Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Kids Travelling Alone? Right here’s What’s Wanted

Your little one is flying alone. You’ve booked the ticket, picked the seat, possibly even packed their snacks. However until you’ve sorted the kid journey paperwork South Africa requires, that flight isn’t going anyplace. Whether or not your little one is flying alone on a fast home flight or heading abroad as an unaccompanied minor, there’s paperwork. Plenty of it. Right here’s all the pieces you’ll want to know in case your kids are travelling alone, together with the way to get a passport for a kid, what counts as an unabridged beginning certificates, and the way to put together for the unaccompanied minor course of.

Young boy travelling alone on a plane looking out the airplane window with a smile.

Can kids journey alone from South Africa?

Sure, however there are guidelines.

  • Beneath 5? No solo flights allowed.
  • Ages 5 to 17? They’ll fly, however provided that booked below the airline’s unaccompanied minor service.

Every airline has their very own unaccompanied minor coverage. Some gained’t permit connecting flights. Some solely settle for sure routes. At all times verify the nice print if you guide.

Sadly, this must be achieved instantly with the airline, your favorite journey company can’t step in right here. 

Documents needed for children travelling or flying alone

What paperwork does a toddler have to fly alone?

Right here’s your must-have guidelines in case your little one is travelling alone:

  • A sound passport for the kid (right here’s the way to get one)
  • An unabridged beginning certificates (should checklist each mother and father)
  • A signed consent affidavit from each mother and father or authorized guardians
  • Copies of each mother and father’ IDs or passports
  • A letter from the particular person receiving the kid at their vacation spot
  • That particular person’s ID or passport copy
  • Flight itinerary with full contact particulars

Professional tip:  The parental consent affidavit is simply legitimate for six months. Don’t present up with one from final yr. Time it proper.

What’s an unaccompanied minor service?

It’s a paid service supplied by airways for kids travelling alone. It contains employees escort, precedence boarding, and handover to a nominated grownup on arrival.

Airways take this severely, and so do you have to. In case your little one isn’t booked as an unaccompanied minor (UMNR), they gained’t be allowed to fly alone. Don’t threat a last-minute meltdown at check-in.

One dad or mum travelling with a toddler?

Father with his son at an airport, sitting on blue airport benches next to their suitcase. This is what's needed when one parent is travelling alone with the children.

Even if you happen to’re not flying solo, your paperwork must be tight.

If just one dad or mum is travelling with the kid, you continue to want:

  • The kid’s passport
  • An unabridged beginning certificates
  • A consent affidavit from the non-travelling dad or mum
  • An authorized copy of their ID or passport

South African immigration doesn’t care if you happen to’re married or divorced. No consent, no boarding.

See what the legislation says about travelling with kids

Recap: Paperwork for little one travelling alone from South Africa

  • Passport for little one
  • Unabridged beginning certificates
  • Consent affidavit from each mother and father
  • Copies of dad or mum IDs
  • Receiving grownup’s letter and ID copy
  • Airline-specific unaccompanied minor types
Child running towards his father in an airport after travelling along on an airplane.

Last Guidelines for a Youngster Travelling Alone

In relation to a toddler travelling alone from South Africa, paperwork is all the pieces. Be certain that their passport is sorted, their unabridged beginning certificates is prepared, and each consent affidavit is updated. Airways gained’t budge with out the correct paperwork, and neither will immigration.

Whether or not your little one is booked as an unaccompanied minor or flying with one dad or mum, having the proper little one journey paperwork South Africa requires is the one solution to preserve issues easy at check-in.

Want flights which are as environment friendly as your prep? We’ve bought you.


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