How long does it take to get a Police Clearance Certificate in South Africa?

Many South Africans are well aware that acquiring a SAPS Police Clearance Certificate can be a time-consuming process, sometimes taking months. However, often, applicants don’t have the luxury of waiting for such a prolonged period. In this article, we answer the question of how long does it take to get a Police Clearance Certificate in South Africa and explore the fastest route to securing your SAPS365.

Applying for a SAPS Police Clearance Certificate

Anyone can apply for a SAPS365, which is another name for a Police Clearance Certificate. These certificates are not limited to South African citizens and can be issued to anyone who has visited the country. In general, it can take anywhere between three and six months to obtain a police clearance in South Africa.

When an individual applies for a police clearance, their credentials are scrutinized against the information stored in the Criminal Records Database at the Criminal Records Centre (CRC) in Pretoria. The CRC serves as the sole authority for issuing Police Clearance Certificates in South Africa. Officials at the CRC compare your personal details and fingerprints with their records to determine if you have an existing criminal record.

To obtain a SAPS365 certificate, you must complete the application form and take a full set of ink fingerprints. Contrary to popular belief, fingerprinting is not exclusive to police stations; you can have your fingerprints taken anywhere, provided a commissioner of oaths is available to stamp and sign your fingerprint form for authenticity.

It’s worth noting that the CRC only accepts fingerprints in ink form. Digital scans are not permissible, as the CRC digitizes fingerprints on their system for each new Police Clearance Application they receive.

Where to apply for a South African PCC

While you can apply for a police clearance certificate at your local police station, this can often be time-consuming. Police stations do not immediately send off applications on the day they are submitted. To save on internal courier costs, they wait until they have accumulated sufficient applications before dispatching them to the CRC in Pretoria. There can also be delays between when the applications reach the CRC and when they are entered into the SAPS system.

The alternative option is to use a South African concierge service, such as Apostil.co.za, which can handle the entire process on your behalf. As a trusted resource and registered courier with the CRC, we know precisely where to apply for these documents and can expedite the application process by promptly entering your applications into the system. Importantly, we can also expedite corrections if the SAPS CRC makes errors on your certificate, which happens more frequently than you might think.

Obtaining an expedited Police Clearance Certificate (the fastest way)

Apostil.co.za can assist you in obtaining an expedited police clearance certificate as soon as possible. Since we are registered as a courier with the CRC, we can work directly with SAPS, eliminating the need for additional intermediaries. This is why we offer one of the quickest ways to obtain a police clearance certificate.

When you apply for a police clearance in person, the processing time may extend well beyond three months. For individuals applying from outside the country, PCC applications can take three to six months. In most cases, applications submitted at local police stations are not immediately forwarded to the CRC, as the station’s application bag must reach a certain volume before dispatch.

Through our expedited application process, you can obtain your PCC in as little as 5 to 7 working days. In some cases, the timeframe can be further reduced to just three working days. This is referred to as an “extreme urgent police clearance.” However, please bear in mind that delays can occur due to factors such as load shedding and internal issues at the CRC.