Apostille & Legalisation
South African Documents Used Abroad Usually Need Legalisation
South African official public documents intended for use in another country may need authentication or legalisation before the foreign authority recognises them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do South African documents need apostilles for overseas use?
Depending on the destination country and document, they may need an Apostille Certificate or Certificate of Authentication.
Who handles the South African legalisation stage?
DIRCO handles many South African public-document legalisation processes, while certain High Court documents follow a High Court route.
Does every overseas document go through DIRCO?
No. Certain notarial and High Court documents are handled through the High Court process.
Source: South African Government – Legalising official documents