Passport change eases travel with minors

Travelling with minors is set to be easier as the details of SA parents will now appear on children’s passports, in line with the Department of Home Affairs’ new modernisation drive. A Business Day report says the move is set to appease parents travelling with minors, without necessarily compromising on security. The move puts SA on the same level as most countries that already list the names of the parents on a child’s passport and removes the need to have an unabridged birth certificate. Travellers from foreign countries that do not list the names of parents in minors’ passports still need to provide unabridged birth certificates. Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba last week said the department was also moving to a paperless process for birth, marriage and death registration. Birth registration for children up to a year old would be automated, meaning people would no longer complete paper forms for birth registration. Gigaba said this would be more convenient for applicants, and will reduce corruption and fraud. Citizens who are already registered in the national population register will be able to have marriage and death certificates reprinted without filling out paper forms. Gigaba said the automation of the birth, marriage and death system will require a major system upgrade, commencing on 13 July.