How long does a police clearance certificate take?

In short:

A South African police clearance certificate takes 5 to 7 business days through Police Clear as standard, with 3 to 5 and 1 to 3 business day options available, and approximately 80% of cases are completed sooner than the timeframe quoted.

SAPS publishes a standard finalisation time of approximately 15 working days and periodically reports backlogs, so departmental timeframes can extend for reasons outside anyone’s control.

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Police clearance and document processing times

Document	Turnaround
Police clearance certificate	5 to 7 business days standard, faster options available
Criminal background check	24 to 48 hours
Sworn translation	24 to 48 hours
Apostille and attestation	10 to 15 business days standard, faster options available
Vehicle clearance, local	5 to 10 business days
Vehicle export clearance	5 to 10 business days
Letter of no impediment	7 to 10 business days
Umalusi verification	7 to 15 business days
Zimbabwean police clearance	10 to 20 business days
Driver’s licence confirmation letter	4 to 6 weeks
Umalusi matric certificate reprint	4 to 6 weeks
Unabridged death certificate	4 to 6 weeks
Abridged birth certificate	8 to 10 weeks
Abridged marriage certificate	8 to 10 weeks
Unabridged birth certificate	8 to 10 weeks
Unabridged marriage certificate	8 to 10 weeks
Vault copy birth certificate	8 to 10 weeks
Criminal record expungement	60 working days at the Department of Justice, plus SAPS updating its records
SAQA qualification verification	1 to 3 months
DIRCO attestation	On application

Expungement is the exception on this table. The Department of Justice states that it takes 60 working days to decide a complete expungement application. The certificate of expungement then goes to SAPS within 14 working days, and SAPS confirms the expungement in writing within a further 21 working days. That is the Department’s own published timeframe, not ours, and we cannot shorten it.

Faster options are available on several of these, including police clearance at 3 to 5 or 1 to 3 business days. Faster turnarounds are priced above the standard figure. Tell us your deadline.

Last reviewed 8 September 2026. Timeframes are estimates measured from the date a complete and correct set of documents is received. They exclude time taken by SAPS, the Department of Home Affairs, DIRCO, foreign embassies and courier companies, all of which is outside our control. Departmental backlogs will extend these times. Where a criminal record is found, SAPS processing takes longer. See our terms and conditions.

How Police Clear shortens the timeline

We collect, we expedite, and we deliver. Applications go directly to the Criminal Record Centre in Pretoria and are handled end to end by our Cape Town and Johannesburg teams.

Two things account for most of the difference. The first is the route: a direct departmental submission rather than an application posted into a queue. The second is preparation, because an application that arrives incomplete is returned, and a return costs weeks rather than days.

Approximately 80% of our cases are completed sooner than the timeframe quoted. If you are working to a fixed date, tell us what it is and we will confirm what is achievable before you commit.

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Why some documents take days and others take months

Different documents are issued by different departments, and that is what sets the timeframe.

SAPS issues police clearance certificates and criminal background checks. These are the fastest documents we handle.

The Department of Home Affairs issues birth, marriage and death certificates, both abridged and unabridged, along with vault copies. These are the slowest, and older records take longest.

DIRCO and the High Court handle apostilles and attestation, which authenticate a document for use in another country. The route depends on the document, and turnaround depends on the service level chosen.

SAQA and Umalusi verify qualifications and matric certificates.

Where a matter involves more than one of these, the timeframes run in sequence rather than at the same time. A certificate that needs an apostille takes the certificate timeframe plus the apostille timeframe.

What delays a police clearance application

A police clearance application is returned where:

• The fingerprints are unclear or taken on the wrong form. The SAPS 91(a) is the official fingerprint form and older versions still circulate online.
• Copies are not certified, or the certification is older than the receiving institution accepts.
• Names do not match across the documents supplied. Previous surnames and identity numbers are the usual cause.
• The application is incomplete.

Requirements also differ for applications made from outside South Africa, particularly around how fingerprints are taken and certified.

Urgent police clearance certificates

If you are working to a visa appointment, an employer start date or an embassy submission window, tell us the date.

Our standard police clearance service is 5 to 7 business days, with 3 to 5 and 1 to 3 business day options available at a higher price. Faster options exist on some other services too, and where a timeframe is set by the department we will say so.

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Frequently asked questions

How long does a police clearance certificate take in South Africa?

5 to 7 business days through Police Clear, with approximately 80% of cases completed sooner than the timeframe quoted. SAPS publishes a standard finalisation time of approximately 15 working days and periodically reports backlogs.

Can I get a police clearance certificate urgently?

Our standard service is 5 to 7 business days. Tell us your deadline and we will confirm what is achievable.

How long is a police clearance certificate valid?

It is not issued with a stated expiry date. How recent it must be is decided by whoever is asking for it, and many embassies and immigration authorities ask for one issued within the last 3 to 6 months.

Why do unabridged certificates take 8 to 10 weeks?

They are issued by the Department of Home Affairs rather than SAPS, and older records take longer to locate.

Does applying from overseas take longer?

It can. Fingerprint and certification requirements differ by country, and the certificate has to reach you there.

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.