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Passports and visas
Below are some guidelines regarding countries where visa and permit requirements have recently changed, or otherwise have special stipulations concerning entry.
Effective from 1 October 2019, some travellers are required to hold an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) before they travel to New Zealand. The NZeTA is a new border security measure being introduced by the New Zealand Government. The NZeTA does not replace a visa; travellers must still meet all existing entry requirements.
To ensure that travellers can proceed through all airport checkpoints, we advise passengers to plan accordingly and request a NZeTA well in advance of your trip to New Zealand, as it can take up to 72 hours for an NZeTA request to be processed.
Please note that travellers from visa waiver or transit visa waiver countries who are in transit through New Zealand are also required to hold an NZeTA, even if New Zealand is not their final destination.
You are required to hold an NZeTA before travelling to New Zealand if you are:
- Travelling on a passport from a visa waiver country.
- An Australian permanent resident.
Please visit immigration.govt.nz/nzeta for more information and a list of visa waiver countries. An official mobile app is available for IOS and Android.
Passengers entering India are required to apply for their Indian visa online a minimum of four days in advance of their date of arrival. A printed confirmation of the e-Tourist Visa is required at the Immigration. For more information and the latest list of nationals required for e-Tourist Visa (eTV), please visit Tourist Visa
Children under 18
The South African Department of Home Affairs requires all children under 18 years of age, travelling to or departing from South Africa, must have the documentation below. Children under 18 travelling as nationals of a foreign visa exempt country, accompanied by both or one parent or an adult other than a parent, are exempt from this requirement.
For updated information on documents required for travelling through South Africa, click here.
When travelling with BOTH parents
No addition documentation is required if the minor’s passport contains details of the parents. If the minor’s passport does not contains details of the parents, they will be required to carry an unabridged birth certificate / equivalent document (original or photocopy).
When travelling with ONE parent
- An unabridged birth certificate / equivalent document (original or photocopy)
- A copy of the passport or identification document of the absent parent
- Contact details of the absent parent
- A letter of parental consent or a court order granting full parental responsibilities to the present parent, or in the event that the other parent is deceased, a death certificate
When travelling with an adult other than a parent
- An unabridged birth certificate / equivalent document (original or copy)
- A letter of parental consent, adoption order, custody papers, guardianship papers or death certificate, as appropriate
- Copies of identification documents of the parents and/or legal guardians
- Contact details of parents or legal guardians and the persons where the minor will stay in South Africa
When travelling as an unaccompanied minor
- An unabridged birth certificate / equivalent document (original or copy
- A letter of parental consent from one or both parents or legal guardian, court order or death certificate, as appropriate
- Copies of identification documents or passport of one or both parents or legal guardians and the persons where the child will stay, including visa or residence permits (if required)
- Contact details of parents or legal guardians and the persons where the minor will stay in South Africa
Please note that the birth certificate must include the information about the children's parents. All documents issued in a language other than English must also be accompanied by a sworn translation into English. Failure to ensure these new requirements will result in passengers travelling to or departing from South Africa being denied travel.
The requirement mentioned above may not be applicable to a passenger remaining in transit, unless he/she requires a transit visa. The unabridged certificate should be submitted during the transit visa application process and both the certificate and visa should be carried on person whilst travelling.
EXEMPTIONS:
- No supporting documents will be required in the case of minors in direct transit at an International Airport.
- Minors in possession of valid South African visas shall not be required to produce the supporting documents when travelling through a port of entry of the Republic.
- South African children travelling on South African passport may travel to South Africa without birth certificates.
- In the case of countries that endorse the particulars of parents in children’s passports, or other official identification documents, these documents shall be acceptable for the purpose of establishing the identity of parents of the travelling minor. (Example: Indian passports record the parents’ names on the passport. In this instance, the requirement of an Unabridged Birth Certificate may be dispensed with.)
For more information, please contact:
South African Department of Home Affairs
Note:Third party websites are included for your information and reference only. Cathay Pacific Airways takes no responsibility for the content and accuracy of any such websites.
All leisure or business travellers to Sri Lanka are kindly reminded to obtain Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before entering the country. Please visit http://www.eta.gov.lk for more information.