The growing need for the recognition of official documents across international borders has led to a significant role for apostille certificates in South Africa.If you are dealing with the complexities of international document certification, you may have encountered the term “DIRCO APOSTILLE”.The term “apostille” originates from the French language and refers to an official certificate that a person can request from the government to use their public documents overseas. This includes birth, death, marriage, and other documents such as degree, diploma, and police clearance certificates. The apostille certificate serves to authenticate an official document, ensuring its legal recognition in foreign countries. However, it is important to note that the apostille certificate is only valid in countries that are parties to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. By providing this certification, South Africa’s government formally recognises the authenticity of the documents.. This blog provides a comprehensive 101 Guide of DIRCO Apostille in South Africa, equipping individuals with the knowledge to navigate it confidently.
What is an Apostille certificate in South Africa?
An apostille certificate in South Africa can be described as a certificate, which officially authenticates/certify a public document in order for it to be used legally in other countries. The foreign country which will be receiving the apostilled documents should be a signatory member of the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. These countries decided to do away with what was previously known as the Requirement of Legislation for Foreign Public Documents and replace it with Apostille Hague Convention and follow one single formality. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and the South African High Court are the departments that issue Apostilles.
What does it mean when a document is apostilled in South Africa ?
An DIRCO apostille is issued to signify that the signature or seal in a document is authentic and can be of use overseas. Although the apostille is issued to prove that the document is authentic and valid, it does not necessarily prove that the content of the document is valid or correct.
Which documents need to be apostilled?
- Birth Certificates
- SAPS Police Clearance Certificate
- Death Certificates
- Marriage Certificates
- Letter of No impediment to be married abroad
- SAQA Certificates
- Diploma Certificates
- TEFL Certificates
- Copy of Passport
- Power of Attorney
- Certificate of Free Sale
- Transcripts
- Divorce Decrees
- Etc….
Description of a DIRCO Apostille Certificate
The Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) has a model of what an Apostille looks like and what content an apostille should have. The signatories of the Hague Convention have to closely follow what the model looks like. An Apostille is attached or bound to your original public document, as an extra page. It’s a statement signed and has a stamp to determine the legitimacy of the person who issued the document. The signature and stamp on the Apostille is verified by a ribbon tied to the Apostille page.
The Apostille page has the following details. It has its main heading Apostille which basically identifies the document as an Apostille. What follows next is the title of the convention ⧿ Convention de La Haye du 5 Octobre 1961 ⧿ written in French. It states the date on which the convention was declared a permanent intergovernmental organisation. It is written in French because when it was established the organisation used French as their official language, hence the name Apostille taken from the French language meaning certification. In 1964 they adopted English as their second official language
The 10 numbered standard informational items on DIRCO Apostille
An apostille issued by DIRCO always contain the following details for recognition by other countries.
- Country- the apostille must contain the issuing country which in this case will be South Africa
- Name of the person whose signature is on the document.
- The capacity of the person signing the document, eg Registrar
- Seal and Stamp of- this section can be blank if not applicable
- Location or place issued
- Date of issuance
- Authority issuing the apostille –
- Serial number of the certificate
- Issuing authority stamp
- Signature of the issuing authority’s officer.
Here are some cases where an apostille is needed
- Getting married to a spouse of a different nationality
- Making a tender(an invitation for a company to bid on a particular project) abroad
- Visa application
- When you’re trying to open a company abroad
- Adoption procedures
- Applying for a qualification certificate with a foreign education
- Application for naturalisation
- Returning from a foreign country
These cases above are illustrations of cases where you can be asked to provide your Apostilled documents when trying to process something important.
What will Make My Document Rejected for DIRCO Apostille?
Cases, where your document can be rejected for DIRCO apostilles, include
- If the document that is submitted does not have an original signature or stamp.
- Also if the signature on the document cannot be verified or is unknown
- A religious certificate such as a baptismal certificate
- A laminated document cannot be apostilled as it will hinder the proper verification of the authenticity of the document
- A glued document will make verification difficult or impossible
- If the body that issued the document is unrecognised
Under any of these circumstances, the document will be rejected and unless the problem is solved, the document cannot be apostilled.
Global Apostille DIRCO Apostille service
Global Apostille is a Pretoria-based legalisation agency that assists corporations and individuals in getting apostilles and embassy legalization services in South Africa for documents to be used abroad. We make the legalization and apostille of South African documents simple for our clients.
Understanding that document authentication can be challenging and time-consuming, our main aim is to ensure our clients feel at ease. Our goal is to lessen this load by offering top-notch apostilling services at reasonable rates, without any hidden charges.
Global Apostille can handle various types of documents on your behalf from Birth Certificate to Power of Attorney. Our service offers a comprehensive solution, ensuring both official translation and legalization processes are straightforward. If you want to know more about our services, feel free to get in touch with us.
Tel: 012 348 3134 | 081 347 6060
Email: info@apostillelegalisation.co.za
