Quick Answer: Police Clearance for Work Visa
Work visa applications normally require police clearance from countries where you have lived, and on this route the timing problem is acute: clearance expires, while qualification evaluation and professional registration can take months.
Obtain clearance last, once the slower prerequisites are close to complete. Getting it first is the most common sequencing error on work routes. Requirements.co.za is an independent information website. It is not a government department, immigration practitioner or tax adviser, and nothing here is immigration, legal or tax advice.
Who This Requirement Applies To
This guide is for applicants on work visa routes requiring a criminal record check.
For the general requirement, see Police Clearance for Visa. For residence routes, see Police Clearance Certificate for Immigration.
Eligibility Requirements
Scope and sequencing are the two things that matter on this route.
Applicant type
- Countries of residence. Normally every country where you have lived for a defined period as an adult, not only your country of citizenship.
- Validity. Certificates expire, and must be current at submission rather than when obtained.
- Sequencing against prerequisites. On critical skills and general work routes, evaluation and registration commonly take longer, so clearance should come after them.
- Legalisation. A foreign certificate may need legalisation before South African authorities accept it.
- Accompanying family. Adult dependants normally require their own certificates.
Documents You May Need
Plan the whole set together so that all certificates are valid simultaneously.
Required proof
- Police clearance from each relevant country.
- Fingerprints in the format each authority requires.
- Passport and identity evidence.
- Legalisation and certified translation where required.
Steps to Apply or Prepare
Establish which countries must issue clearance, and how long each takes.
Progress qualification evaluation and professional registration first, since they take longer and clearance expires.
Apply for clearance once the prerequisites are close to complete, starting with the slowest issuing country.
Costs, Processing Times and Validity
Each issuing authority charges its own fee, with legalisation and translation additional. Because certificates expire and other work-route prerequisites run for months, poor sequencing means paying twice.
Common Mistakes and Delays
Common mistake
- Obtaining clearance at the start of a work application, so it expires before submission.
- Assuming only the country of citizenship must issue one.
- Overlooking legalisation for a foreign certificate.
- Forgetting adult dependants need their own.
- Fingerprints in a format the issuing authority does not accept.
Where to Confirm Official Requirements
Confirm the current requirements with the Department of Home Affairs or its appointed visa application centre. The Official Requirements Sources South Africa page links to the responsible bodies. For South African certificates, confirm with the South African Police Service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do work visa applicants need police clearance?
It is normally required, from every country where you have lived for a defined period as an adult. Confirm the requirement for your route.
When should I apply for it?
After the slower prerequisites such as qualification evaluation and professional registration are close to complete, since certificates expire.
Does a foreign certificate need legalisation?
Commonly yes before South African authorities accept it. Confirm what form is required.
Do my family members need one?
Adult dependants normally require their own certificates. Confirm what applies to minors.
Where can I confirm the requirement?
Confirm with the Department of Home Affairs, and with each issuing police authority.