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Updated to reflect safety consideration when using GPS navigation.
Exercise increased caution in South Africa due to crime and civil unrest.
Country Summary: Violent crime, such as armed robbery, rape, carjacking, mugging, and "smash-and-grab" attacks on vehicles, is common. There is a higher risk of violent crime in the central business districts of major cities after dark.
Using GPS navigation can lead to unsafe routes. GPS navigation may suggest shortcuts through townships as the quickest preferred route but can lead to increased risks of crime.
There have been incidents in which tourists traveling in Cape Town while using GPS navigation apps have been routed through residential areas with high rates of violent crime. The safest approach to return a rental car to Cape Town International Airport is to take the N2 highway and follow signs to Airport Approach Rd (exit 16). Alternatively, request the rental car company to collect your vehicle and subsequently arrange an airport transfer from established taxi companies or established ridesharing services to reach the airport.
Demonstrations, protests, and strikes occur frequently. These can develop quickly without prior notification, often interrupting traffic, transportation, and other services; such events have the potential to turn violent.
Please see our Alerts for up-to-date information.
Read the country information page for additional information on travel to South Africa.
If you decide to travel to South Africa:
To bring an adopted child to the United States from South Africa you must meet certain suitability and eligibility requirements. USCIS determines who is suitable and eligible to adopt a child from another country and bring that child to live in the United States under U.S. immigration law. For more information, please see USCIS webpages on suitability determinations and USCIS policy guidance on adoptive parent suitability determinations.
Additionally, a child must meet the definition of a Convention adoptee under U.S. immigration law in order to be eligible to immigrate to the United States with an IH-3 or IH-4 immigrant visa.
Caution: Although U.S. citizens generally must follow the Hague Convention process to adopt a child from a Hague Convention country, the Family-Based Petition Process (Form I-130) may be an option for U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to petition for their adopted child. However, U.S. citizens may file a Form I-130 for a child from a Hague Convention country only if they can establish the Convention does not apply to the adoption. There are significant differences between the Hague and the Family-Based Petition Process. For more information about specific Form I-130 requirements for adopted children, see the USCIS website and the USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 5.
In addition to being found suitable and eligible to adopt by USCIS, prospective adoptive parents seeking to adopt a child from South Africa must meet the following requirements imposed by South Africa:
Because South Africa is party to the Hague Adoption Convention, children from South Africa must meet the requirements of the Convention in order to be eligible for intercountry adoption. For example, the adoption may take place only if the competent authorities of South Africa have determined that placement of the child within South Africa has been given due consideration and that an intercountry adoption is in the child’s best interests.
In addition to qualifying as a Convention adoptee under U.S. immigration law, the child must also meet the following requirements imposed by South Africa:
Caution: Prospective adoptive parents should be aware that not all children in orphanages or children’s homes are eligible for adoption. In many countries, birth parents place their child(ren) temporarily in an orphanage or children’s home due to financial or other hardship, intending that the child return home when possible. In such cases, the birth parent(s) have not relinquished their parental rights or consented to the adoption of their child(ren).
Warning: Do not adopt or obtain legal custody of a child in South Africa before: 1) USCIS has approved your Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, 2) the Central Authority of South Africa has determined the child is eligible for intercountry adoption, 3) USCIS has provisionally approved your Form I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative, and 4) a U.S. consular officer has issued an “Article 5/17 Letter” in the case. Read on for more information.
South Africa’s Central Adoption Authority
National Department of Social Development
The Process
Because South Africa is party to the Hague Adoption Convention, adoptions from South Africa must follow a specific process designed to meet the Convention’s requirements. A brief summary of the U.S. Convention adoption process is provided below. You must complete these steps in the following order to meet all necessary U.S. legal requirements. Completing certain steps out of order may cause significant delays or result in the child not being eligible for an immigrant visa to the United States.
1. Choose a U.S. Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Provider to Act as Your Primary Provider that has been Authorized by South Africa’s Central Authority to Operate in South Africa
The accredited agency or approved person you identify as the primary provider is responsible for:
Only accredited agencies, approved persons, supervised providers, exempted providers, public domestic authorities, and public foreign authorities may provide adoption services in intercountry adoption cases.
