Getting a New Birth Certificate for Your Adopted Child in South Africa
Once a court has granted an adoption order, the adoptive parents must register that adoption with the Department of Home Affairs. This triggers the issue of a new South African birth certificate listing the adoptive parents, a new SA identity number for the child, and — if the child was not already registered — a first birth registration. This guide covers the DHA process only. The prior legal steps to obtain an adoption order fall under the Department of Social Development and the Children’s Court.
Two Situations Covered by This Guide
Situation A — Child was already registered with DHA (domestic adoption): The child has an existing SA birth certificate. After the adoption order is granted, DHA records the adoption in the births register, seals the original record, and issues a new birth certificate listing the adoptive parents.
Situation B — Child was born abroad or was never registered (intercountry adoption): The birth must first be registered in South Africa under Section 246 of the Children’s Act, after which the adoption is noted and a new birth certificate is issued.
Fees at a Glance
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Recording of adoption / new birth certificate | Free |
| Surname change (if not specified in the adoption order) | R70 |
| Forename change | Confirm with DHA at time of application |
| SA passport for child (after certificate is issued) | R600 |
Note: If your adoption order explicitly states that you may change the child’s surname, DHA does not charge the surname change fee separately. Bring the adoption order and cover letter to confirm this at your appointment.
Forms You Will Need
| Form | Purpose | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| DHA-1773 | Application for Noting of an Adoption — the primary form that triggers registration of the adoption in the births register | Obtain from your DHA office |
| DHA-24 (×2) | Notice of Birth — one for the child’s original birth, one for the new birth under the adoptive parents | Barcoded — NOT downloadable. Obtain from DHA |
| DHA-193 | Application for Alteration of Surname of Minor — required if you are changing the child’s surname | Download from dha.gov.za |
| DHA-85 | Application for Alteration of Forenames — required if you are changing the child’s first names | Obtain from your DHA office |
| DHA-529 / BI-529 | Determination of Citizenship Status — complete one in the child’s name and one for each SA adoptive parent | Download from dha.gov.za |
Not all DHA offices process adoption registrations. Before travelling, call ahead to confirm that your nearest office handles birth registrations and adoption noting. Offices that do not perform birth registrations will not be able to assist.
Documents You Will Need
- Original adoption order issued by the Children’s Court or High Court, plus the cover letter accompanying it
- Child’s existing birth certificate (if the child was already registered)
- Certified copies of both adoptive parents’ SA identity documents (barcoded ID book or Smart ID)
- Certified copies of both adoptive parents’ SA birth certificates (or passports)
- Child’s foreign birth certificate (for intercountry adoptions — original and certified copy, translated into English if not already)
- 4 passport-size photographs of the child
- For children born out of wedlock: confirm with your DHA office whether any additional affidavits are required
Not sure what documents to take to Home Affairs? Click Here To Use our free checklist and walk in fully prepared.
Step-by-Step Process (Domestic Adoption)
Step 1 — Obtain the adoption order from the court
The Children’s Court or High Court issues the adoption order after completing the legal adoption process. The Registrar of Adoptions receives a copy. You will need the original order plus the accompanying cover letter for DHA.
Step 2 — Contact your DHA office in advance
Not all DHA offices handle adoption registration. Call your nearest office — or the DHA Call Centre on 0800 60 11 90 — to confirm that the office processes birth registrations and adoption notings, and to ask which forms you must collect in advance.
Step 3 — Collect barcoded forms
Forms DHA-24 and DHA-85 are barcoded and cannot be downloaded. Collect them from the DHA office, or arrange to collect them before your appointment day to avoid delays.
Step 4 — Complete all forms (but do not sign)
Complete all forms in black ink in block letters. Do not sign before your appointment — all forms must be signed in the presence of a DHA official.
Step 5 — Submit at the DHA office
Present yourself at the DHA office with the original adoption order, all forms, and all supporting documents. The DHA official will process the noting of the adoption, capture the new birth registration, and initiate the name change if applicable. Prepare to spend several hours at the office.
Step 6 — DHA records the adoption and seals the original record
In terms of Section 245 of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005 and the Births and Deaths Registration Act, DHA records the adoption in the births register and issues a new birth certificate listing the adoptive parents. The child’s original birth record is sealed and the original identity number is replaced with a new one linked to the adoptive family’s record.
Step 7 — Wait for the new birth certificate
Processing takes approximately 12 months or longer from submission, according to practitioners who have gone through the process. As noted by the US Department of State and confirmed by adoptive parents in South Africa, there is no expedited service and no guarantee of faster processing even for intercountry cases.
Step 8 — Apply for a passport once the certificate is ready
Once you have received the new birth certificate, you can apply for the child’s South African passport using Form DHA-73 at any DHA live capture office. The passport fee is R600.
Intercountry Adoptions: Additional Notes
South Africa is a signatory to the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, and intercountry adoptions involving SA children must comply with the Convention. The Department of Social Development’s Central Authority handles the convention process.
