Emigration isn’t one big task – it’s a long list of moving parts that all need to come together at the right time. If you start too late, you end up paying rush fees, chasing Home Affairs from overseas, and praying your visa comes through before your flight date.
A simple way to stay in control is to work with a timeline. Below is a practical guide to what South Africans should start doing 12 months, 6 months and 1 month before leaving – with notes on where Apostil.co.za can step in to help with documents and legalisation.
For a full overview of the process, you can also refer to:
👉 Emigration Guide
12 months ahead: Research, decisions and long-lead documents
The 12-month mark is all about strategy and groundwork. You don’t need every detail finalised yet, but you do need to know where you’re going, on what visa route, and what proof will be required.
1. Choose your destination and visa pathway
By this point you should be:
- Narrowing down your destination country.
- Comparing visa categories (skilled worker, partner, student, business, etc.).
- Understanding which route fits your skills, family and finances best.
Use this period to read official government immigration pages and pair that with the practical perspective of South Africans who’ve already made the move. Then map your findings against Apostil.co.za’s:
👉 Emigration Guide
2. Identify every document you’ll need
Next, draft a document checklist based on your likely visa route. Typically, this includes:
- Unabridged birth certificates for you and your children
👉 Unabridged Birth Certificate - Unabridged marriage certificate (if applicable)
👉 Unabridged Marriage Certificate - Other unabridged civic certificates (divorce, death) where relevant
👉 Unabridged Certificates – Overview - Police Clearance Certificate
👉 Police Clearance (SAPS) - Academic and professional qualifications
👉 Apostilling Academic Documents and Diplomas
At this stage you’re not necessarily applying yet – you’re confirming what you’ll need and where the gaps are.
3. Understand apostille/legalisation requirements
Because these South African documents will be used overseas, most will need to be:
- Apostilled (for Hague Convention countries), or
- Authenticated and legalised (for non-Hague countries).
Start familiarising yourself with this now so it doesn’t surprise you later:
👉 Apostille & Authentication Services
👉 Which Documents You Need to Get Apostilled When Moving Overseas
6 months ahead: Applications, formalities and locking in timelines
Six months before departure is where planning turns into formal applications and bookings.
1. Order or retrieve all South African documents
By now you should be actively:
- Applying for missing unabridged certificates (birth, marriage, etc.).
- Requesting a South African Police Clearance Certificate (PCC).
- Gathering original degrees, diplomas and transcripts for verification and future apostille.
Delays at the Department of Home Affairs and SAPS are common. Using Apostil.co.za to handle retrieval and follow-ups can significantly reduce stress while you focus on other parts of your move.
2. Start the apostille/legalisation process
Once key documents are in hand, you can begin:
- Apostilling birth and marriage certificates for visa use.
- Apostilling your police clearance for foreign immigration departments.
- Legalising academic documents required by overseas employers or universities.
All of these can be coordinated as a batch by Apostil.co.za so you’re not running separate errands to DIRCO, High Courts and embassies.
👉 Apostille & Authentication Services
3. Begin visa and residency applications
With the core documents underway, six months out is usually the right time to:
- Submit your visa application (subject to each country’s official time frames).
- Book biometrics appointments and medicals where required.
- Arrange school applications for children and check enrolment deadlines.
- Engage with potential employers, recruiters or business partners abroad.
Having apostilled documents ready to upload or submit speeds up these processes and reduces back-and-forth queries from case officers.
4. Make decisions about property and finances
This is also the point to finalise your approach to:
- Property in South Africa – selling, renting out, or holding.
- Banking and investments – which accounts you’ll keep and how you’ll access funds abroad.
- Tax residency planning – discussing your move with a tax practitioner.
While your advisors deal with money and tax, Apostil.co.za can ensure any supporting documentation (for example, powers of attorney, notarised copies, certificates) is correctly prepared for cross-border use.
1 month ahead: Final checks, copies and contingency
The last month before departure is about tightening bolts – confirming everything is in place and you have the right paperwork in hand and backed up.
1. Double-check all original documents
By now you should physically have:
- Original, apostilled unabridged birth and marriage certificates.
- Original, apostilled police clearance.
- Apostilled academic and professional documents, if required.
- Any notarised powers of attorney you’ll need for property or finances after you leave.
Lay everything out and compare it against:
- Your visa grant letter / approval
- The school, employer or authority’s document checklist
- The requirements listed on official immigration websites
2. Make certified and digital copies
Before you fly, make sure you have:
- High-quality scans of every important document stored in a secure cloud folder.
- Several printed copies of key items (birth certificates, PCC, visa grant, etc.).
- One full set in your hand luggage and another in your checked baggage.
Many clients also leave a complete copy set with a trusted family member or professional in South Africa, in case originals are lost or further copies are needed later.
3. Tie up any remaining South African admin
In the final month you may still need to:
- Finalise bank instructions and debit orders.
- Confirm cancellation or transfer of policies, medical aid, memberships.
- Sign any remaining property or legal documents, which may need to be notarised and apostilled if they’ll be used after you leave.
Apostil.co.za can assist with these last-minute legalisation tasks so you aren’t trying to courier documents back and forth once you’re already overseas.
How Apostil.co.za helps you.
A clear emigration timeline turns a huge, emotional life change into a series of manageable steps. Start 12 months out with research and identifying documents, 6 months out with applications and apostilles, and use the final month to check, copy and consolidate everything.
You don’t have to tackle the document side alone.
Need help planning and processing your South African documents in line with your emigration timeline?
Contact Apostil.co.za for fast, professional assistance with unabridged certificates, police clearances, apostilles and all emigration documentation:
👉 Contact Apostil.co.za
