Get your documents apostilled at DIRCO fast

Do you need to get a South African document urgently Apostilled for use overseas? We will assist with the entire process, providing expert advice, submission and collection at DIRCO, and shipping worldwide in the shortest possible time

DIRCO Apostille Certificate
Peace of Mind

We take care of the entire process for you, from application, to communication, collection and delivery to your doorstep

Fastest Turnaround time

We ensure that the apostille is issued in as little as 2 weeks, and collect by hand on the day that it is ready

Additional Options

We can arrnage further legalisation options at the country’s embassy as well as sworn translation services

Free Consultation

Email us at [email protected], or fill out the form below and our experts will contact you to find out your exact requirements.

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Price:

R1150 (10-15 days)

Shipping:

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R200 National

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R850 International

Notes:

An apostille is accepted by 126 countries worldwide. Documents intended for countries not part of the Hague Convention will be issued with a Certificate of Authentication instead of an apostille and require an additional legalisation step at the country’s embassy.

Documents must be original (no photocopies), not laminated, and issued in the last 5 years.

Other:

We offer certified sworn translation of this document into many languages

Get your South African government documents legalised for use overseas with an apostille from DIRCO

An apostille is a certifice that authenticates the origin of a government issued document, such as a birth certificate, SAQA verified academic degree or police clearance certificate. It is attached to the original document with a ribbon. This certificate is used to verify that the document is legitimate and can be recognized in any of the 126 foreign countries that are a member of the Hague Apostille Convention.

The apostille serves as proof that the document in question is an official document with a verfied government signature and ensures that this will be accepted in your destination country for official use.

Download PDF Application Form

Please Note: A number of countries (like the UAE, Thailand and Egypt) are not members of the Hague convention. We can still legalise documents for these countries at DIRCO and the certificate is a Certificate of Authentication, not an apostille, and they often requite an extra legalisation step at this country’s embassy. You can do this yourself or we can provide a custom quote for this.

DIRCO Apostille Certificate
DIRCO Apostille Certificate

How To Apply For Your Apostille

  1. Download the application form, complete it, scan it and email it to us along with a copy of your ID or Passport and scans of the documents that you want apostilled.
  2. We will check the forms and the scans that you sent us and confirm that these documents will be acceptable. Documents must be original (no photocopies), not laminated, and issued in the last 5 years.
  3. We will then send you an invoice with payment instructions, and you will courier the documents to our Johannesburg offices (we can arrange collection if you are in South Africa)
  4. Once payment is received and your documents have arrived at our offices we submit them to DIRCO.
  5. We follow and ensure that everything is being processed and once DIRCO has completed the process we collect it the following business day.
  6. We send you a high resolution scan of the apostilled document to ensure that all the details are correct and for your peace of mind.
  7. Once you have confirmed that all details are correct we send it for further legalisation (if you have ordered that option), or courier it directly to you. Local courier takes 1 business day, worldwide courier takes 4-5 days.

High Court Apostille

Click here for more information and pricing for High Court Apostilles and Notarisation

The following documents can be notarised and have a High Court apostille attached to them:

  • Copy of Passport
  • Copy of Driver’s License
  • Transcripts
  • Authorisation Letter
  • Travel Consent Letter
  • Articles of Incorporation
  • TEFL Certificate
  • Foreign Degree Certificate
  • Background Check
  • Single Status Affidavit
  • Power of Attorney
  • Certificate of Good Standing
  • Certification of Origin
  • Corporate Power of Attorney
  • Commercial Invoice

More Information

The following documents can be apostilled at DIRCO. These documents should not be apostilled at the High Court as they will be rejected by most countries and embassies.

