Travel Stars

**International travel during level 1 lockdown**

Covid-19 has turned our world upside down and international travel has been hit hard.

South Africa saw the opening of our international borders on the 01st of October 2020.
While this was great news and finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel it also brought confusion to travellers with forever changing rules and health requirements.

We at Travel Stars are proud to say that we have assisted travellers from across the globe to re-unite with family and loved ones which they had not been able to do for several months due to Covid-19.
We have all the up to date information from the airlines, countries and governments alike with regards to travel during Covid-19 and Travel Stars will guide you every step of the way.

If you are planning a trip, whether it be for business or leisure, contact Travel Stars today and we will guide you every step of the way.

Tel: 0218433515 or 0828791499
Email: [email protected]

Travel Stars had the privilege of recently visiting the beautiful island of Mauritius. We have fantastic contracted rates for that perfect Island getaway.Contact Travel Stars on [email protected] or Tel: 082 879 1499.

Update on Unabridged Birth certificates:

The Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) tasked with reviewing South Africa’s immigration regulations has recommended that biometric visa applications be made on arrival in South Africa. Accredited international travel agents will be able to make visa applications on their clients’ behalf, negating the need for in-person applications.

Meanwhile, South African children under the age of 18 will still be required to travel with an unabridged birth certificate – at least for the next few months.

Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe said that in the next three months to a year, details of parents would be printed in passports so that the birth certificates would not be required for travel. He added that the term “Unabridged Birth Certificate” would be changed to “Birth Certificate containing parental details” to “address confusion”.

In respect of inbound travellers, the UBC requirement is unclear. The IMC took the position that where visas are required, provision of original birth certificates or certified copies of required documents should continue during the visa application process.

In respect of children from visa-exempt countries, the IMC recommended a dispensation in terms of which travellers would be “strongly advised to bring along proof of the relation and consent from the absent parents or guardians”.

Both Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom and Minister of Home Affairs, Malusi Gigaba, emphasised that parents would be strongly advised to carry this proof.

“The immigration officers retain the discretion to ask for those documents and in instances where they believe that there is a valid or sound case to be made that the child travelling with the adult is suspected of not being related to them or is a victim of child trafficking or smuggling, they reserve the right to take the necessary decisions, guided by the immigration legislation.”

The recommendations were approved by Cabinet on Friday (October 23