How Long Does It Take to Apostille a Document in South Africa?

Apostilling a document in South Africa is done through the High Court of South Africa — the function transferred from DIRCO to the High Court in 2019 under the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014 — and, for a standard request, typically takes between two and five working days once the application and supporting documents are in order. South Africa is a party to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, which means an apostille issued here is recognised in every other contracting state without further consular legalisation. The apostille itself is a stamped certificate the High Court attaches to the original document. Where the destination country is not a Hague Convention party, the longer consular legalisation route (DIRCO plus the relevant foreign embassy or high commission) applies instead and runs considerably slower — typically four to eight weeks — but may be avoidable if the destination itself has since acceded to the Convention.

What an Apostille Is — and When South Africa Requires One

South Africa acceded to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 (commonly called the Apostille Convention), which allows public documents to be authenticated for use abroad by a single certificate — the apostille — rather than a chain of consular legalisations. An apostille is required whenever a South African-issued public document will be used in another country that is also a Hague Convention party: a birth, marriage, or death certificate for a family matter overseas, a degree or transcript for a foreign employer, a police clearance for a visa application, or a company document for cross-border transactions.

The apostille is not the same as notarisation. Notarisation is the act of a Notary Public, who verifies identity and certifies the document; the apostille is a separate certificate the High Court attaches to verify the notary’s or the issuing registrar’s signature and seal. Documents bound for non-Hague countries go through the older consular legalisation route — now completed via DIRCO and the relevant foreign mission — which is a separate and longer process.

How the Apostille Function Is Run Today (the High Court Route)

The apostille function was transferred from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) to the High Court of South Africa in 2019 and is administered under the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014. The High Court issues apostilles at any of its seats — Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein, and others — and the document does not need to be lodged at the seat where it was originally issued. Pretoria and Johannesburg are the two seats most commonly used by Gauteng-based applicants, and choosing between them is a logistics decision rather than a jurisdictional one.

The application is lodged together with the original document (or a certified or notarised copy, depending on the document type), the applicant’s South African ID, and the prescribed fee. This consolidated intake at the High Court replaced the older, more fragmented process in which applicants had to send documents to DIRCO for authentication before approaching the relevant foreign mission.

How Long It Takes — Realistic Working-Day Timeframes

Route	Typical turnaround	When to use it
High Court apostille (standard)	2–5 working days	Default for Hague Convention destinations; documents in good order
High Court apostille (urgent / same-day)	Same day to 1 working day	Time-sensitive emigration, visa, or court deadlines; subject to seat availability and a higher fee
DIRCO + foreign embassy legalisation (non-Hague destinations)	4–8 weeks	Use only when the destination country is not a Hague Convention party

The clock starts once the High Court receives the complete application — incomplete applications (wrong copies, missing ID, unpaid fee) reset the clock. For Pretoria and Johannesburg, the realistic end-to-end total — including preparing the document and courier time — is closer to a full working week for a standard request, even when the High Court itself turns the file around in two to three days. Service providers in the market advertise faster turnarounds because they handle the queueing and physical delivery themselves; a reader going direct to the High Court should plan for the standard 2–5 working days plus logistics.

What the Apostille Costs

The official High Court fee for an apostille is set by the Regulations under the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014 and the Rules Regulating the Practice of Attorneys. The current figure should be confirmed on the day of writing through the High Court or the firm’s notarial department, because the fee is adjusted periodically. The typical order of magnitude for a single apostille is low hundreds of rands — well under R1,000 — confirm before quoting. Service-provider mark-up is on top of the High Court fee and varies widely; direct lodgement at the High Court remains the cheapest path. Multiple documents in one application may attract a per-document fee, so readers should price by document, not by application.

Documents You Can Apostille in South Africa

Category	Examples	Issued by
Civil-status documents	Birth, marriage, divorce, death certificates	Department of Home Affairs
Educational documents	Degrees, diplomas, academic transcripts	Issuing institution (registrar’s signature and seal)
Police clearance certificates	SAPS clearance for visa or emigration purposes	South African Police Service
Company documents	Founding statements, certificates of incorporation, director resolutions, share certificates	Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC)
Notarised documents	Affidavits, declarations, certified copies of IDs, authenticated signatures	Notary Public
End-user certificates	Certificates for specific commercial shipments	Processed in parallel with the High Court route; see gov.za for guidance

Step-by-Step: How to Get a Document Apostilled in South Africa

1. Confirm the destination country is a Hague Convention party — if it is, the apostille is the right tool; if not, the consular legalisation route applies.
2. Identify the original document to be apostilled and any certified or notarised copies that travel with it (rules vary by document type).
3. Have the document notarised by a Notary Public if it is not already a public-issued certificate (e.g. a sworn affidavit, a certified copy of an ID, a personal declaration) — the notary’s signature and seal are what the apostille then authenticates.
4. Complete the High Court apostille application form (available at any High Court seat) and gather the supporting documents — applicant’s ID, the document to be apostilled, and any required annexures.
5. Pay the prescribed High Court fee and lodge the application at the relevant seat (Pretoria or Johannesburg for Gauteng applicants).
6. Await processing — typically 2–5 working days for standard requests; collect the apostilled document in person or arrange courier collection.
7. For urgent cases, request the same-day or next-day service at lodgement where the seat offers it, on payment of the higher fee.

