The U.S. Embassy in Kigali, Rwanda informs U.S. citizens who intend to travel to South Africa about immigration regulations concerning the entry and exit of children from South Africa, which went into effect on June 1, 2015. All travelers should visit the South African Department of Home Affairs website and check the latest requirements with the nearest South African embassy or consulate before traveling to South Africa with a child. Contact information for the South African High Commission in Kigali is available at the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation website.
A detailed explanation of the South African regulations can be found on the South African Department of Home Affairs website. These regulations apply to children who are entering and departing South Africa. Please note: the required documents should be retained throughout the stay of the child in South Africa.
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs requires the execution of an affidavit (example) by the non-traveling parent permitting a child’s travel, when one parent is traveling alone with the child. The U.S. Embassy in Kigali provides notarial services to families seeking to execute affidavits for a fee of $50 per document notarized. Please note, however, that South African regulations permit U.S. citizens to use notaries recognized by the Rwandan government. A notary authorized by the Rwandan government to notarize documents for use outside of Rwanda is located at the Ministry of Justice building in Kigali.
Before You Go
For further information:
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Rwanda Country Specific Information.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Contact the U.S. Embassy in Rwanda, located at 2657 Avenue de la Gendarmerie, Kacyiru, Kigali, at +250 252 596 400, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Friday, except U.S. federal and Rwandan national holidays. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +250 252 596 400.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
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