Learn more about Agency Accreditation.
2. Apply to USCIS to be Found Suitable and Eligible to Adopt
In order to adopt a child from South Africa, you will need to meet the requirements of the Government of South Africa and U.S. immigration law.
After you choose an accredited or approved adoption service provider, you must be found suitable and eligible to adopt by USCIS by submitting Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country. You will need to submit a home study, provide biometrics, and cooperate in a background check as part of this application. Please see USCIS webpages on suitability determinations and USCIS policy guidance on adoptive parent suitability determinations. Unless an exception applies, the home study must be prepared by a person who is authorized under 22 CFR 96 to prepare home studies and who holds any license or other authorization required by the law of the jurisdiction where the home study is conducted (unless a public domestic or public foreign authority). The home study must comply with the requirements in 8 CFR 204.311 and USCIS policy.
3. Apply to South Africa’s Authorities to Adopt, and be Matched with a Child
Submit Your Dossier to the Central Authority
After USCIS determines that you are suitable and eligible to adopt and approves the Form I-800A application, your adoption service provider will provide your approval notice, home study, and any other required information to the adoption authority in South Africa as part of your adoption application. South Africa’s adoption authority will review your application to determine whether you are also suitable and eligible to adopt under South Africa’s law.
Receive a Referral for a Child from the Central Authority
If both the United States and South Africa determine that you are suitable and eligible to adopt, and South Africa’s Central Authority for Convention adoptions has determined that a child is eligible for adoption and that intercountry adoption is in that child’s best interests, the Central Authority for Convention adoptions in South Africa may provide you with a referral. The referral is a proposed match between you and a specific child based on a review of your dossier and the needs of the child. The adoption authority in South Africa will provide a background study and other information, if available, about the child to help you decide whether to accept the referral. We encourage families to consider consulting with a medical professional and their adoption service provider to understand the needs of the specific child, but you must decide for yourself whether you will be able to meet the needs of and provide a permanent home for a specific child. You must also adhere to the USCIS suitability determination with respect to the number of children and capacity to deal with any special needs of an adoptive child. Learn more about Health Considerations. If you accept the referral, the adoption service provider communicates that to the Central Authority in South Africa. Learn more about this critical decision.
4. Apply to USCIS for the Child to be Found Provisionally Eligible for Immigration to the United States as a Convention Adoptee and Receive U.S. Agreement to Proceed with the Adoption
Submit a Form I-800 Petition to Obtain Provisional Determination on the Child’s Immigration Eligibility
After you accept a match with a particular child, you will apply to USCIS for provisional approval for the child to immigrate to the United States by filing the Form I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative. USCIS will make a provisional determination as to whether the child appears to meet the definition of a Convention Adoptee and will likely be eligible to be admitted to the United States.
5. Apply for U.S. Visa and Receive U.S. Agreement to Proceed with the Adoption (Article 5/17 letter)
After provisional approval of the Form I-800 petition, you or your adoption service provider will submit a visa application to the consular section of the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg responsible for issuing immigrant visas to children from South Africa. Your child will need an immigrant visa if you intend to reside in the United States with your child. If instead you intend to continue residing overseas with your child but still seek naturalization of your child by application (Form N-600K), you will not need an immigrant visa, but you may need a different type of visa to complete that process. Please discuss this with the consular officer handling your case and consult the USCIS website for more information.
You should receive a letter from the National Visa Center (NVC) confirming receipt of the provisionally approved Form I-800 petition and assigning a case number and an invoice ID number. Use this information to log into the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) to file the Electronic Immigrant Visa Application (DS-260) for your child. An adoptive parent should fill out these forms in your child's name. Answer every item on the form. If information is not applicable, please write “N/A” in the block. Please review the DS-260 FAQs, our Online Immigrant Visa Forms page, or contact the NVC at NVCAdoptions@state.gov if you have questions about completing the online DS-260 form. A consular officer will review the provisionally approved Form I-800 petition and the visa application and, if applicable, advise you of options for the waiver of any ineligibilities related to the visa application.
