How can I get an ID if I have a fraudulent birth certificate?

The long answer

You need a birth certificate to apply for your ID. As your father’s sister was not your mother, the birth certificate she got for you is fraudulent, so you will not be able to use it to get your ID. You will have to go through a Late Registration of Birth (LRB) process.

This is a long, tiring business, and there is a long backlog of LRB applications at Home Affairs. But that is where you have to start, as there is no other way to get your ID. When you go to Home Affairs, you should record all the details of the office, the date of your visit, who you spoke to and what you were advised to do. This is so that if you need to consult a lawyer to assist you, you can show them how you have tried to apply for your ID.

These are the documents that the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) says are needed to register a birth after more than seven years (You can get all the DHA forms at the DHA offices.):

• DHA 24/LRB (notice of birth);

• Children born at health facilities: DHA 24/PB (Proof of birth);

• DHA 288/A (Affidavit giving reasons for LRB);

• DHA 288 (Affidavit in support of your notice of birth).

• Biometrics (ID-size photo and fingerprint) of the person to be registered;

• Fingerprints of parent/s;

• ID/Passport of parent/s.

In the affidavit (DHA 288/A) giving reasons for the late registration of birth, you should tell the story of your mother having no ID when she gave birth to you, of your parents splitting up, and of her taking you to your father’s family where you were brought up. Tell them about your father’s sister who got a birth certificate for you somehow and who died years ago. You need to give as much detail as you can in this affidavit. 

So, to sum up, you need to go to Home Affairs and explain the situation. This is called “voluntary disclosure”. You must take proof of your birth such as your clinic card, school reports, baptism certificates. You must give them the detailed affidavits. And a family member, or someone older than you who can confirm your birth and parents, should go with you.

Because your birth certificate was fraudulent, Home Affairs will probably send your LRB application to their Head Office for screening and verification. They may also investigate the details of your birth by visiting the hospital or clinic. They may ask for a DNA test to prove that you are your father’s child. You will likely have to have an interview with an immigration officer. 

All this takes a very long time and there is a terrible backlog of LRB cases at Home Affairs. In June 2025, the Legal Resources Centre and the Children’s Institute took Home Affairs to court as there were at least 250,000 people waiting for their LRBs. They want the court to declare that the backlogs and delays are unconstitutional, that Home Affairs must have a comprehensive plan in place to resolve the backlog, and in the meantime that birth certificates must be issued to the individuals who have been waiting for years. This case is still ongoing in the Western Cape High Court.

To get some help with all this, you could take all your documents to one of the following organisations and ask them to assist you. Here are their contact details:

• Legal Resources Centre

Email: [email protected]

Johannesburg: 011 836 9831

Cape Town: 021 481 3000

Durban: 031 301 7572

• Lawyers for Human Rights

Email: [email protected]

Tel: Musina 015 534 2203

Durban: 031 301 0531

Pretoria: 012 320 2943

Johannesburg: 011 339 1960

Cape Town: 021 424 8561

• The Black Sash (which is a paralegal organisation)

For free paralegal advice, 

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Tel (national office): 021 686 6952

Helpline: 072 66 33 73, 072 633 3739 or 063 610 1865

• Legal Aid (which is a means-tested organisation which must help people who can’t afford a lawyer)

Helpline: 0800 110 110

Please Call Me: 079 835 7179 

Email: [email protected] 

Wishing you the best,
Athalie