Police Clearance Certificates in Cape Town
Our head office is in Blackheath. Applications across Cape Town and the Western Cape in 5 to 7 business days, with faster options available.
Police Clear has been handling South African police clearance certificates since 2015, and our head office is in Blackheath, Cape Town.
Applications are completed in 5 to 7 business days as standard, with 3 to 5 and 1 to 3 business day options available, and approximately 80% finished sooner than the timeframe quoted.
Police Clear (Pty) Ltd is an independent document facilitation company. We are not the South African Police Service and we do not issue certificates. SAPS issues them.
Why applying from Cape Town is different
Every South African police clearance certificate is issued by one office, the SAPS Criminal Record Centre in Pretoria. That office is roughly 1,400 kilometres from Cape Town, and the distance is the whole problem.
An application posted from the Western Cape spends days in transit before anyone at SAPS has looked at it. If something is wrong when it arrives, the same journey happens again in reverse, and a fault that would take an afternoon to correct in person costs weeks instead.
We collect, we expedite, and we deliver.
Applications are submitted directly to the Criminal Record Centre and are handled end to end, so the application is prepared before it travels rather than corrected after it arrives.
Speed you can plan around.
Standard turnaround is 5 to 7 business days, with 3 to 5 and 1 to 3 business day options available, and approximately 80% of cases completed sooner than quoted. Against a visa appointment or an employer start date, a timeframe that holds is worth more than a cheaper one that does not.
A head office you can walk into.
Blackheath, and 021 462 8203. You are dealing with people in your own city, not a call centre in another province.
Ten years of applications.
We have been doing this since 2015, which means we recognise the problems that get a file returned before it is submitted, not after.
Areas we serve from the Cape Town office
Cape Town and the Peninsula
- Blackheath
- Kuils River
- Brackenfell
- Bellville
- Durbanville
- Parow
- Goodwood
- Milnerton
- Table View
- Blouberg
- Century City
- Pinelands
- Rondebosch
- Claremont
- Newlands
- Wynberg
- Constantia
- Tokai
- Muizenberg
- Fish Hoek
- Sea Point
- Green Point
- the City Bowl
- Observatory
- Woodstock
- Mitchells Plain
- Khayelitsha
- Athlone
- Grassy Park
Northern suburbs and the Winelands
- Kraaifontein
- Stellenbosch
- Somerset West
- Strand
- Gordon’s Bay
- Paarl
- Wellington
- Franschhoek
- Malmesbury
Wider Western Cape
- Worcester
- Hermanus
- Caledon
- Mossel Bay
- George
- Knysna
- Saldanha
- Vredenburg
Applications from anywhere in the Western Cape are handled without you needing to travel. If your area is not listed, contact us and we will confirm.
What it costs
| Police clearance certificate | From R4,600 including VAT |
| Official SAPS fee | R190, paid to SAPS |
| Standard turnaround | 5 to 7 business days |
| Need it sooner | 3 to 5 or 1 to 3 business days, priced higher |
The R190 is the fee SAPS charges to run the check. Our fee is separate and covers handling the application. Faster turnarounds are priced above the standard figure. Full pricing for every service is available on request.
Pricing correct as at 8 September 2026. Prices include VAT at 15%, are quoted in South African rand, are subject to change without notice, and are indicative rather than an offer. A binding price is given in a written quotation. Statutory fees payable to SAPS, Home Affairs or DIRCO are set by those authorities and are payable in addition. Our refund and cancellation terms are in our terms and conditions.
What an application requires
Fingerprints on the SAPS 91(a) form
This is the official fingerprint form, and older versions still circulate online.
A certified copy of your identity document or passport
Your details as they appear on that document
Including previous surnames and identity numbers.
Applications are returned where fingerprints are unclear, copies are not certified, or names do not match across the documents supplied.
Send us your details and we will confirm what applies to you.
Our Cape Town head office
Police Clear Cape Town
9 Helene Avenue
Blackheath
Cape Town, 7581
Contact us to confirm office hours and to arrange dropping off or collecting documents in person.
We also have an office in Johannesburg. See our Johannesburg page.
Related reading
- How to get a police clearance certificate in Cape Town
- How to obtain an urgent police clearance certificate in Cape Town
- Police clearance certificates in South Africa
Frequently asked questions
Where do I get a police clearance certificate in Cape Town?
Applications from Cape Town are lodged with the SAPS Criminal Record Centre in Pretoria, which is the only office that issues them. Police Clear handles that from our Blackheath head office, so the application is prepared and submitted without you travelling.
How long does a police clearance certificate take in Cape Town?
5 to 7 business days as standard through Police Clear, with 3 to 5 and 1 to 3 business day options available at a higher price, and approximately 80% of cases completed sooner than quoted. SAPS publishes a standard finalisation time of approximately 15 working days and periodically reports backlogs, so departmental timeframes can extend for reasons outside our control. Timeframes are estimates, not guarantees.
Where is your Cape Town office?
9 Helene Avenue, Blackheath, Cape Town, 7581. The number is 021 462 8203.
Do you serve Stellenbosch, Somerset West, Paarl and the Winelands?
Yes. Applications across the Western Cape are handled from the Cape Town office and nothing about the process requires you to be in the city.
Is a certificate issued from Cape Town different from one issued elsewhere?
No. There is one South African police clearance certificate, issued by SAPS in Pretoria, and it is valid nationally and internationally regardless of where the application was lodged.
Why does your price differ from the SAPS fee?
R190 is what SAPS charges to run the check. Our fee is separate and covers handling the application on your behalf. You are paying for the handling and the turnaround, not for the certificate.
Is this processed directly with the department?
Yes. Applications go to the SAPS Criminal Record Centre in Pretoria. Police Clear facilitates the application, and SAPS carries out the check and issues the certificate.
Can you help if I am leaving the country soon?
Tell us your date. Our standard service is 5 to 7 business days, and 3 to 5 or 1 to 3 business day options are available. We will confirm what is achievable and what it costs before you commit.
What else do you handle in Cape Town?
Criminal background checks, apostilles and attestation, sworn translations, unabridged birth and marriage certificates, vehicle clearance, qualification verification and visa assistance.
This page describes a document facilitation service. It is general information and is not legal or immigration advice. Requirements are set by the relevant department, embassy or authority and you should confirm them with that body.