The consular officer will send a letter (referred to as an “Article 5/17 Letter”) to South Africa’s Central Authority in any intercountry adoption involving U.S. citizen parents and a child from South Africa if all Convention requirements are met and the child appears eligible to immigrate to the United States. This letter will inform the South Africa’s Central Authority that the parents are suitable and eligible to adopt, that the child appears eligible to enter and reside permanently in the United States, and that the U.S. Central Authority agrees that the adoption may proceed.
Warning: Do not attempt to adopt or obtain custody of a child in South Africa before you receive provisional approval of your Form I-800 petition AND a U.S. consular officer issues the “Article 5/17 Letter” for your adoption case.
Remember: The consular officer will make a final decision about a child’s eligibility for an immigrant visa later in the adoption process.
6. Adopt the Child in South Africa
Remember: Before you adopt a child in South Africa, you must have completed the above five steps. Only after completing these steps can you proceed to finalize the adoption.
The process for finalizing the adoption in South Africa generally includes the following:
Note: The Department of Home Affairs processes can take a significant amount of time, up to 90 days or longer, sometimes causing adoptive parents to overstay their South African visas on arrival. Adoptive parents may benefit from requesting a South African visa in advance to allow a longer time to stay in country.
As noted above, any agency or person providing an adoption service on behalf of prospective adoptive parents in any Convention intercountry adoption case must be accredited or approved or be a supervised or exempted provider.
In the adoption services contract that you sign at the beginning of the adoption process, your adoption service provider will itemize the fees and estimated expenses related to your adoption process.
Some of the fees specifically associated with adopting from South Africa include:
Note: Additional documents may be requested.
7. Secure a U.S. Immigrant Visa for Your Child If You Intend to Reside with Your Child in the United States
Once your adoption is complete, there are a few more steps to take before your child can enter the U.S. Specifically, the consular officer will need to issue a Hague Adoption Certificate and grant final approval of the Form I-800 petition. Then you will need to obtain three documents before you secure a visa so your child can travel to the United States:
Birth Certificate
You will need to obtain a new or updated birth certificate for your child.
*Note: This part of the adoption process can have significant delays.
If you have finalized the adoption in South Africa, you will need to obtain a new birth certificate for your child with your name on it.
Once you have finalized the adoption in the South African Children’s Court, you will need to record the adoption in the child’s birth register and apply for a new birth certificate for your child. You must acquire the unabridged or long-form version of the birth certificate, which will list the names, birthdates, and birthplaces of both parents along with those of the child. Submit a Notice of Birth Form (BI-24) and Application for Birth Certificate (BI-154) in person to any district office of the Department of Home Affairs with any name changes and the adoptive parents recorded as parents. If you are choosing name changes, this will be completed at the same time on the Application to Assume Another Surname (BI-193 minors).
South Africa Passport
Your child is not yet a U.S. citizen, so they will need a travel document or passport from South Africa.
*Note: This part of the adoption process takes up to 14 days.
Submit a completed DHA-73 application form in person to any district office of the Department of Home Affairs, accompanied by the unabridged birth certificate. The parents must satisfy the passport officer of the child’s identity and their parental relationship to the child. The child’s photographs will be checked to ensure that they are a true image of the applicant. If the child is over 16, their fingerprints will be taken for checking against the Population Register. The South African child passport (applicants under 16) is valid for five years, and the fee is ZAR600. The regular passport (applicants over 16) is valid for 10 years, and the fee is ZAR600 for a 32-page book.
U.S. Immigrant Visa
After you obtain the new birth certificate and passport for your child, you will then need to apply for a U.S. immigrant visa for your child from the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg if you intend to bring your child to reside in the United States with you. After the adoption granted, visit the U.S. Consulate for a final review of the case the issuance of a U.S. Hague Adoption Certificate the final approval of the Form I-800 petition and, if applicable, to obtain your child’s immigrant visa. This immigrant visa allows your child to travel home with you and be admitted to the United States as your child. Please contact the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg by email at JohannesburgIV@state.gov to schedule your child’s immigrant visa appointment. As part of this process, you must provide the consular officer with the Panel Physician’s medical report on the child if you did not provide it during the Form I-800 provisional approval stage. Read more about the Medical Examination.
