Are you planning to apply for your Police Clearance Certificate closer to the time you’ll need it? It might be wise to reconsider and submit that application earlier rather than later to avoid costly delays and frustrations!
In February 2022, South Africans were outraged by a backlog in the SAPS Police Clearance Certificate issuing process, which was initially caused by utility issues related to the non-payment of their electricity bills. Shortly after, SAPS was hit by another massive blow when the landlord of the building where the South African Police Services are headquartered announced the closure of the building due to non-payment of rent.
One backlog leads to another
Although it might seem like the issuing of police clearance certificates was some of the only processes affected by the closure of the SAPS headquarters, that is not the case at all.
Take the renewal of a professional driver’s (PDP) licence as an example. Anyone who wants to renew their licence must first apply for a police clearance certificate from SAPS. Since there are massive delays in the issuing process at the moment, this puts more strain on the already struggling Driver’s Licence Testing Centers.
Where it took weeks in the past to book and show up to have your PDP renewed, it now looks like it’s a process that could easily take months to complete.
It is therefore clear to see that a departmental shutdown of this magnitude has detrimental effects on South African citizens. It also has a widespread impact on many formal processes that are reliant on SAPS procedures.
What you need to apply for a Police Clearance Certificate
Anyone that wants to apply for a South African Police Clearance Certificate must submit the following:
- A complete set of ink fingerprints submitted on the SAPS 91(a) Form
- A completed SAPS Police Clearance Certificate Application Form (here’s how to complete the form)
- Clear copies of their South African ID or Passport
- Clear copies of their marriage certificate, if they are married
There are specific scenarios where you might need to obtain a police clearance certificate urgently. If this is your scenario, you can submit an expedited application for your PCC. In this event, you must supply written confirmation of why you need the process to be expedited.
It’s always best to start planning in advance
In the past, for example, it took us a matter of days (a week or two at most) to apply for documents to be apostilled at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO). But lately, it is taking months for official documents to be stamped and returned to us. In the case of Police Clearance Certificates, we foresee the same delay becoming a more permanent structure within SAPS.
Here at Apostil.co.co.za, we advise our clients to apply for any essential documents well ahead of time. These documents include official records like police clearance certificates. This ensures that there is enough time to deal with unforeseen delays.
You can get in touch with us today to find out how to start timely planning your document applications!
So you basically wil have to go to your nearest police station for a police clearance or you help with the process