  • Home Affairs Birth Certificates (Abridged, Unabridged and Vault)
  • Home Affairs Marriage Certificates (Abridged and Unabridged)
  • Home Affairs Death Certificates (Abridged and Unabridged)
  • Home Affairs Letter of No Impediment (marital status letter)
  • Home Affairs Citizenship Status Letters (determination, retention and renunciation.
  • Police Clearance Certificate (Note: A Police Clearance Certificate is only valid for six months from date of issue)
  • RTMC Driver’s Licence Confirmation Letter
  • HPCSA Verified Medical Letter
  • Original Adoption Papers signed and stamped by the Department of Justice or Registrar of Adoptions
  • SAQA Authenticated Degree

All other documents must be notarised and apostilled at the High Court. If they are being used for a country not in the Hague convention they can then be sent to DIRCO for legalisation and issues with a Certificate of Authentication instead of an apostille.

Download PDF Application Form

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apostille a translated document at DIRCO

No. Only original government documents or government authenticated certificates can be apostilled at DIRCO. If you need an authenticated translated version it needs to be done by a high court certified sworn translator after the process has been completed at DIRCO.

What is the difference between an apostille and notarisation?

A notarised document is a copy of a document which is certified by an attorney registered at The High Court. This just confirms that it is a copy of the original document without alterations.

An apostille to a document means that it was authenticated as having been issued and signed by a specially appointed government official. In South Africa the Apostille is issued by The Department of International Relations and Co-operation otherwise known as DIRCO

What is the difference between a DIRCO apostille and a DIRCO Certificate of Authentication?

A DIRCO apostille is a certificate that has been authenticated for use by DIRCO in any one of the 126 countries that are part of the Hague convention. An apostilled certificate will be accepted by any of those countries without having to go through any additional steps

A Certificate of Authentication is issued on a document if it is intended for a country that is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention. In this case the document will often need to be further attested at that country’s embassy in order to be used in that country

Do apostilles have an expiry date?

Apostilles don’t have an expiration date and never expire. However, some countries might ask for an apostille that is no older than 3, 6, or 12 months. This isn’t required by the Hague Convention or any law, and many places will accept an apostille years after it was issued.

It makes sense for there to be time restrictions on certain apostilled documents like Police Clearance certificates where the actual certificate is only valid for 6 months. Please check with your embassy or local government authority to check if they have requirements for apostilles to be issued within a set period

Is there any expedited or faster option to get a DIRCO apostille?

Unfortunately the RTMC has a huge backlog and the standard turnaround time is 6-8 weeks. There is a possibility that we may get it quicker than that but we cannot guarantee it. Some companies recommend getting a high court apostille instead, but these are not accepted by most countries or embassies for documents that require DIRCO apostilles. Chat to us the latest timelines and info.

What is embassy attestation?

For countries that are not part of the Hague convention, the documents go through the same process but instead of an apostille they are issued with a Certificate of Authentication confirming their authenticity. This certificate then needs to go through an additional process by being attested at that country’s embassy.

Costs and timelines for this additional authentication step can vary wildly depending on the embassy and backlog there. Please contact us for a detailed custom quote.

Are you affiliated or accredited with the High Court or DIRCO?

Embassy Services (Pty) Ltd is a private company and not a government department or High Court issuing body or associated with DIRCO or any foreign embassy. We provide consulting, submission and collection services, and charge for our expertise and for successfully and quickly obtaining and legalising documents.

While we endeavour to obtain and get all documentation processed and legalised in the shortest possible time, we cannot be held responsible for any delay at a government department or foreign embassy that is out of our control. Please see our terms and conditions for details

I have another question about this service

We would be happy to assist. Simply email us or call or whatsapp us on +27 10 500 5320 and we will respond asap!

About Embassy Services

We’re a document and legalisation services company based in Johannesburg, South Africa. We specialise in obtaining documents and legalising them for use internationally, from government departments such as Home Affairs to High Court notarisation and apostilles at DIRCO.

Our focus is on fast turnaround times and impeccable customer service, we keep you continually updated at every step of the process, and ensure that your specific needs are filled to your exact requirements

Call or Whatsapp us on +27 10 500 5320 or email us at [email protected].