Saudi Arabia joined the Hague Apostille Convention on 7 December 2022. Your South African documents now need a single DIRCO apostille — not the old embassy attestation chain.
On 7 December 2022, Saudi Arabia formally joined the Hague Apostille Convention. From that date, Saudi authorities accept a single South African apostille issued by DIRCO. The old embassy attestation chain — ending with a stamp from the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Pretoria — is no longer required.
This is good news: an apostille is faster, cheaper and simpler. Instead of four steps and an embassy submission, your document needs one DIRCO apostille. We handle it end to end, so you do not need to visit any office in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam or Pretoria.
Because Saudi Arabia is now a Hague member, you need a DIRCO apostille, not embassy attestation. Get it through our apostille service: DIRCO Apostille — R1,650. Still sending documents to a non-Hague country such as the UAE, Qatar or Kuwait? See embassy attestation.
A single apostille replaces the whole attestation chain. The route depends on the document type — we manage it from start to finish.
Birth, marriage and death certificates and SAPS police clearances are state-issued, so they go directly to DIRCO for an apostille. No notary or High Court step needed.
Degrees, affidavits and powers of attorney are first notarised, then apostilled by the High Court. Both routes produce a Hague apostille Saudi Arabia accepts.
One flat fee replaces the old multi-step attestation cost — and there is no embassy fee, because the embassy step is no longer required.
| Service | Our Fee (ZAR) | Processing Time |
|---|---|---|
| DIRCO Apostille Government documents — birth, marriage, SAPS clearance |
R1,650 per document | ~1 week |
| High Court Apostille Private documents — degrees, affidavits (notary included) |
R1,650 per document | 3 working days |
| Local Courier | R250 | 1-2 working days |
| International Courier (to Saudi Arabia) | by destination zone | 3-5 working days |
Note: Embassy attestation is no longer required for Saudi Arabia. If you were previously quoted for a full attestation chain plus embassy fees, an apostille is now the correct — and cheaper — option. Get yours via our DIRCO apostille service.
The following documents are most frequently apostilled for use in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:
We handle your DIRCO or High Court apostille end to end — no office visits. Contact us for a same-day quote.
An apostille. Since 7 December 2022, Saudi Arabia is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so South African documents for Saudi Arabia need a single DIRCO (or High Court) apostille. Embassy attestation is no longer required. Get yours via our DIRCO apostille service.
A DIRCO apostille for government documents (birth, marriage, SAPS clearance) takes about one week. A High Court apostille for notarised private documents — degrees, affidavits, powers of attorney — takes about 3 working days. We handle the full process and courier nationwide.
Now that Saudi Arabia accepts the Hague apostille, an apostille issued by DIRCO is the recognised authentication. The old chain ending in Saudi embassy and MOFA attestation is no longer required for most cases. Always confirm with your employer or sponsor, but a single apostille now replaces the whole chain.
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 the document is apostilled. We can advise whether SAQA verification is needed for your specific situation.
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