Full attestation chain for KSA work visas, Iqama, and family visas
Saudi Arabia embassy attestation is the process of getting your South African documents officially verified by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Pretoria. Because Saudi Arabia (KSA) is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, documents destined for Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, or any other city in the Kingdom require the full attestation chain instead of a simple apostille.
The attestation chain ensures your documents are recognised by Saudi authorities for employment, family visas, professional licensing, and business purposes. The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Pretoria attests documents only after they have been authenticated by DIRCO (Department of International Relations and Cooperation). We handle the entire process on your behalf.
We handle embassy attestation for all non-Hague countries including the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, China, and more. View all countries.
Embassy attestation for Saudi Arabia follows the same attestation chain as other non-Hague countries. Each authority in the chain verifies the signature from the previous step. We manage the entire process from start to finish.
Private documents are first notarised by a Notary Public. Government-issued documents such as birth certificates and police clearance certificates skip this step.
The High Court authenticates the notary's signature. Processing takes approximately 3 working days.
DIRCO issues a Certificate of Authentication confirming the document is genuine. This takes approximately 1 week.
The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Pretoria verifies the DIRCO authentication and stamps the document. Processing takes 5-10 working days. Embassy fees vary by document type.
Transparent pricing with no hidden fees. Saudi embassy fees (charged by the embassy itself) are passed through at cost and vary by document type.
| Service | Our Fee (ZAR) | Processing Time |
|---|---|---|
| Full Attestation Chain Notarisation + High Court + DIRCO + Saudi Embassy |
R3,150 per document | 2-4 weeks |
| Embassy Attestation Only Documents already authenticated by DIRCO |
R1,500 per document | 5-10 working days |
| Local Courier | R250 | 1-2 working days |
| International Courier (to Saudi Arabia) | R900 | 3-5 working days |
Note: Saudi embassy fees are charged separately and vary by document type. Personal documents (birth certificates, marriage certificates) and commercial/business documents have different embassy fee structures. Prices shown above exclude embassy fees.
The following documents are most frequently attested for use in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:
We handle the entire attestation chain for KSA so you do not need to visit any office. Contact us for a same-day quote.
The full attestation chain takes approximately 2-4 weeks: notarisation (1 day), High Court authentication (3 days), DIRCO authentication (~1 week), and Saudi embassy attestation (5-10 working days). Processing times can vary depending on the embassy's workload.
MOFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) attestation is a separate step that happens in Saudi Arabia after your documents have been attested by the Saudi embassy in South Africa. We handle the embassy attestation in Pretoria (step 4 of the chain). Once your documents arrive in KSA, your employer or sponsor arranges the MOFA stamping.
In some cases, yes. Saudi employers and professional licensing bodies such as SCFHS (for medical professionals) may require SAQA (South African Qualifications Authority) verification of your degree before or alongside attestation. We can advise whether SAQA verification is needed for your specific situation.
No. Saudi embassy attestation and MOFA attestation are two different steps. Embassy attestation is step 4 of the attestation chain and is done in South Africa at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Pretoria. MOFA attestation is done in Saudi Arabia after your documents arrive in-country. We handle the embassy attestation step here in South Africa.
The Campus, Bryanston
Gauteng 2021, South Africa
Monday - Saturday
08:00 - 18:00