Moving overseas with kids is a whole different ballgame compared to emigrating on your own. You’re not just choosing visas and flights – you’re choosing daycare, schools, languages, curricula and routines that will shape your children’s lives. On top of that, every nursery, school and authority seems to want a different set of documents “certified”, “legalised” or “apostilled”.
The good news is that with some planning – and the right help on the paperwork side – you can make your children’s transition much smoother.
For the bigger picture of your move, it’s worth starting here:
👉 Emigration Guide
Start early: planning around school years and waiting lists
Before you even pack boxes, it helps to understand:
- When the school year starts in your destination country.
- How far in advance you need to apply (some schools and nurseries have waiting lists of 6–12 months).
- Whether your child will enter preschool, primary or secondary according to local age rules.
- How your child’s current grade translates into the new system.
At the same time, list the documents that may need apostilles or authentication – it’s much easier to sort this while you’re still in South Africa:
👉 Which documents you need to get apostilled when moving overseas
Childcare options you’re likely to find abroad
Different countries use different names, but most families will encounter a mix of:
- Daycare / crèches – for babies and toddlers while parents work.
- Preschool / kindergarten / nursery school – often from around age 3–5, focusing on early learning.
- Aftercare / out-of-school clubs – supervised care before or after the school day.
- Registered childminders – individuals who care for small groups of children in their homes.
Each option will have its own registration requirements, but common threads include:
- Proof of your child’s identity and age
- Proof of vaccinations (immunisation card or doctor’s letter)
- Proof of your address and contact details in the new country
Some employers or volunteer roles that involve children may also ask you for a police clearance certificate, particularly if you’ll be working in education or childcare yourself:
👉 Police Clearance (SAPS)
Schooling abroad: what to understand up front
When it comes to formal schooling, questions to research early include:
- Is schooling public, private or a mix, and what are the costs?
- Which curricula are offered (local, Cambridge, IB, etc.) and how they compare to South African CAPS/IEB.
- Whether schools provide language support if your child’s first language is English but the school language isn’t (or vice versa).
- How placement works – will your child repeat a year or jump ahead based on age, reports or assessments?
Most schools will expect clear documentation that your child is who you say they are, that you’re their legal guardian, and that they’ve completed certain previous grades. That’s where South African civic and academic documents come in.
Documents schools and authorities commonly ask for
While every country and school is different, South African families are often asked for a combination of:
1. Unabridged birth certificates
These are almost always required for school enrolment and visa applications involving children. They show full details of the child and both parents:
👉 Unabridged Birth Certificate
For an overview of other long-form records (e.g. death, marriage, etc.), see:
👉 Unabridged Certificates – Overview
2. Proof of parents’ relationship and civil status
Depending on your situation, this may include:
- Unabridged marriage certificate (if married)
👉 Unabridged Marriage Certificate - Divorce decree and/or updated records if you’re divorced
- Death certificate of a parent, if applicable
These documents help clarify guardianship, surnames and who may sign school forms.
3. School reports and academic history
For older children, especially in primary and high school, you may need:
- Recent school reports
- Letters of good standing or conduct from the current school
- Sometimes standardised test results
If your child is transitioning into higher education (college or university), foreign institutions may ask that their South African academic documents be verified and apostilled:
4. Legalisation (apostille or authentication)
Because these documents will be used outside South Africa, the originals or certified copies often need:
- An apostille (for Hague Convention countries); or
- Authentication and embassy legalisation (for non-Hague countries).
You can see how this works in more detail here:
👉 Apostille & authentication services
Language, translations and schooling
If your destination country uses a different primary language, you may need sworn translations of:
- Birth certificates
- School reports
- Vaccination cards
- Court or custody orders, if relevant
The usual flow is:
- Get the South African originals (unabridged where required).
- Have them apostilled or authenticated in South Africa.
- Arrange sworn translations of the final legalised documents for use abroad.
Apostil.co.za can coordinate the South African side – retrieval of originals and apostilles – so that translation in your new country is straightforward.
Emotional and practical support for your children
While paperwork is crucial, the emotional side of starting at a new school or in a new childcare setting is just as important. You can ease the transition by:
- Talking through what the new school day will look like.
- Showing photos or videos of the new school or area.
- Keeping some familiar routines (bedtime, stories, weekend rituals).
- Staying in touch with friends and family back in South Africa through calls or video chats.
The more calm and organised you feel – especially around admin and documentation – the more secure your children are likely to feel too.
How Apostil.co.za helps South African families
Apostil.co.za can’t choose a school for you, but we can make sure your South African documents don’t hold you back. From South Africa, we can:
- Obtain unabridged birth and marriage certificates from Home Affairs, even if you’re already overseas.
- Help expedite unabridged certificates when you’re working to a school or visa deadline.
- Arrange apostilles and authentications for all your school-related documents (birth certificates, academic records, court orders, etc.).
- Assist with police clearances if required as part of your visa or work with children.
👉 Police Clearance (SAPS) - Coordinate secure courier delivery of originals to you abroad.
That way, when the school secretary asks, “Do you have the long birth certificate, apostilled?” your answer can be a relaxed yes.
Childcare and schooling are central to your family’s emigration story. By understanding the systems abroad and getting the right South African documents, correctly legalised, you give your children the best possible start in their new environment.
Need help getting your children’s documents ready for childcare or school overseas?
Reach out to Apostil.co.za for fast, professional assistance with unabridged certificates, apostilles, police clearances and more:
👉 Contact Apostil.co.za
