Why “Unabridged Birth Certificate” No Longer Says “Unabridged”
Many South Africans are wondering why their new birth certificate — often requested for travel, visas or consular matters — simply says “Birth Certificate” rather than “Unabridged Birth Certificate.” The good news is: there’s a reason, and there’s usually no cause for concern. What Changed & Why Until 1 December 2016 , Home Affairs issued birth certificates that explicitly had the title “ Unabridged Birth Certificate .” After that date, the Department of Home Affairs changed to issuing what’s called a Full Birth Certificate . The title on the document now often reads just “Birth Certificate,” but it includes exactly the same information as the old unabridged version: full details of the child, plus full details of both parents. Despite the shift, many government forms, including application forms (e.g. DHA-154), still refer to “Unabridged Birth Certificate” when asking applicants to mark which type of certificate they require. This can cause confusion. What ...