As from 1 June 2015  immigration regulations changed with regard to travelling with children. The full regulations can be viewed in this document. A summary of the most common situations is as follows:

• Two parents traveling with children will need to show the child’s Unabridged Birth Certificate (UBC).
• One married parent traveling with a child will need to show the UBC and either:
• a Parental Consent Affidavit (PAC) from the parent not traveling,
• or a letter of special circumstances,
• or a copy of Court order in terms of section 18(5) of the Children’s Act, 2005,
  authorizing a minor to enter or depart from the Republic in the absence of parental consent of either parent
• Widowed parent traveling with a child will need to show the UBC and a death certificate of deceased parent.
• Children traveling with family friends will need a UBC, PCA, copies of parents passports, and contact details of parents.

These are regulations that apply when traveling to and from South Africa. However, since most visitors to Eswatini will come through South Africa, it’s important that any planned visit to Eswatini takes these new regulations into account to check what is applicable.

Since the new regulations came into force there have been discussions in the country regarding further changes.