If you want to travel abroad, you will likely need to submit an unabridged marriage certificate or birth certificate as part of your travel documentation. But there are also other reasons why you would need official Home Affairs documents. Although many South Africans think obtaining these certificates is relatively quick and easy, it can take…
Many South Africans need to submit Home Affairs confirmation letters to verify the validity and authenticity of their official documents, such as marriage certificates and birth certificates. Authorities often need these letters to confirm that the certificates were indeed issued by Home Affairs and that they have not been illegally produced. What are Department of…
If you are a South African taking up new citizenship abroad, you might have to renounce your South African citizenship. This is called renunciation of South African citizenship. The Department of Home Affairs issues these citizenship documents proving that you are no longer a South African citizen. Some countries require you to renounce any other…
We have had a number of clients enquiring about obtaining South African birth certificates from the 1800s (the 19th century). Usually, the need arises from some sort of ancestral visa application requirement or similar. Clients are at their wits end – they have been to Home Affairs and attempted to find the documentation through various…
You have just found out that you need to submit a copy of your marriage and birth certificate for your visa application. But which version of the certificates from Home Affairs must you submit? If you don’t have the original document, for which one do you apply from Home Affairs? Do you need an abridged, unabridged,…
South Africans traveling abroad often have to submit a range of documents as part of the travel planning. An unabridged birth certificate from South Africa is one of the most important documents. Yet, incidentally, it is also one of the documents taking the longest to be issued. On this page, we will look at what…
Original documents issued by the South African Department of Home Affairs (DHA) are called vault documents. These documents, which are typed-up records, are kept in storage warehouses, called the DHA archives or “vaults”. At times, especially when applying for official processes like citizenship abroad, you might be required to submit vault copies of your legal…
Although it is entirely possible to have document corrections made to your official South African certificates, the process often takes much longer than one would expect. We often get approached by clients that request simple changes to their details on certificates. But what very few people understand is that the fact that document corrections can…
We often get approached by clients who need assistance verifying their legal status on the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) system. However simple the process might seem, it is not always as easy as one might assume to determine if Home Affairs has you registered as single, married, divorced, widowed, or deceased. In this post,…
Obtaining a South African birth or marriage certificate, however simple it might seem, can be a tedious and time-consuming process if you do not understand the steps involved and try to go at the process independently. The South African Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is responsible for issuing civic certificates such as birth, marriage, and…
