The requirements for a South African police clearance certificate are the same wherever you apply. You need a set of fingerprints on the SAPS 91(a) form, the signed SAPS application form, a certified copy of your ID or passport, and proof that you have paid R190. Only the South African Police Service’s Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management division (CR & CSM) in Pretoria issues the certificate.
This page is about the certificate itself: what goes on the application, how the fingerprints must be taken, how the finished certificate reaches you, and what to do before you use it abroad. For who needs a clearance and the overall process, see our police clearance requirements guide.
Legal Requirements at a Glance
The police clearance certificate, sometimes called a criminal clearance certificate or PCC, states whether any criminal convictions are recorded against you. Key facts from the SAPS police clearance certificate page:
- Issuer: CR & CSM in Pretoria is solely responsible for issuing the certificate. Police stations in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and elsewhere only take fingerprints and forward applications.
- Basis of the check: your fingerprints. Scanned or photocopied fingerprints are not processed.
- Fee: R190 per application, non-refundable.
- Delivery: SAPS does not scan or email completed certificates. You receive the original paper certificate through the return method you choose.
- Refusal: SAPS will not issue a certificate to someone it has identified as “wanted”.
Documents, Forms and Evidence Required
These are the documents required for a police clearance certificate application:
- The SAPS application form for a police clearance certificate, signed and dated
- A certified copy of your South African ID or passport, attached to the form
- The fingerprint form: SAPS 91(a) in South Africa, or the official fingerprint form of your country of residence if you apply abroad
- A certified copy of your marriage certificate or other proof, if a maiden name or other surname must appear on the certificate
- Proof of payment, with the receipt number written on the form
The application form asks for the following:
- Your surname, full names, maiden name (with a yes or no on whether it must be included), date of birth and country of birth
- Your South African ID number or passport number, and your cellphone number
- A short explanation of why you need the certificate, such as a visa, emigration or employment
- One return method for the certificate, with the matching address, nominee or courier details
A name clearance check, which searches records by name only, is not a SAPS police clearance certificate. SAPS requires your fingerprints for every application.
Eligibility and Formal Requirements
You apply for your own certificate, and the fingerprints and identity checks must meet these formal rules:
- In South Africa: SAPS must take your fingerprints, so you apply at a police station. Present your original ID or passport there, because the station has to confirm your identity.
- Outside South Africa: fingerprints can be taken at any police station in your country of residence, or at a South African embassy. Use that country’s official fingerprint form, or the SAPS 91(a) if the station has one.
- Names: the details on the form should match your ID or passport. Any extra surname must be supported by documentary proof.
- Completeness: SAPS does not process incomplete applications. It notifies applicants who gave a South African cellphone number by SMS.
Application, Certification or Registration Steps
The police clearance certificate process has four stages.
- Pay. Pay R190 in cash at a police station, or by electronic transfer to the SAPS bank account published on the SAPS page. For an electronic transfer, use the reference “PCC” plus your initials and surname.
- Fingerprints and form. At the police station, have your fingerprints taken and attach them to the completed form, your certified ID copy and your proof of payment.
- Send to Pretoria. The station can forward the application to CR & CSM free of charge. You can also deliver it in person to the CR & CSM client service centre in Pretoria or post or courier it yourself. Applications from abroad go directly to CR & CSM by post or courier.
- Receive the certificate. SAPS sends an SMS with your reference number when it receives the application and another when the certificate is finalised. You can also check progress on the SAPS status enquiry page.
On the form, you choose one of five ways to receive the certificate:
- Returned to the SAPS station where you applied, where it must be handed to you in person
- Kept for you to collect at the client service centre in Pretoria
- Kept for collection by a person you nominate, whose particulars and South African ID number you give on the form
- Collected by a courier company you name, at your cost
- Posted to a private address, which is only available in South Africa
Whoever collects must show proof of identity. SAPS destroys certificates not collected within three months after finalisation. SAPS does not return applications sent from abroad, so applicants outside the country need a nominee or courier.
Fees, Processing and Validity
- Cost: R190 per certificate, as published by SAPS. Courier and postage costs are extra and paid by you.
- Police clearance certificate duration: SAPS says it takes approximately 15 working days once all documents reach CR & CSM, excluding postal time. It currently reports a backlog that is extending waiting periods.
- Urgent police clearance certificates: SAPS does not publish an urgent or express service. Services that advertise urgent certificates in South Africa can speed up delivery and collection, but not SAPS’s processing.
- Validity: the certificate has no expiry period set by SAPS. The embassy, employer or authority that receives it decides how recent it must be.
- Apostille or authentication: for use abroad, the DIRCO Legalisation Section apostilles the certificate if the destination country is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, or issues a certificate of authentication if it is not. DIRCO accepts only the original certificate, no older than six months, and does not authenticate certified copies. The service is free. You can book an appointment online or send the certificate by courier; DIRCO estimates three to four weeks for courier submissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a police clearance certificate?
It is an official document issued by SAPS CR & CSM stating whether any criminal convictions are recorded against you. People commonly need it for emigration, visas and employment, in South Africa or abroad.
What is a clearance certificate?
“Clearance certificate” can mean different documents, such as a tax clearance certificate. For criminal records in South Africa, it means the SAPS police clearance certificate described on this page.
Can a police officer take the fingerprints for a South African criminal clearance certificate? Does a sheriff need to sign it?
Yes. In South Africa, SAPS must take the fingerprints. Abroad, a police station in your country of residence or a South African embassy can take them. SAPS’s published requirements do not ask for a sheriff’s signature.
How do I get a police clearance certificate for a visa?
Apply to SAPS in the usual way, with enough time for the process to finish before your deadline. Then check whether the destination country wants the certificate apostilled or authenticated by DIRCO. The embassy or immigration authority decides how recent the certificate must be.
Can I get an apostille on a copy of my police clearance certificate?
No. DIRCO only legalises the original certificate as issued, signed and stamped by SAPS, and it must be no older than six months.
Can SAPS email me the certificate?
No. SAPS does not scan or email completed certificates. You receive the original through the return method you chose on the application form.
Fees, forms, processing times and collection rules for the police clearance certificate are set by the South African Police Service. Legalisation rules are set by DIRCO. Confirm current details with both before you apply. Browse all legal and document requirements.
See also official document requirements.