Apostille for South Africa from any Convention country
An apostille is all you need.
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- Apostille from 8 hours
- Written quote before you pay
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Most issuing countries → South Africa
An apostille is all you need.
Both countries are party to the Hague Apostille Convention and it is in force between them. The competent authority of the issuing country attaches the apostille; no embassy step is required. Ask the recipient whether a sworn translation is expected – we add it in the same order.
- 1Upload a scanWe pre-check it and confirm the route
- 2Verify with your phoneID + selfie, ~3 minutes, then your quote
- 3We obtain the apostilleCompetent authority + sworn translation
- 4DeliveredCourier worldwide or protected download
South Africa has applied the Hague Apostille Convention since April 30, 1995. Public documents from other Convention countries – civil-status certificates, diplomas, police certificates, notarial deeds, court decisions and company documents – are accepted in South Africa with an apostille from the issuing country, unless an Article 12 objection is in force between the two states. No embassy or consular step is required.
South African apostilles are issued by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and by the registrars of the High Court. Commonly apostilled South African documents are unabridged birth and marriage certificates from the Department of Home Affairs, SAPS police clearance certificates, degrees and CIPC company documents, needed abroad for work visas, study, emigration and company formation.
In South Africa, apostilled foreign documents are used with Home Affairs for visas and residence, with SAQA for evaluation of foreign qualifications, with courts and with the CIPC for company registration. Documents not in English need a translation by a sworn translator. Visa applicants are typically asked for police certificates from the countries where they have lived.
Notaryzer handles it end to end: the notary reviews your application, we organise the apostille or legalisation in the issuing country, arrange the translation and ship the result to you or directly to the recipient in South Africa.
- Order unabridged, not abridged, South African civil-status certificates for use abroad
- Have non-English documents translated by a sworn translator
- For SAQA, confirm whether the apostille is needed on the original degree or a certified copy
What each document type needs for South Africa
Shown for a document from a typical Convention country; your exact pair is checked below. EU exemptions and bilateral treaties never cover everything.
| Document type | Route |
|---|---|
| Civil-status documents | Apostille |
| Police & residence certificates | Apostille |
| Education & professional qualifications | Apostille |
| Notarial deeds & certifications | Apostille |
| Company & register documents | Apostille |
| Court documents | Apostille |
| Export, commercial & tax documents | Apostille |
Most requested documents for South Africa
Check your document for South Africa
Pick where it was issued and the document type to see the exact route and start with the details pre-filled.
An apostille is all you need.
Both countries are party to the Hague Apostille Convention and it is in force between them. The competent authority of the issuing country attaches the apostille; no embassy step is required. Ask the recipient whether a sworn translation is expected – we add it in the same order.
Apostille for South Africa: questions
Yes – South Africa is party to the Hague Apostille Convention (in force since April 30, 1995). Apostilles from other Convention countries are accepted unless an Article 12 objection is in force between the two states.
Recipients in South Africa generally expect English. We work with sworn or certified translators for these languages and know when the translator’s signature must be apostilled as well.
DIRCO (the Department of International Relations and Cooperation) and the registrars of the High Court.
Only if they are not in English – then a sworn English translation is normally required.
Documents for South Africa, handled end to end
Apostille or legalisation, sworn translation and worldwide delivery in one request.
Questions? Write to [email protected]