This page explains how information on Requirements.co.za is put together, what is checked, and what you still need to confirm yourself. It is here so you can judge how much weight to place on any given guide.
The short version: guides are written to help you prepare, and they name the body responsible for confirming anything that changes. They are not a substitute for the current official instruction, and they are not represented as one.
The Three-Step Method
Every guide is designed to be used in the same sequence.
- Search. Find the guide that matches the task you are trying to complete, not just the department you expect to deal with.
- Check. Work through the documents, eligibility conditions and steps to understand what your application will involve and where you might fall short.
- Confirm. Verify the change-sensitive details with the responsible department, institution, embassy or official portal before you submit anything or pay anything.
The third step is not optional politeness. It is the step that protects you.
What Counts as Change-Sensitive
Some information is comparatively stable. The broad purpose of a document, the general shape of a process and the identity of the responsible authority rarely change from one month to the next. Other details change often enough that no third-party page should be treated as authoritative.
- Fees, payment methods and where payment is made.
- Form names, form numbers and whether a form has been replaced.
- Opening and closing dates, intake windows and appeal deadlines.
- Processing times and appointment availability.
- Eligibility thresholds, including income limits and age rules.
- Which offices, branches or channels currently offer a service.
Where a guide mentions any of these, treat the figure as a prompt to check rather than as a settled fact.
Where Confirmation Should Come From
Confirmation should come from the body that decides your application, not from a second information site. Depending on the task, that is usually the Department of Home Affairs, the South African Police Service, DIRCO, a provincial education department, NSFAS or another funding administrator, a university or TVET college, a professional council, CIPC, SARS, or the embassy or official application centre of the country you are travelling to.
The Official Requirements Sources South Africa page collects these starting points so you do not have to search for the right authority each time.
Known Limits
Being useful means being honest about what this site cannot do.
- Guides describe what is commonly required. They cannot account for every personal circumstance, and unusual cases are exactly where general guidance is weakest.
- Requirements can differ by office, province, nationality or intake year even within the same process.
- A rule can change between the date a guide was last reviewed and the date you read it.
- Nothing here is legal, immigration or financial advice, and no page can promise that an application will be approved.
If You Find Something Wrong
If a guide conflicts with what a department, institution or embassy currently tells you, follow the official instruction. Corrections are welcome, and reports of outdated details help other readers. You can reach the site through the Contact Requirements.co.za page.
For more on what this site is and is not, see About Requirements.co.za.