You can apply for a South African Police Clearance Certificate while living overseas. SAPS allows fingerprints to be taken by local police or a South African Embassy, after which the original application documents can be sent to South Africa for processing.
Yes. You can obtain a South African Police Clearance while living abroad. SAPS allows fingerprints to be taken by local police or a South African Embassy; original fingerprints and the required application documents are then sent to South Africa for processing.
Quick answer: Yes. You can apply for a South African Police Clearance Certificate while living outside South Africa. SAPS allows overseas applicants to have fingerprints taken at a police station in their current country or at a South African Embassy, then send the original application documents to South Africa for processing.
Certificate Assistance is a private independent document-assistance service and is not SAPS or any South African government department.
Yes. You do not need to travel back to South Africa simply to apply for a Police Clearance Certificate.
SAPS says applicants living outside South Africa may apply using fingerprints taken at a police station in the country where they live or at a South African Embassy. The fingerprints can be taken on the official fingerprint form of that country or, where available, on the SAPS 91(a) fingerprint form.
SAPS currently requires:
SAPS currently lists the government application fee as R190 per application. For a fuller checklist, see our Police Clearance document requirements guide.
SAPS allows overseas fingerprints to be taken at a local police station or at a South African Embassy. Use the official fingerprint form accepted in that country or a SAPS 91(a) form where available.
Scanned or copied fingerprints are not accepted for processing. The original fingerprint document must be submitted.
Read our South African Police Clearance fingerprint guide for more detail.
Yes. SAPS says applicants living abroad may send the application and supporting documents directly to Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management in Pretoria.
Applications received from abroad are not automatically returned to the applicant. Once the certificate is complete, collection must be arranged using the person or courier nominated on the application.
SAPS currently publishes an approximate finalisation period of 15 working days from the date all required documents are received by Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management in Pretoria. Postal and courier time is excluded.
SAPS is also currently warning that a backlog is extending waiting periods, so the 15-working-day figure should be treated as an estimate rather than a guarantee.
For more detail, read our Police Clearance processing-time guide.
SAPS provides an online Police Clearance enquiry service that can show the status of an application using the available reference and identity details.
See our guide to tracking a South African Police Clearance Certificate.
No. SAPS states that completed Police Clearance Certificates are not scanned and emailed to applicants.
For overseas applicants, the completed certificate must be collected by the person nominated on the application or by the chosen courier service.
SAPS also states that completed certificates not collected within three months after finalisation are destroyed.
Yes. This is one reason overseas applicants often use a South African document-assistance service or courier arrangement.
Certificate Assistance can help with document checks, local handling, application support, collection and onward courier arrangements once the required original documents are available.
A South African PCC may be requested for visa, immigration, permanent residence, citizenship, overseas employment or other official processes.
The receiving authority decides how recent the certificate must be and whether any additional legalisation is required. See our Police Clearance for visa applications guide.
Not always. Whether the PCC needs an Apostille or Authentication depends on the destination country and the receiving authority.
If legalisation is required, read our guide to Apostilling a South African Police Clearance Certificate.
We also have country-specific guidance for applicants living in:
Certificate Assistance assists clients living abroad with South African Police Clearance Certificate applications.
Our current private-service fee is R2,550 per document, with an estimated private-service lead time of approximately 8–10 working days, subject to SAPS processing and the individual application. This is separate from the SAPS government fee.
You can also view our South African Police Clearance Certificate service page for the wider process.
Government procedures can change. Check the current SAPS Police Clearance Certificate page before submitting.
Yes. SAPS allows overseas applicants to have fingerprints taken at a police station in their current country or at a South African Embassy, then submit the original application documents to South Africa.
SAPS currently states approximately 15 working days after all required documents reach Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management in Pretoria, excluding postal time, but it is also warning of a backlog that can extend waiting periods.
No. SAPS states that completed certificates are not scanned and emailed. Collection must be arranged through the nominated person or chosen courier listed on the application.
Our guides are prepared to help South Africans understand document requirements, processing, Apostille and Authentication steps, and overseas use. Where possible, we check current requirements against official authorities and clearly distinguish our private service estimates from government processing.
Learn more about Certificate Assistance and our editorial approachCertificate Assistance helps individuals and businesses obtain essential South African certificates and documents with a simpler, more convenient process. We provide professional assistance with Police Clearance Certificates and other certificate-related services, helping clients navigate applications efficiently and with confidence.
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