Entry requirements for foreign born infant?

Question

Okay, this is a little complicated but hopefully someone will be able to help me out.

My daughter was born in Japan in April of this year. In July we took her to Tokyo to register her and get passports both for Ireland and South Africa.

We would like to go back to SA in December to see family, but I have very little faith that her South African documents are going to come through on time. She already has her Irish citizenship and her passport should arrive within the month.

I know that it is illegal for a South African citizen to enter SA on a foreign passport, but I have had no documentation from the South African government confirming my child's citizenship, then is she allowed to enter and leave South Africa as an Irish citizen?

Answer 1

Yes, It is complicated.  Do you also have a SA passport?  It would of course be easier if the mother or father has an Irish Passport. It certainly will be very obvious if a parent with a SA passport comes in with a child with an Irish Passport - which queue do you select for customs and passport control? South Africans or non-South Africans?

Although, it may not be as difficult as we are assuming.  I have a SA passport and my children have German passports, and whenever we travelled to SA, we never encountered any problems.  But, my partner has a German passport.