If you wish to work, study or live abroad, you are required to obtain a South African Police Clearance Certificate. When you need to seek employment that requires a higher level of security, you also need to provide a police clearance certificate. If you don’t know how to apply for the South African Police Clearance Certificate (PCC), in this article, we will walk you through the online application and requirements of the Police Clearance Certificate. Let’s read below.

What is a police clearance certificate (PCC)?

The police clearance certificate, an official document, is issued by the South African Police Service (SAPS) Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management (CR & CSM) in Pretoria. It can verify whether an individual has a criminal record within South Africa’s borders. This certificate is available to people who need confirmation of their criminal status when they want to emigrate, travel or seek employment abroad. It can tell your character from this police clearance certificate.

Required documents for PCC

Before applying for the police clearance certificate, you must prepare all the necessary documents. Here you can check the list of required documents below:

• A completed police clearance certificate application form.
• 2 copies of recent passport-sized photos which need to be taken within 6 months.
• Certified copy of your South African ID or passport. When you are at the police station, you must also present your original identity card or passport.
• Proof of your maiden name and/or other surnames, such as a certified copy of the marriage certificate.
• A standard SAPS fingerprint form (SAPS 91a) with your fingerprints. And you need to have your fingerprints taken at your local police station. If you live abroad, you can apply at the police station in that country or at the South African Embassy.
• Proof of application payment

You must ensure that you have prepared all the necessary documents before applying for the police clearance certificate. Otherwise, your application will be rejected, which may affect your international travel or other plans. 

Read Also: How to Apply for a South African Passport?

How to apply for a police clearance certificate

After you have prepared the necessary documents, you can apply for the South African Police Clearance Certificate at the local police station or South African embassy, depending on where you live. Here you can follow the steps below to apply for the PCC.

Nearest South African Police Station

If you are in South Africa, you can visit the nearest police station and apply for the South African police station. Here you can check the steps below and complete the application.

• You must visit the SAPS website to fill in the application form, or you can visit the local police station and obtain Form SAPS 91.

• You are required to fill out the form and provide all personal information accurately.
• You need to visit your local police station with the application form and all the necessary documents. 
• At the local police station, your fingerprints will be taken on the official SAPS fingerprint form (SAPS 91a) with the help of officers.
• Then you need to pay the application fee.
• Finally, you can submit all your documents to the officers at the local police station.

You must ensure that all the information provided on the application is accurate. If there are any mistakes on the documents may cause the delay or the rejection of your application.

South African Embassy

If you are abroad, you can visit the nearest South African consulate or embassy to have your fingerprints on the official SAPS fingerprint form (SAPS 91a).

• You also need to complete the application form and prepare all the required documents.
• You can then submit the application for a police clearance certificate and other supporting documents to the South African Embassy. 

Or you can mail these documents to the SAPS Criminal Record Centre. Here is the mail address that you can use: 

The Head: Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management(For attention:Police Clearance Certificates)
South African Police Service
Private Bag X308
PRETORIA
South Africa
0001

If you don’t want to delay your application, you should prepare all the necessary documents. And you must keep in mind that any errors in the form or necessary documents may lead to the rejection of your application.

How can I check my police clearance certificate status?

If you have already applied for your PCC, you can check the status of your police certificate on the SAPS website. If you have the enquiry number assigned to your Police Clearance Certificate application, you can search for the status with this number. If you are a South African citizen, you must provide your South African identity number. If you are not a South African citizen, you must provide the date of birth. However, if you can’t find the record with your application for a police clearance certificate, you can provide your surname and date of birth. Or you can call the local police station or embassy.

Where to collect my police clearance certificate?

Once your application is approved, you can collect your police clearance by mail if you are applying from abroad. Or you can get it directly from your local police station in person if you’re in South Africa. When you choose the mail way, you must fill in the correct address and contact information. When you pick it in person at the police office, you also need to bring the ID to show your identity and get your police clearance certificate. And you need to know that your police clearance will be destroyed if you do not collect it within three months.

How long does a police clearance certificate take?

After the date on which the Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management received your application, it may take you approximately 15 business days to process your application. However, it is not included in postal time. And currently, they are expriencing the backlog of 52,000 applications, which results in the longer processing time bewteen 3 to 6 months. So if you want to use the police clearance certificate urgently, you can apply for an urgent police clearance certificate. 

How much is police clearance in South Africa?

When you apply for police clearance in South Africa, you must pay R170,00 for your application. You can pay for it in cash at the nearest police station or electronically on the South African Police Service’s account at the South African Police Service National Commissioner. 

How to get an urgent police clearance certificate

If you want to get a police clearance certificate as soon as possible, you can apply for an urgent police clearance certificate from SAPS, which only costs you about 7 days. You can follow the steps above to submit your application form and documents. When you submit the required documents mentioned above, you must also prepare the document stating the reason why you need to obtain the certificate quickly. At the police station, they will process your urgent police clearance certificate after you have submitted the application.

FAQ

Can you do a police clearance at PostNet?

No. According to the South African government, you can obtain a criminal record report from the Criminal Record Check. You are required to take the photo and fingerprints at the PostNet store. And you need to pay the application fee and submit the service request. After a certain processing time, you will receive the criminal record check via email. Or you can print it at the store. However, PostNet does not offer a police clearance certificate. If you want to obtain a police clearance, you still need to follow the steps above and apply for it at the local police station or at the South African embassy.

Can I apply for a South African police clearance online?

No. Currently, it is not allowed for South Africa citizens to apply for a South African police clearance certificate online. You must complete the police clearance application in person and have your fingerprints taken at the local post office or South African embassy.

How long is the police clearance valid?

After the South African Police Clearance Certificate is issued, it is generally valid for 6 months. Therefore, if you need a police clearance to show your criminal records after 6 months, you are required to reapply for it and get a new South African police clearance. Therefore, you should arrange the application at the right moment.

Conclusion

In this article, you learned how to apply for a South African Police Clearance Certificate online. If you want to obtain an urgent police clearance certificate, you must show evidence of why you urgently need the police clearance certificate. In addition, if you cannot receive the police clearance certificate on time, you can check your police clearance certificate status to see if your application has been rejected. And the application process may take some time recently, it is suggested that you should start the application advance to avoid the delay of your plans.

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