APOSTILLE / AUTHENTICATION

Before obtaining an Apostille Certificate for South African public documents, you’ll need to verify that the country that will be receiving the document (the Country of Destination) is a signatory/member/contracting state to the Apostille Convention (Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Consular Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents). A public document issued in South Africa often has to be apostillised or legalised (officially “authenticated” when it is going to be used in a foreign country). In fact, it is the signature and/or stamp on public documents that require the Apostille.

Documents that often have to be apostillised include:
Home Affairs documents and Police Clearances:

• Police Clearance Certificates

• Birth Certificate

• Marriage Certificate

• Death Certificate

• Divorce Decrees

• Letter of No Impediment to be married abroad