If you plan on working, studying, or living in South Africa, you may be required to obtain a South African Police Clearance Certificate. This document serves as proof that you have no criminal record in the country and is often a prerequisite for visa applications, employment, or even renting a property. But perhaps you might be wondering exactly what is a South African Police Clearance Certificate.
In this article, we’ll explore what a South African Police Clearance Certificate is, why you may need one, how to apply for it, and some important things to keep in mind during the process. Whether you’re a foreign national or a South African citizen, understanding the ins and outs of this certificate is crucial to your success in various aspects of life in South Africa.
What is a South African Police Clearance Certificate?
The South African Police Clearance Certificate (sometimes called a PCC) is an important document that serves as proof that you have no criminal record in the country. This document is often required in a variety of situations, including but not limited to:
- Visa applications: Many countries require individuals applying for visas to submit a police clearance certificate as part of the application process. This is to ensure that the individual has no criminal record and is not a security risk.
- Employment: Employers may require a police clearance certificate as part of the hiring process, especially for jobs that involve working with vulnerable populations such as children or the elderly. This is to ensure the safety of the workplace and the people who work there.
- Renting a property: Landlords may require a police clearance certificate from potential tenants, especially in situations where the tenant will be living in close proximity to other tenants or where the property is located in a high-crime area. This is to ensure the safety and security of the other tenants and the property.
Overall, obtaining a PCC is important for anyone who wishes to live, work or study in South Africa. The certificate provides reassurance to employers, landlords, and other individuals that you have no criminal record in the country. It can be crucial to your success in various aspects of life in South Africa.
Who needs this document?
A PCC may be required by both foreign nationals and South African citizens in various situations. Here’s a breakdown of who may need this certificate:
Foreign nationals:
- Individuals applying for a work visa or study visa in South Africa may be required to submit a police clearance certificate as part of their application process.
- Individuals who have lived or worked in South Africa in the past may be required to obtain a police clearance certificate when applying for visas or work permits in other countries.
- Individuals who are looking to emigrate from South Africa to other countries may also be required to submit a police clearance certificate as part of the application process.
South African citizens:
- Individuals who are applying for certain jobs, such as government positions or jobs that involve working with vulnerable populations, may be required to obtain a police clearance certificate as part of the hiring process.
- Individuals who are looking to emigrate from South Africa may be required to submit a police clearance certificate as part of the application process.
- South African citizens who have lived or worked in other countries may be required to obtain a police clearance certificate when applying for visas or work permits in those countries.
Overall, a South African Police Clearance Certificate may be required in a variety of situations for both foreign nationals and South African citizens. It’s important to understand the specific requirements of your situation and to obtain the certificate in a timely manner.
How to apply for a PCC
All applications for police clearance certificates start with the basic step of having your fingerprints taken. Most people think you can only do fingerprints at the nearest police station. But, you can actually have your fingerprints taken anywhere as long as there is a lawyer, notary, or commissioner of oaths present to sign and stamp the fingerprint form, verifying that the prints are authentic.
The fingerprints must be verifiably those of the applicant and must be submitted in original ink. This ensures they are easy to scan and save as images at the Criminal Records Center (CRC). Digital fingerprint forms and files are not accepted in South Africa. Click on the above image to see the full Police Clearance application form.
Along with your fingerprints, it is also essential to submit a copy of your South African Identity Document along with the completed application form. If you are a foreigner in need of a Police Clearance Certificate for South Africa, you will still follow the same steps. However, instead of an ID document, you will simply submit a copy of your foreign passport and use that number instead of an ID number.
Where to apply for a South African PCC
Although one can apply for a police clearance certificate through your local police station, this is often a very timely approach. Police stations do not directly send off applications on the day you submit them. To save on internal courier costs, police stations wait until they have received a set number of applications before couriering them to the CRC in Pretoria. There is also a delay between when the applications arrive at the CRC and when they are captured on their SAPS system.
The other option is to use a South Africa concierge service, like Apostil.co.za, to handle everything on your behalf. As a trusted resource and registered courier with the CRC, we know exactly where to apply for these documents and can have the applications captured on the system as soon as possible.
We also know who to follow up with when things are not moving smoothly. Very importantly, we can obtain corrections done quickly when the SAPS CRC makes a mistake on your certificate; this happens more often than you would think.
Do you need help obtaining your Police Clearance Certificate?
Get in touch with Apostil.co.za today. We lodge applications on behalf of our clients and handle everything on their behalf, which significantly speeds up the time it takes to obtain your PCC.
As a civilian, you cannot directly submit your police clearance application form to the CRC. Only registered couriers can do this. Apostil.co.za is a registered courier that has a contract with the CRC. This ensures we can help our clients obtain their documents in the fastest time possible.
Obtaining an urgent South African Police Clearance certificate
Apostil.co.za can assist you in getting your South African Police Clearance (PCC) in between 5 and 30 working days of applying (excluding courier time). Fill in the form on this page to start.
In addition, the PCC can be apostilled quickly for countries that require this, or authenticated and attested at an embassy in South Africa.
