requirements for all late childbirth registrations:

Read also

What you should know on how to become a firefighter in South Africa

  1. DHA 24/LRB which is the form that serves to notify the child's birth is needed.
  2. If the child is born at any of the health facilities, then, a DHA 24/PB would be needed. The DHA 24/PB serves to prove the birth of the child, but if the child is delivered at home, then, DHA 24PBA which serves as an affidavit to confirm the delivery will have to be presented.
  3. You will also need DHA 288/A which is an affidavit containing the reasons for the late registration of the childbirth.
  4. Fingerprints of the parent(s) are also required.
  5. The identification document or Passport of the parent(s) is also needed.
  6. Payment of the required fee for the application is paramount as that would be needed to process the certificate.

READ ALSO: Top 10 tips for emigrating from South Africa 2019

However, it should be noted that there are three categories under which late childbirth registrations are grouped, and they are 31 days up to a year, between a year and seven years, and seven years and above. Based on this, there are more necessary requirements that shall be required.

Read also

Nursing courses and colleges in South Africa: How to become a nurse

What is the fastest way to get a birth certificate in South Africa?

Document specialists Apostil.co.za are very experienced in obtaining birth certificates in as fast as one week.

According to the information published on the official website of the Department of Home Affairs, the moment you provide every required document for the childbirth certificate, you may need to wait for three to eight weeks before you get your childbirth testimonial. However, if the child's birth is registered early enough (within the expected 30 days), as recorded by DHA, it usually takes one day or thereabout to get the testimonial out once you have submitted the details of the registration.

What is an unabridged marriage certificate?

Also, referred to as a full marriage certificate, an unabridged marriage certificate carries detailed information that most government and financial institutions require. When you plan an extensive journey or you want to apply for a foreign passport, as an official certificate, the unabridged certificate is needed. However, in a situation where you or your spouse are not South Africans, the unabridged certificate is usually required when registering the marriage in your home country.

Read also

WCED online application, tracking, forms, fees, requirements 2022

what is an unabridged marriage certificate?
Image: pexels.com
Source: UGC

READ ALSO: 30 best jobs to work from home South Africa 2019

How do I get an unabridged marriage certificate South Africa?

When you want to apply for an unabridged marriage certificate, the following simple processes are needed:

  1. You will be required to fill the BI-130 application form.
  2. Also, ensure to go along with the certified copies of you and your spouse's identification documents.
  3. Pay the required amount.

Bear in mind that the application can be filed at any of the offices of the Department of Home Affairs, but if you do not reside within the country, you can do this at any embassy or consulate of South Africa abroad.

So far, we have been able to discuss what birth certificate South Africa is all about as well as the types of birth testimonials that operate in the country. Now, you should know how to apply for a birth certificate as well as an unabridged marriage certificate. We hope that you have found the information above useful.

Read also

Here is how to get a death certificate South Africa

READ ALSO:

  • 5 best retirement villages 2019
  • Showmax vs Netflix vs DStv Now: detailed overview 2019

Source: Briefly News

Hot:
Online view pixel