For DHA purposes, the adoption must be fully finalised and the adoption order obtained before DHA will register the birth and issue a new birth certificate. As noted by the US Department of State, DHA changed its process so that the adoption must be fully noted in the National Population Register before a passport can be issued. This has resulted in processing times of 8–10 weeks at minimum and, in some cases, a year or more.
For a child born abroad who is being adopted by South African citizens, the birth must also be registered under Section 246 of the Children’s Act. Contact your nearest DHA office or SA mission for guidance on the correct combined process.
The Sealed Original Birth Record
Once DHA records the adoption, the original birth certificate and birth record are sealed. The new birth certificate lists only the adoptive parents. There is no reference to the adoption on the new certificate — it reads exactly like any other birth certificate.
The sealed original cannot be accessed without a High Court order. However, under Section 248 of the Children's Act, an adopted child who has reached 18 years of age may apply to access the adoption register, which contains information about the biological parents. Adoptive parents of a child under 18 may also access certain information from the register under specific conditions.
As noted by Emigration Assist, the sealing of the original vault birth certificate can create complications for adoptees attempting to claim foreign citizenship by descent (for example, British citizenship through a biological grandparent). In such cases, non-certified copies from adoption files and other supporting documentation may need to be assembled. A High Court application to access the original vault record may be required.
What the New Birth Certificate Does
- Lists the adoptive parents as the child’s legal parents
- Issues the child a new South African identity number
- Entitles the child to SA citizenship if at least one adoptive parent is a South African citizen
- Makes no reference to the adoption or to the biological parents
- Replaces the original certificate for all legal, administrative, and travel purposes
What You Cannot Do
- You cannot apply for the new birth certificate before the adoption order is granted — DHA requires the court order before any noting can take place
- You cannot access the original (sealed) birth record without a High Court order once the adoption has been recorded
- You cannot expedite processing — DHA has confirmed there is no expedited service for adoption-related birth certificates, including intercountry adoption cases
- You cannot track the application online — the DHA Track and Trace portal is currently suspended; contact the DHA Call Centre on 0800 60 11 90 for updates
- Naturalised citizens and Permanent Residents can now apply for Smart IDs at bank branches (Phase 1 rollout), but only if they are from certain visa-exempt countries. All others must still use a DHA live capture office.
Official DHA Contact Details
| Channel | Details |
|---|---|
| DHA Call Centre (toll-free) | 0800 60 11 90 |
| hacc@dha.gov.za | |
| Official DHA website | www.dha.gov.za |
| SA government services — register birth | www.gov.za |
For the legal adoption process (before you reach DHA), contact the Department of Social Development or a social worker registered with the South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP). Legal Aid SA provides free legal assistance to qualifying applicants.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How long does it take to get a new birth certificate after adoption? Approximately 12 months or longer from the date of submission at DHA. Processing times have increased in recent years due to the requirement for the adoption to be fully noted in the National Population Register before any documents are issued. There is no expedited service.
2. Does the new birth certificate show that the child was adopted? No. The new birth certificate lists the adoptive parents as the child’s parents with no reference to the adoption or biological parents. It is indistinguishable from any standard birth certificate.
3. Can I change my adopted child’s name at the same time? Yes. You can change the surname using Form DHA-193, and the forename(s) using Form DHA-85, at the time of noting the adoption. If the adoption order itself authorises the surname change, there is no additional fee. If the surname change is not part of the adoption order, a fee of R70 applies.
4. Does my adopted child automatically become a South African citizen? Yes, if at least one adoptive parent is a South African citizen. The new birth certificate and ID number issued after the adoption noting reflect South African citizenship. For intercountry adoptions, the child is recognised as a SA citizen by descent once the adoption is formally recorded with DHA.
5. Can my adopted child access their original birth record when they turn 18? Yes. Under Section 248 of the Children’s Act, an adopted child who has reached 18 may apply to access the adoption register, which contains information about the biological parents and the original birth record. Access to the sealed vault birth certificate itself still requires a High Court application.
6. We adopted a child born abroad. Do we follow the same process? Broadly yes, but there is an additional step: the child’s birth must also be registered with SA Home Affairs under Section 246 of the Children’s Act before the adoption can be noted. Contact your nearest DHA office for guidance on the combined process, as the requirements vary depending on the country of birth and whether the child was previously registered there.
7. Can I apply for the child’s first SA passport at the same time? No. DHA requires the adoption to be fully noted in the National Population Register and the new birth certificate to be issued before a passport application can be processed. Once you receive the certificate, apply for the passport at any DHA live capture office using Form DHA-73.
8. The DHA office I visited said they cannot help with adoption registrations. What do I do? Not all DHA offices process birth registrations and adoption notings. Call the DHA Call Centre on 0800 60 11 90 to find the nearest office that handles this, or visit a large DHA district office. Smaller satellite offices often refer adoptions to district-level offices.