To get a police clearance in South Africa you need a full set of fingerprints taken by the South African Police Service (SAPS), a completed application form, a certified copy of your ID or passport, and proof that you have paid the prescribed fee of R190. The application goes to the SAPS Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management division (CR & CSM) in Pretoria, which is the only office that issues the certificate.
A police clearance is SAPS’s official confirmation of whether any criminal convictions are recorded against you. Because the check is run on your fingerprints, it is often called a fingerprint clearance. SAPS offers it mainly to people who need proof of their criminal status for emigration, travel or work abroad, and many local employers and licensing bodies ask for it too.
Legal Requirements at a Glance
These are the requirements for police clearance that SAPS lists on its official Police Clearance Certificate page:
- Fingerprints: a full set on the SAPS 91(a) form, taken by SAPS if you live in South Africa
- Application form: the SAPS “Application: Police Clearance Certificate” form, fully completed and signed
- Identity: a certified copy of your South African ID or passport
- Other surnames: documentary proof, such as a certified marriage certificate, if a maiden or previous surname must appear
- Payment: proof of payment of R190 per application, which is non-refundable
- Issuing office: SAPS CR & CSM in Pretoria only; police stations take fingerprints and forward applications but do not issue certificates
SAPS will not issue a police clearance to a person it has identified as “wanted”.
Documents, Forms and Evidence Required
What do you need for police clearance when you walk into a police station? Take the following:
- Your original ID book, smart ID card or passport
- A certified copy of the same document to attach to the application
- The completed SAPS police clearance application form (PDF)
- A certified marriage certificate or other proof if a maiden or former surname must be included
- Proof of payment, or cash to pay at the station
The police clearance form is published by SAPS on its own website. Download it there rather than from third-party sites, which may carry outdated versions. The fingerprint form (SAPS 91(a)) is completed at the police station when your prints are taken.
SAPS does not process copies or scanned versions of fingerprints, and it does not process incomplete applications. Give a South African cellphone number if you have one, so SAPS can send you SMS updates.
Eligibility and Formal Requirements
SAPS describes the service as being for people who need confirmation of their criminal status for emigration, travel or employment abroad. In practice, who asks for it depends on the receiving party:
- Foreign embassies and immigration authorities, for visas, residence and emigration
- Employers, in South Africa or abroad, especially for positions of trust
- Professional driving permit applicants: for a PDP police clearance, the government PrDP guide says the driving licence testing centre refers you to a police station after payment to request a conviction report. Follow the testing centre’s instructions, because the PrDP check is a separate process from the certificate described here.
There are formal rules on where fingerprints are taken. If you live in South Africa, including Cape Town, Johannesburg or Durban, your fingerprints must be taken by SAPS, so go to your nearest police station. If you live outside South Africa, you can apply at any police station in your country of residence or at a South African embassy. Your fingerprints must be taken on that country’s official fingerprint forms, or on the SAPS 91(a) form if it is available.
A police clearance report is not the same as a police clearance certificate. SAPS issues a police clearance report (R95) for people applying to have a criminal record expunged. Any Local Criminal Record Centre can issue it, and you must collect it in person. If you are applying for expungement, see the Department of Justice expungements page.
Application, Certification or Registration Steps
This is how to get a police clearance in South Africa, step by step:
- Download and complete the application form. Choose your return method (see below) and give a South African cellphone number if you have one, so SAPS can send you SMS updates.
- Pay R190, either in cash at the police station or by electronic transfer into the SAPS account listed on the SAPS page. For an electronic payment, use “PCC” followed by your initials and surname as the reference.
- Go to your nearest police station with your original ID or passport, the certified copy, the form and proof of payment. Have your fingerprints taken on the SAPS 91(a).
- Submit the application. You can ask the station to forward it to CR & CSM in Pretoria at no extra cost, deliver it yourself, or send it by post or courier at your own cost.
- Track the application. You will receive an SMS with your reference number when SAPS receives the application, and another when it is finalised. You can also check the status on the SAPS online enquiry page.
On the form you choose how the certificate is returned. SAPS hands it only to you, a person you nominate or a courier you choose, and does not scan or email it. SAPS destroys certificates that are not collected within three months after finalisation.
