Obtaining South African Birth Certificates from 1800

We have had a number of clients enquiring about obtaining South African birth certificates from the 1800s (the 19th century). Usually, the need arises from some sort of ancestral visa application requirement or similar.

Clients are at their wits end – they have been to Home Affairs and attempted to find the documentation through various means (often online websites), but in the end, the document simply isn’t available. South Africa has not kept its paper records very well, nor spent much time or money digitising them.

As mentioned, many of these clients need these documents for ancestral research and documentation. However, it is not possible to obtain birth certificates for any person born before 1895 since birth certificates were only issued to citizens from 1895. Although we cannot assist you with obtaining Birth Certificates from 1800, we can assist you with Ancestral Services.

Understanding South African Birth Certificates

 

Birth certificates are documents that contain information about a person’s two biological parents or legal guardians. Individuals under the age of 18 years need to provide unabridged birth certificates along with other legal documents (such as passports) when entering or exiting the Republic of South Africa. It wasn’t until after April 2016 that the Department of Home Affairs officially ruled out “old type” birth certificates. Since then, all birth certificates issued are unabridged birth certificates and are referred to as the birth certificate.

How can I get a birth certificate from South Africa?

 

Here at Apostil.co.za, we specialise in helping our customers obtain all their legal documents, such as unabridged birth certificates. An application for a birth certificate is always lodged with the South African Department of Home Affairs. However, they can also be processed at South African embassies, missions, or consulates.

 

Note: We can only assist you in obtaining South African birth certificates after 1895.

 

Furthermore, the application for any certificate dated 1950 or earlier, becomes less and less successful as one goes back in time.

To apply for an unabridged birth certificate, you will need:

• Your ID document, as well as certified copies of the IDs of both your biological parents
• A completed BI-24 Form – filled in with black ink

How long does it take to obtain a birth certificate?

 

Depending on how easily accessible your details are in the archives, the process generally takes less than three to six months. You can, however, apply for an official letter that can be used instead of the unabridged birth certificate should you need to travel during the processing time.

About Ancestral Services

 

Before Birth Certificates were formally issued in South Africa, the Department of Home Affairs kept records of citizens through a national population register that recorded births and deaths.

In order to obtain information about births and deaths prior to 1895, you need to obtain the birth register copies from the Department of Home Affairs. Anybody wanting to request a family member’s birth index must know which magisterial district the birth was registered in. These indexes cannot be searched online and are only housed in the Archives of the DHA. However, finding the correct register is a multi-tiered and time-consuming process that can take months, if not years to complete.

Other ancestral services do exist, whereby one can obtain birth and death notices, archival files and records, etc. but without any stamp from Home Affairs, as these are not housed in DHA archives.

 

Get started today with Apostil

 

Here at Apostil.co.za, we work directly with the Department of Home Affairs and can assist our clients with Ancestral Services. If you need assistance in the matter, be sure to contact us so we can provide you with a quotation and estimated turnaround time.