Common Reasons for Delays

• Wrong route chosen — the destination country is not a Hague Convention party, so the reader needs consular legalisation rather than an apostille, and applying for the wrong route wastes weeks.
• Missing registrar’s mark — the original document is missing its registrar’s signature or seal; the apostille authenticates the issuing authority’s mark, not the document itself.
• No prior notarisation — the applicant has not had a private document notarised first; the High Court does not notarise, it only apostilles.
• Uncertified or expired ID — the ID copy used for the High Court application is uncertified or expired.
• Peak-season queueing — January to March typically sees heavier demand linked to emigration deadlines, which extends the standard turnaround.

When to Use a Notary vs. Going Direct to the High Court

For a single public-issued certificate that does not need notarisation — a birth certificate, a degree, a police clearance — the reader can lodge the application directly at the High Court. For any document that must be sworn, declared, or signed before apostille (affidavits, certified copies of IDs, declarations), a Notary Public must notarise the document first. Engaging a notary saves the reader a separate trip to the High Court, because the notary can lodge the application on the applicant’s behalf where the firm offers the full apostille service. Burger Huyser Attorneys’ Notary and Conveyancer on staff (Amanda le Roux, based at the Bedfordview branch) handles this end-to-end, which is the practical choice for Gauteng applicants who want the document collected, lodged, and returned without managing the queue themselves.

If you need a South African document apostilled and would rather not deal with the High Court directly, Burger Huyser Attorneys’ notarial department can handle the end-to-end process — preparation, notarisation, lodgement, and collection. The firm’s Notary and Conveyancer is based at the Bedfordview branch (45A Florence Avenue, Bedfordview, 011 201 7190), and the rest of the Gauteng branches can route apostille work through Bedfordview where the notarisation step is not required. The firm carries a 4.8/5 average across 250+ Google reviews (Trustindex-verified “Top Rated Law Firm in South Africa”). Call the Bedfordview branch to confirm the current High Court fee and the realistic turnaround for your document type and destination country.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to apostille a document in South Africa?

For a standard application, the High Court of South Africa typically returns an apostilled document within two to five working days. End-to-end, including preparing the documents and physical delivery, allow a full working week for a standard request. Same-day or next-day service is available for urgent matters at a higher fee, depending on the seat.

Which authority issues apostilles in South Africa?

The High Court of South Africa, since the apostille function transferred from DIRCO in 2019 under the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014. The High Court issues apostilles at any of its seats — for Gauteng applicants, the Pretoria and Johannesburg seats are the practical options.

How much does an apostille cost in South Africa?

The official fee is set by the Regulations under the Legal Practice Act and is currently in the low hundreds of rands per document — confirm the exact figure with the High Court or a qualified notary at the time of application. Service providers add a handling fee on top.

Do I need to notarise a document before apostille?

Only if the document is not already a public-issued certificate. Private documents (affidavits, declarations, certified copies of IDs) must be notarised by a Notary Public before the High Court can apostille them. Birth certificates, degrees, and police clearances are typically lodged as-is.

How long does consular legalisation take if the destination is not a Hague Convention country?

Substantially longer — typically four to eight weeks end-to-end, because the document must go through DIRCO and then the foreign embassy or high commission in Pretoria. Where the destination has since acceded to the Hague Convention, the apostille route becomes available and a fresh apostille can be issued.

Can I apostille a South African document for use in the UK, USA, or EU?

Yes — the UK, USA, and the EU member states are all Hague Convention parties, so a South African apostille is accepted as authentication. The receiving institution may still require the document to be translated or further certified, but the legalisation step itself is the apostille.

Does Burger Huyser Attorneys handle apostilles?

Yes — the firm has a qualified Notary and Conveyancer on staff and handles the notarisation and apostille process end-to-end. For Gauteng-based clients, the Bedfordview branch (45A Florence Avenue, 011 201 7190) is the practical intake point for notarial work; the notary prepares the document and lodges the apostille application at the High Court on the client’s behalf.