To get a South African police clearance from abroad, send the fingerprints, form, certified passport or ID copy and proof of payment directly to CR & CSM. SAPS does not return applications received from abroad. Monitor progress online and arrange for your nominee or courier to collect the certificate.
Fees, Processing and Validity
- Fee: R190 per application for a police clearance certificate; R95 for a police clearance report. Both amounts are as published by SAPS.
- Processing: SAPS says finalisation takes approximately 15 working days from the date all required documents reach CR & CSM, excluding postal time. It currently warns of a backlog that has extended waiting periods, so allow more time.
- Expediting: SAPS does not publish an urgent or expedited police clearance option. Check any service that advertises an urgent clearance against the SAPS page, which publishes only the standard processing time.
- Validity: SAPS does not print an expiry period on its page. The organisation that receives the certificate decides how recent it must be. If you need the certificate legalised for use abroad, DIRCO only accepts originals no older than six months.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a police clearance?
A police clearance is an official SAPS document stating whether any criminal convictions are recorded against you. It is issued only by SAPS CR & CSM in Pretoria, after your fingerprints are checked against the criminal record system.
What is needed for police clearance?
You need fingerprints taken by SAPS on the SAPS 91(a) form, the completed application form, a certified copy of your ID or passport, proof of any other surname you want included, and proof of payment of R190.
How long does it take to get a police clearance?
SAPS gives approximately 15 working days from when a complete application reaches Pretoria, excluding postal time. It has warned that a current backlog is extending this, so apply well before your deadline.
How long is a police clearance valid for in South Africa?
SAPS does not set a validity period. The embassy, employer or authority receiving it decides what age it accepts, so check with them. For legalisation or an apostille, DIRCO requires the original to be no older than six months.
What does it mean when the SMS says my police clearance is finalised?
SAPS sends a follow-up SMS when your application has been completed. The certificate is then handled according to the return method you chose on the form. If it is waiting for collection, collect it within three months or it will be destroyed.
Do I need a PCC certificate for a visa?
Many visa and immigration applications require one. The destination country’s embassy or immigration authority sets the requirement, including how recent the certificate must be and whether it must be apostilled, so confirm this with them before you apply.
I am from Zimbabwe, lived in South Africa and now live in Canada. How do I get a SAPS police clearance?
Have your fingerprints taken at a police station in Canada, or at a South African mission, on the official fingerprint form (or the SAPS 91(a) if available). Pay electronically, then send the form, fingerprints, a certified passport copy and proof of payment to CR & CSM in Pretoria. Nominate a person or courier to collect the certificate, because applications from abroad are not returned.
Does a 17-year-old applicant for a South African study visa need a police clearance?
The Department of Home Affairs, which issues study visas, sets which applicants must submit police clearance certificates and from which countries. Check its current study visa requirements. SAPS’s own page does not set a minimum age for applying.
How do I do a police clearance from South Africa while overseas?
Have your fingerprints taken at a police station in the country where you live, or at a South African embassy, on that country’s official fingerprint form (or the SAPS 91(a) if available). Send them to CR & CSM in Pretoria with the completed application form, a certified copy of your passport or ID and proof of the R190 payment. SAPS does not return applications from abroad, so name a nominee or courier to collect the certificate. South Africans living abroad follow the same process.
How do I get a police clearance apostilled?
Once you have the original certificate from CR & CSM, take it to DIRCO. DIRCO accepts only originals no older than six months. It apostilles them for Hague Apostille Convention countries and issues a certificate of authentication for others. The service is free, and since 1 September 2026 you need a booking (slots daily except Wednesdays) or a courier or registered agent.
How do I track my police clearance?
Use the SAPS online enquiry page with your reference number plus your South African ID number (or date of birth if you are not a citizen), or with your surname and date of birth. You can also call the SAPS helpline on +27 (0)12 393 3928.
Confirm current fees, processing times and application procedures with the South African Police Service’s Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management division, and confirm the validity period the receiving party requires. Browse all legal and document requirements.
See also official document requirements.