PostNet does not issue police clearance certificates. What participating PostNet stores offer is a HURU Criminal Background Check (CRC): the store captures your details, photo and fingerprints electronically, and you receive a report on your South African criminal record status by email or printed in-store, with PostNet quoting 2 to 48 hours depending on the service level. PostNet’s own services page states plainly that this service “does not provide a Police Clearance certificate”.
So the PostNet police clearance requirements are short: your original ID, driver’s licence or passport, and payment for the service level you choose. Whether the result is useful depends entirely on who is asking for it. Some screening bodies may accept it, but if you have been asked for a SAPS police clearance certificate, you need to apply to the South African Police Service instead.
Legal Requirements at a Glance
- What you get: a HURU Criminal Background Check report, not a SAPS police clearance certificate. The check is offered through HURU.
- How it works: your fingerprints are captured electronically in-store and submitted to the SAPS criminal record database; a report showing your criminal background status is generated from the result.
- Where: participating PostNet stores only, not every branch.
- What you bring: one original identity document.
- Cost: from R335 to R565, depending on turnaround.
- Not valid for: Professional Driving Permit (PrDP) applications, PSiRA registration or Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) Global, according to PostNet.
Documents, Forms and Evidence Required
Take one of the following originals to a participating store:
- a South African ID card or ID book
- a South African driver’s licence
- a foreign passport
PostNet’s service description asks for an original identity document and payment, and does not mention a form or certified copies. The store assistant captures your personal information, photo and fingerprints on the spot, and you pay at the counter. Make sure the document is valid and that the details you give match it.
This is the main practical difference from the SAPS route, where you complete the SAPS application form, attach a certified copy of your ID, have your fingerprints rolled on the SAPS 91(a) form at a police station and pay the SAPS fee separately.
Eligibility and Formal Requirements
You need one valid original identity document (see above). The real question is whether the organisation asking for your record will accept a CRC. PostNet itself says it is not valid for PrDP applications, PSiRA registration or VFS Global.
Before you pay, ask the employer, regulator or embassy exactly which document they want. If they say “police clearance certificate”, “PCC” or name SAPS as the issuer, a PostNet CRC will not meet the requirement. The SAPS certificate is issued only by the SAPS Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management division (CR & CSM) in Pretoria, and SAPS requires that applicants living in South Africa have their fingerprints taken by SAPS, so prints taken at PostNet cannot be used for it.
Application, Certification or Registration Steps
PostNet describes the process in five steps.
- Find a participating store and phone ahead to confirm that the branch offers criminal background checks. See the PostNet services page for the service description.
- Visit with your original ID, driver’s licence or passport.
- The store captures your information, photo and fingerprints.
- Choose the service type (Standard, Premium or Priority) and pay in-store.
- Receive the report by email, or have it printed in-store.
If you have a case awaiting trial or a previous conviction, the process does not end with the first report. PostNet says an initial report is issued within the published time frame, but you then have to wait for a subsequent SAPS69 report, for which no time frame is given. Allow for this if you are working to a deadline.
If it turns out you need the SAPS certificate after all, the application goes through a police station rather than PostNet. Our police clearance requirements guide covers that process step by step.
Fees, Processing and Validity
PostNet’s published HURU CRC retail prices, including VAT:
- Standard CRC: R335, report in 24 to 48 hours
- Premium CRC: R395, report within 5 hours
- Priority CRC: R565, report within 2 hours
PostNet notes that turnaround times depend on the supplier and are not guaranteed. The use of the service is subject to HURU’s terms and privacy policy, which PostNet links from its services page.
For comparison, the SAPS police clearance certificate costs R190 and SAPS says finalisation takes approximately 15 working days once all documents reach CR & CSM, excluding postal time, with a current backlog extending that. The PostNet route is faster and more expensive, and it produces a different document.
Neither PostNet nor SAPS publishes an expiry date. The employer or authority that receives the report decides how recent it must be, so do not get it too far ahead of when you need to submit it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does PostNet do police clearance certificates?
No. PostNet offers a HURU Criminal Background Check, and states on its services page that the service does not provide a police clearance certificate. Only SAPS issues police clearance certificates, through a police station application.
Is a PostNet police clearance good for an international job?
Only if the foreign employer says it accepts a HURU CRC. If the employer, embassy or immigration authority asks for a South African police clearance certificate, the CRC is not that document, and PostNet says it is not valid for applications through VFS Global. Confirm in writing which document they accept before paying.
Can I use a PostNet criminal record check for my PrDP or PSiRA registration?
No. PostNet lists PrDP applications and PSiRA registration as uses for which the HURU CRC is not valid. Follow the driving licence testing centre’s or PSiRA’s own instructions.
How long does a PostNet criminal record check take?
Between 2 and 48 hours, depending on whether you pay for Priority, Premium or Standard. The times are not guaranteed, and anyone with a pending case or conviction must also wait for a SAPS69 report with no fixed time frame.
Do I need an appointment at PostNet?
PostNet’s description of the process does not mention a booking. Only participating stores offer the service, so phone your local branch first to confirm.
How will I receive the report?
By email, or printed in-store, as you choose when you apply.
What is needed at PostNet for a police clearance?
Take one original identity document: a South African ID card or book, a South African driver’s licence or a foreign passport. Staff capture your details, photo and fingerprints and you pay in store. Remember that this gives you a HURU criminal background report, not a SAPS police clearance certificate.
How much does a fingerprint clearance cost at PostNet?
PostNet lists the HURU Criminal Background Check at R335 (Standard), R395 (Premium) or R565 (Priority), VAT included. Confirm the price with your store before you go.
What is HURU at PostNet?
HURU is the Criminal Background Check that participating PostNet stores offer. Your fingerprints are submitted to the SAPS Criminal Background Database and the report reaches you by email or printed in store.
Does PostNet do a name clearance?
PostNet’s services page does not list a name clearance. If an organisation asks for one, ask exactly which document it accepts and confirm with your local PostNet store.
PostNet’s prices, participating stores and turnaround times can change, and the service is provided under HURU’s terms. Confirm current details with your PostNet store before you go, and confirm with the organisation requesting your record whether a CRC or a SAPS police clearance certificate is required. Browse all legal and document requirements and see official document requirements.