If you need to use your South African Police Clearance Certificate overseas, you may be asked to have the original document Apostilled for use in another country.
Certificate Assistance assists clients with the DIRCO Apostille process in South Africa. We are registered with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) as an agent and handle the submission and collection process on behalf of our clients.
Our current Apostille lead time is approximately 7–14 days, depending on when your original document reaches us in relation to our weekly DIRCO submission.
For this service, we require the original document that needs to be Apostilled.
What Is an Apostille?
An Apostille is a form of authentication used for certain official documents that need to be presented in another country.
For South African documents that qualify for DIRCO authentication, the Apostille is handled through the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
The purpose of the Apostille is to authenticate the relevant South African document for international use where applicable.
Whether you specifically require an Apostille will depend on the country and authority where you intend to use the document. It is always advisable to confirm the requirements with the receiving authority.
Can a South African Police Clearance Certificate Be Apostilled?
A South African Police Clearance Certificate may need to be Apostilled when it is being submitted to an overseas authority that requires Apostille authentication.
If you have been instructed to obtain an Apostille for your Police Clearance Certificate, Certificate Assistance can handle the DIRCO submission and collection process on your behalf.
We require the original Police Clearance Certificate for the Apostille process.
Before sending your document, contact us so that we can confirm the current requirements and provide the correct delivery instructions.
Do You Need the Original Police Clearance Certificate?
Yes.
Certificate Assistance requires the original document that needs to be Apostilled.
For a Police Clearance Certificate Apostille, this means we require your original South African Police Clearance Certificate.
A scanned copy, photograph or emailed copy cannot replace the original document required for the Apostille process.
If you are currently outside South Africa and already have the original Police Clearance Certificate with you, contact us before couriering it so we can provide the appropriate instructions.
How Long Does a DIRCO Apostille Take?
Our current Apostille lead time is approximately 7–14 days.
Certificate Assistance is registered with DIRCO as an agent. We submit documents to DIRCO every Wednesday and collect completed documents the following Wednesday.
The exact turnaround for your application therefore depends on when your original document reaches us.
For example, a document received in time for a Wednesday submission can enter that week's submission cycle. A document received after the weekly submission may need to wait until the following Wednesday.
For this reason, we advise clients to allow approximately 7–14 days for the Apostille process.
Courier and international delivery times should be allowed for separately.
Our Weekly DIRCO Submission Process
Certificate Assistance follows a regular DIRCO submission and collection schedule.
Our process is straightforward:
- You contact Certificate Assistance and confirm that you require an Apostille.
- You send us the original document that needs to be Apostilled.
- We prepare the document for our next DIRCO submission.
- We submit documents to DIRCO every Wednesday.
- We collect completed documents the following Wednesday.
- Your document can then proceed to the agreed collection or delivery arrangement.
This weekly process allows clients to understand when their documents are expected to be submitted and collected.
What Documents Do I Need?
For our Apostille service, we require the original document that needs to be Apostilled.
If you need your South African Police Clearance Certificate Apostilled, you therefore need to provide the original Police Clearance Certificate.
Please contact Certificate Assistance before sending your original document so we can confirm the requirements and delivery details.
Can I Arrange a South African Apostille from Overseas?
Yes.
If you are living outside South Africa and need a South African document Apostilled through DIRCO, Certificate Assistance can assist with the South African submission and collection process.
You will need to send the original document to us in South Africa.
Once the original reaches us, we can include it in the appropriate DIRCO submission cycle.
This means clients living overseas do not necessarily need to travel back to South Africa simply to manage the Apostille process.
Police Clearance and Apostille Assistance
If you still need to obtain your South African Police Clearance Certificate, Certificate Assistance can also assist with the Police Clearance process.
Our current Police Clearance Certificate processing lead time is approximately 8–10 business days, and we require copies of your identification documents and your original fingerprints.
If the completed Police Clearance Certificate then needs to be Apostilled, we can assist with the DIRCO Apostille process as a separate service.
This provides clients with a convenient route for managing both their South African Police Clearance Certificate and subsequent Apostille requirements.
Need Your Police Clearance Certificate Apostilled?
If you have an original South African Police Clearance Certificate that needs to be Apostilled, contact Certificate Assistance.
We are registered with DIRCO as an agent and submit documents every Wednesday, with collection taking place the following Wednesday.
Current Apostille lead time: approximately 7–14 days.
We require the original document that needs to be Apostilled.
Contact Certificate Assistance before sending your original document so we can confirm the current requirements and delivery instructions.
