Clear, general information about Police Clearance Certificates, Unabridged Birth Certificates and Apostille or Authentication processes in South Africa.
A South African Police Clearance Certificate is issued through the South African Police Service (SAPS) and may be requested for immigration, residency, employment, licensing, study or other official purposes.
Before starting, confirm the receiving authority's requirements, how recent the certificate must be and whether fingerprints or later legalisation will be required.
Official SAPS information →South African birth certificates are issued by the Department of Home Affairs. An unabridged or full birth certificate may be requested for immigration, citizenship, family, marriage, study or other overseas processes.
Always confirm which version is required, whether parental details must appear and whether the original document or legalisation is needed.
Official Home Affairs information →An Apostille or Authentication is a separate legalisation step used when a South African public document must be recognised outside South Africa. It does not replace the underlying document.
The correct route depends on the document, the destination country and the requirements of the authority receiving it. Confirm the requirement before arranging legalisation.
Official DIRCO information →Read more detailed guides about South African documents, overseas use and legalisation requirements.