René Stegmann

UNABRIDGED BIRTH CERTIFICATES – 1ST JUNE 2015

unabridged-birth-certificate

Please be advised of the following relating to children under the age of 18 entering and departing South African Ports of Entries.

As of 01 June 2015 children must be in possession of their birth certificates which must reflect both parents’ names (unabridged birth certificates) – if in a foreign language, it must be accompanied by a sworn official English translation. 

Children travelling with one parent, must be in possession of their birth certificates which must reflect both parents names, an affidavit from the absent parent (the affidavit must be less than 3 months old, on the day of travelling), authorising the child to travel, a court order granting full parental responsibilities or legal guardianship or the death certificate of the absent parent.

Children travelling with a person, other than their parents, must be in possession of their birth certificates which must reflect both parents names, an affidavit from the both parents, authorising them to travel with that person (the affidavits must be less than 3 months old, on the day of travelling), together with certified copies of both parents identity documents as well as the contact details of both parents.

Children travelling unaccompanied, must be in possession of their birth certificates which must reflect both parents names, an affidavit from the both parents, authorising them to travel, certified copies of both parents identity documents, contact details of both parents, as well as documentation relating to the person who will be receiving them in SA (a letter stating the persons full names, contact details residential address, certified copy of their identity document or passport and permanent residence certificate – if applicable).

It will be the travellers’ responsibility to ensure that they are in possession of the correct documentation, failing which they will be denied boarding.

Please contact us if you require assistance with procuring unabridged birth certificates. On +27 21 7634240 or info@relocationafrica.co.za

René Stegmann

SA gives BRICS port of entry visas – Feb 26 2015

Cape Town – Business and diplomatic travellers from South Africa’s Brics partners – Brazil, Russia, India and China – are to receive a port of entry visa into South Africa, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba said on Thursday.

Malusi Gigaba

Malusi Gigaba

“… I have approved the issuance of port of entry visas to Brics business executives for up to 10 years, with each visit not to exceed 30 days,” he told the Cape Town Press Club.

The visas had been in effect since December 23 last year.

“This applies to diplomatic, official or service, and ordinary passport holders.”

Gigaba said the relevant individuals would receive a long-term visa allowing them multiple entry into the country for the duration of the passport’s validity, not exceeding 10 years.

The department would continue to meet a turnaround time of five days for short-term business visas.

It had consulted extensively with the Brics business council and the trade and industry department.

Gigaba said the four countries presented an “important investment potential”.

Together with South Africa, the countries comprised 40% of the world’s population.

 

“Business people from Brazil, Russia, India, and China want to come to our country, buy and sell an increasing array of products and services, and invest in our companies and growth sectors,” he said.

“At home affairs we are completely committed to enabling this by facilitating the efficient entry of these commercial visitors, and will continually look for opportunities to improve in this regard.”

Gigaba smiled when asked if his announcement would anger countries that had a long-established trading relationship with South Africa.

“No, every good thing must start somewhere,” he said.

The same arrangement might well be extended to other countries who had “significant investments” locally.

“These are issues that you undertake as you improve your systems.”

René Stegmann

NIGERIA: Abolition of Re-entry Visa

Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has abolished the requirement to obtain re-entry visas for re-entering the country by expatriates who are already resident in Nigeria.

It has not been indicated yet when the new policy becomes effective. However, once implemented, it will mean that assignees working in Nigeria would not require a re-entry visa (e.g. SJRV, MJRV, etc.) in their passport to re-enter the country each time they travel out, as long as they have a valid residence permit/green card.  

Contact Cassandra at immigration@relocationafrica.com for further support.

René Stegmann

Visa law review to help boost tourism – February 20 2015 – Cape Times  Melanie Gosling

SOUTH Africa’s visa regulations will be reviewed to ensure the stringent requirements do not become an obstacle to unlocking the massive tourism potential, Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom said yesterday.

Speaking at Kirstenbosch to mark the botanical gardens’ milestone of attracting more than a million visitors last year, Hanekom said South Africa’s visa requirements needed to strike a balance between protecting the country and helping combat crimes like human trafficking, while ensuring these measures did not negatively affect tourism.

“We will be carefully examining the whole visa requirement issue, finding the right balance,” Hanekom said at a media briefing.

With him was TalebRifai, secretary-general of the UN’s World Tourism Organisation, who echoed Hanekom’s views on visa regulations, but said he was not suggesting South Africa compromise on safeguarding the country.

“We’re on the side of homeland ministers and the security people, but they should not make it a nightmare for visitors to get a visa,” said Rifai.

He questioned the wisdom of South Africa’s visa requirements, which meant “every tourist from China or Russia or other rising markets have to travel to embassies, pay more money, sit there, standing in lines” to apply for a visa to visit South Africa.

The country’s visa requirements, introduced in May, mean tourists have to present themselves for “in-person biometric data collection” when applying for a visa. This has met with criticism from the tourism industry.

Rifai said visitors to Australia could buy a visa online.

David Scowsill, chief executive of the World Travel and Tourism Council, said the US had recognised the negative economic impact of their stringent visa requirements and were changing them.

“Since 9/11, the US has lost $600 billion in tourism because their State Department was not issuing visas, they were treating everyone as terrorists.” Scowsill said the US tourism industry had made sure President Barack Obama knew about the losses, with the result that there had been a change in US visa requirements in the last three years.

“You have an enormous opportunity to grow tourism in South Africa, you have everything which an international tourist can enjoy, but there are some practical issues which you need to fix. One is a visa system which inhibits people from coming to see this country,” Scowsill echoed.

Another was encouraging other airlines to South Africa. He understood the dilemma of wanting to support the national carrier, while seeing the need to bring in other airlines, but it was one which needed to be resolved.

He believed South Africa should develop an “open-skies” agreement with other African countries with high tourism potential, such as Tanzania.

Western Cape MEC for Tourism Alan Winde said tourism was the fastest-growing sector in the province and had grown by 7.8 percent in the last five years. Tourism jobs were “great multipliers”, with several indirect jobs being created for every direct job in tourism

. http://www.iol.co.za/capetimes/visa-law-review-to-help-boost-tourism-1.1821144#.VObrYCxPlKo