You will have already completed an Electronic Immigrant Visa Application (DS-260) online at the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) after receiving a letter from the National Visa Center (NVC) confirming receipt of the provisionally approved Form I-800 petition and assignment of a case number and an invoice ID number. Print and bring the DS-260 confirmation page to the visa interview, along with the following documents:
Review the DS-260 FAQs, our Online Immigrant Visa Forms page, or contact NVC at NVCAdoptions@state.gov if you have questions about completing the online DS-260 form.
Please note that the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg processes immigrant visas for non-U.S. citizens located in South Africa. Additional information concerning immigrant visa processing at the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg can be found on the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg website.
Upon receipt of the case at post, the Consular Section generally notifies the petitioner. Visa issuance after the final interview generally takes 24 hours. It is not usually possible to provide the visa to adoptive parents on the same day as the immigrant visa interview. You should verify current processing times with the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg before making final travel arrangements. Additional information on immigrant visa processing can be found on our website.
If you will reside outside the United States with your child, you should contact the Central or competent authority where you reside for additional information about how to bring your child to that country.
8. Obtain U.S. Citizenship for Your Child
If you obtain an immigrant visa for your child, USCIS will mail your child either a permanent resident card (green card), or a Certificate of Citizenship, after your child enters the United States. If you plan to reside outside the United States with your child (and, therefore, may not benefit from an immigrant visa for your child), please see the relevant section below.
For adoptions finalized abroad before the child’s admission into the United States: A child who was adopted abroad and has satisfied Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) 101(b)(1)(E), INA 101(b)(1)(F), or INA 101(b)(1)(G) requirements, who is residing in the United States in the legal and physical custody of the U.S. citizen parent pursuant to a lawful admission for permanent residence generally will acquire U.S. citizenship after admission if the child is under the age of 18 when these conditions are met.
Depending on the visa your child receives, their age, and the other INA 320 requirements, you may not need to take any additional action for your child to acquire U.S. citizenship. However, if your child does not meet the requirements of INA 320 at the time of admission into the United States, you may file a Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, once the requirements are met. More information is available on the USCIS website.
For adoptions not finalized until after the child’s admission to the United States:
If the adoption is not finalized before the child is admitted to the United States, the child’s adoptive parent(s) must complete the adoption (or re-adoption or obtain judicial recognition of the foreign adoption) in the United States before the child turns 18 for the child to automatically acquire U.S. citizenship (if the child otherwise meets the requirements of INA 320). You may file a Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, once the requirements are met. More information is available on the USCIS Fact Sheet: Securing U.S. Citizenship for Your Child.
If you reside outside the United States with your child, you may file a Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322 with USCIS to obtain a Certificate of Citizenship for your child if your child satisfies the requirements of INA 322.
Note: If you are a military service member or U.S. government employee who chooses to seek an immigrant visa for your child versus completing the Form N-600K process, you may need to use Form N-600 to apply for a Certificate of Citizenship. Please note, however, that USCIS cannot mail Certificates of Citizenship abroad for children who acquire citizenship under INA 320.
Read more about INA 320 and 322 in the USCIS Policy Manual and USCIS website U.S. Citizenship for an Adopted Child.
Applying for Your U.S. Passport
U.S. citizens are required to enter and depart the United States on a valid U.S. passport. Once your child acquires U.S. citizenship, s/he will need a U.S. passport for international travel. Only the U.S. Department of State has the authority to grant, issue, or verify U.S. passports.
Getting or renewing a passport is easy. The Department of State’s Passport Application Wizard will help you determine which passport form you need, help you to complete the form online, estimate your payment, and generate the form for you to print—all in one place.
Obtaining a Visa to Travel to South Africa
In addition to a U.S. passport, you may also need to obtain a visa. Where required, visas are affixed to your passport and allow you to enter a foreign nation. To find information about obtaining a visa for South Africa, see the Department of State’s country page.
