Which one do you need? It depends on where your documents are going.
If you need to use South African documents abroad, you will encounter two terms: apostille and attestation (also called authentication or legalisation). Which one you need depends entirely on which country your documents are going to.
Both processes verify that your South African documents are genuine so they will be accepted by authorities in another country. The difference is in how that verification works and which countries accept each method.
Going to a Hague Convention country (UK, EU, Australia, USA, Canada, New Zealand)? You need an apostille.
Going to a non-Hague country (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, China, Vietnam, Thailand)? You need embassy attestation.
An apostille is a single certificate issued by DIRCO (Department of International Relations and Cooperation) or the High Court that confirms a South African document is genuine. It is recognised by all countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention.
The apostille is a one-step process. Once the certificate is attached to your document, it is ready to use in any Hague member country without further verification.
Embassy attestation is a multi-step process required when your documents are going to a country that has not signed the Hague Convention. Each step in the chain verifies the previous one, ending with the destination country's embassy stamping the document.
The attestation chain has 4 steps: notarisation, High Court authentication, DIRCO authentication, and embassy attestation. We handle the entire chain so you do not need to visit any office yourself.
Check if your destination country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention. There are currently 125+ member countries. If your country is on the list, you need an apostille. If not, you need embassy attestation.
The Hague Convention membership changes over time. Some countries have recently joined or are in the process of joining, which can create confusion about which process to follow.
For example, China has partially acceded to the convention but has different requirements for certain document types and regions. Some countries may accept apostilles for new applications while older pending cases still require attestation.
If your destination country has recently joined the Hague Convention, contact us and we will confirm which process currently applies for your specific documents.
Tell us which country your documents are going to and we will confirm whether you need an apostille or embassy attestation. Same-day response guaranteed.
No. It is one or the other depending on the destination country. If the country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, you need an apostille. If it is not a member, you need embassy attestation. You cannot and do not need both for the same country.
If your destination country recently joined the Hague Convention, check the current status with us. Some countries have transitional periods or different requirements for certain document types. We stay up to date with changes and can advise which process applies to your specific situation.
Yes. Embassy attestation costs from R3,150 per document plus embassy fees, while an apostille costs R1,650 per document. Attestation is more expensive because it involves a 4-step chain (notarisation, High Court, DIRCO, and embassy) whereas an apostille is a single certificate.
Apostille is significantly faster. An apostille takes 3 days to 1 week, while embassy attestation takes 2-4 weeks. Attestation takes longer because it involves a 4-step chain where each authority must verify the previous step before the next can proceed.
Tell us about your documents and destination country. We will reply within 2 hours during business hours.
Mon-Fri 08:00-18:00, Sat 08:00-14:00