I was born in 1988 and in 2015 my mother submitted a proof of birth letter at Home Affairs. I was only issued an abridged certificate and not an ID..

The long answer

Let’s start with the difference between an abridged and an unabridged birth certificate:

An abridged or shortened birth certificate would normally have only the mother and child’s details, but it would still have your ID number, which you would need to get your Smartcard ID. An unabridged birth certificate would contain both your parents’ names, ID numbers, places of birth, and country of origin.

Home Affairs stopped issuing abridged birth certificates for new births in March 2013 – now all first-time applicants are automatically issued an unabridged computer-printed birth certificate on the spot. 

ID Checkers says that if your birth was registered before 2013, your original certificate may be the older abridged form, in which case you will need to apply for the unabridged version separately.

But an original or certified abridged birth certificate is accepted by Home Affairs to verify your identity and birth details. An unabridged (full) birth certificate is not required to apply for your first ID.

These are the documents you need to take to a Home Affairs branch to apply for your ID:

• The original abridged birth certificate

• Certified copies of your parents' South African IDs

• Proof of address, like a utility bill

• Your deceased father’s death certificate.

You should also take your original proof of birth letter in case there’s a problem with records, as 2015 is more than 10 years back now.

You will need to fill out the standard first-time ID application form (Form BI-9) at the branch, where your fingerprints and digital photos will be captured.

I can’t see why there should be any further problem in getting your ID once you have applied, as I have outlined above, but if you still don’t succeed, you can call the Home Affairs Contact Centre (HACC)’s toll-free number at 0800 60 11 90, or send a formal complaint to [email protected]. 

Wishing you the best,
Athalie