Staying Safe on Your Trip
Before you travel, it is always a good practice to investigate the local conditions, laws, political landscape, and culture of the country. The Department of State provides country information for every country in the world about various issues, including health conditions, crime, currency or entry requirements, and any areas of instability.
Staying in Touch on Your Trip
When traveling abroad during the adoption process, we encourage you to enroll with the Department of State through our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country. Enrollment makes it possible for the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in South Africa, to contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency. Whether there is a family emergency in the United States or a crisis in South Africa, enrollment assists the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in reaching you.
Enrollment is free and can be done online via the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
Post-Adoption/Post-Placement Reporting Requirements
We urge you to comply with South Africa’s post-adoption/post-placement requirements in a timely manner. Your adoption service provider may be able to help you with this process. Your cooperation will contribute to South Africa’s positive experiences with U.S. citizen adoptive parents.
South Africa requires that reports about the well-being of the child be submitted post-adoption. The reports are required on the following timeline:
These reports are handled by the U.S.-based Adoption Service Provider, but it is important that you also coordinate with your South Africa-based Adoption Service Provider to ensure that these reports are submitted to the National Department of Social Development.
Post-Adoption ResourceS
Many adoptive parents find it important to find support after the adoption. There are many public and private nonprofit post-adoption services available for children and their families. There are also numerous adoptive family support groups and adoptee organizations active in the United States that provide a network of options for adoptees who seek out other adoptees from the same country of origin. You may wish to take advantage of all the resources available to your family, whether it is another adoptive family, a support group, an advocacy organization, or your religious or community services. Your primary provider can provide or point you to post- placement/post-adoption services to help your adopted child and your family transition smoothly and deal effectively with the many adjustments required in an intercountry adoption.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services maintains a website, the Child Welfare Information Gateway, which can be a useful resource to get you started on your support group search.
COMPLAINTS
If you have concerns about your intercountry adoption process, we ask that you share this information with the Consulate in Johannesburg, particularly if it involves possible fraud or misconduct specific to your child’s case. The Department of State takes all allegations of fraud or misconduct seriously. Our Adoption Comment Page provides several points of contact for adoptive families to comment on their adoption service provider, their experience applying for their child’s visa, or about the Form I-800/A petition process.
The Complaint Registry is an internet-based registry for filing complaints about the compliance of U.S. accredited or approved adoption service providers with U.S. accreditation standards. If you think your provider's conduct may not have been in compliance with accreditation standards, first submit your complaint in writing directly to your provider. If the complaint is not resolved through the provider's complaint process, you may file the complaint through the Complaint Registry.
U.S. Consulate General in Johannesburg
1 Sandton Drive
Sandhurst 2196
Johannesburg
Tel: 27-11-290-3000
Fax: 27-11-884-0396
Email: JohannesburgIV@state.gov
Internet: za.usembassy.gov/johannesburg-u-s-consulate
Please note: The Consulate General in Johannesburg processes Immigrant Visas for all of South Africa. Immigrant Visa services are not available at the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria or the U.S. consulates in Capetown and Durban.
South Africa’s Adoption Authority
National Department of Social Development
Office of Adoptions and International Social Services
HSRC Building
Pretoria, South Africa
Tel: 27-12-312-7543/5
Email: tebogoma@dsd.gov.sa
Internet: dsd.gov.zaa
Embassy of South Africa
Embassy of the Republicof South Africa
3051 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Tel: 202-232-4400
Internet: saembassy.org
Please note: South Africa has consulates in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York.
Office of Children’s Issues
U.S. Department of State
CA/OCS/CI
SA-17, 9th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20522-1709
Tel: 1-888-407-4747
Email: Adoption@state.gov
Internet: adoption.state.gov
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
For questions about a pending Form I-800A application, Form I-800 petition or related supplements:
USCIS
Tel: 1-877-424-8374 (toll free); 1-913-275-5480 (local); Fax: 1-913-214-5808
Email: NBC.Adoptions@uscis.dhs.gov
For other USCIS-related questions:
USCIS Contact Center
Tel: 1-800-375-5283 (TTY 1-800-767-1833)
Internet: uscis.gov
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