Frequently Asked Questions about legalizing documents for use in South Africa
How can foreign documents be certified for official use in South Africa?
Documents issued in countries which are signatories to the Apostille Convention can be authenticated for use in South Africa by obtaining an apostille stamp from the authorities of the country of issue. This Apostille stamp should be recognised directly by South African authorities as confirming the document’s authenticity. Countries which issue apostilles include 
United States - United Kingdom - India - Hong Kong - France - Germany - Brazil - South Korea - Japan
Documents issued in countries which are not signatories to the Apostille Convention must be legalized in the country issue and additional by the local South African embassy or consulate.
How can I certify a translation of a foreign document for use in South Africa?
A first option is to carry out a translation of the document in the country of origin. If the country of origin is a signatory to the Apostille Convention, a translation certified under local law can then be authenticated with an Apostille Stamp, giving the translation validity in South Africa.
If the originating country is not a member of the Apostille Convention and does issue Apostilles, a local translation will need to be certified by the originating country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and by the South African embassy or consulate. The South African embassy may require a translation in any case in order to attest the original document. The embassy may have specific requirements for the translation, otherwise in most countries a locally certified, sworn or notarized translation can be authenticated by the originating country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then by the South African embassy, making it valid for use in South Africa.
Can foreign documents required for submission to South Africa be authenticated with an Apostille?
Yes - if the issuing country is a member of the Apostille Convention, then an Apostille Stamp issued in the issuing country will be accepted by South African authorities.
How can I get a quote to certify my documents?
To receive a quote, you can upload your documents using our online quotation form or send us your documents by email. After reviewing your documents and requirements, we will get back to you with a quotation:
- By email: info@isarey.co.uk
- Using our Secure Online Quotation Form
- WhatsApp: https://wa.me/447822013390
If you don’t have the documents available, just describe the documents you need to certify, and we will get back to you with an estimation of cost and delivery times.
Using our quotation form, your documents will be uploaded over a secure connection and immediately encrypted on our server. For added protection, you can upload password-protected files (PDF, Office Documents, RAR folders) and provide us with the passwords separately.
PERSONAL DATA: If your documents contain personal data belonging to people outside your household, please ensure that you are authorised to share this data before uploading your documents. If your documents contain sensitive personal data, such as biometric data, medical data or data on criminal convictions, please ensure that you indicate this when prompted, upon submitting your documents. For further information on our processing of personal data contained in uploaded documents, please see:
Privacy Policy (Customer Inquiries)
For further information on confidentiality in our handling of document content please see:
Confidentiality (Client Content)