Getting a police clearance certificate South Africa, a police clearance certificate Zimbabwe or a police record expunged can be time consuming and frustrating.
Certificates RSA will get your police clearance certificate faster and easier than it will take you to do it on your own.
If you are looking for more information about the process of getting your police clearance certificate, then here’s all you need to know.
What is a Police Clearance Certificate?
A police certificate is an official document issued as a result of a background check done on an individual person to enumerate any criminal records he or she may have.
The SAPS Criminal Record Centre in Pretoria issues police clearance certificates.
The most common reasons for needing to apply for a police clearance certificate are when you are applying for a job or for immigration purposes.
How to Apply for a Police Clearance Certificate
To apply for a police certificate you need to supply a complete set of fingerprints and proof of identity, as well as fill out the application.
Your full name and surname, identity number, date of birth and place of birth must be recorded on the fingerprint form. This form must also be signed by the person that took the fingerprints.
If you are going to arrange your own police clearance certificate, you can submit your application at your closest police station, and they will forward it to the Pretoria Criminal Records Centre. Alternatively, you can submit you application in person, via courier or post.
It costs R114.00 to apply for a South African Police Clearance Certificate and it takes anywhere from 6 to 9 months – or you can get us to get it faster for you.
If you have already started the process and we take it over we can get your certificate for you in approximately 5 working days!
Get Certificates RSA to expedite the process:
For New Applications:
You need to go to your local police station and pay R114.00 for a police clearance application form. They will take your fingerprints on this form. Please make sure to complete this form and sign it.
You will need to supply us with your completed and signed application form with your fingerprints.
A copy of your identity document must accompany the application form.
We can arrange a courier to collect from you, or you can make arrangements to get these documents to us.
Police Clearance Certificate Zimbabwe
If you have lived in Zimbabwe you may need a Zimbabwean police clearance certificate. We can make the process easier and faster for you.
What do we need from you?
1) A set of fingerprints obtained from a local police station
2) A completed and signed FORM 137 – Click here to download the FORM 137
3) A copy of your RSA passport and/or identity document
4) Proof of payment
Question for FORM 137: To which address should the completed certificate be sent, please state “to be collected”
Turnaround time – 10 – 25 working days from day of submission
Courier – please send physical address for quote
Get Your Police Record Expunged
If you have a criminal record and you need to get your police record expunged you can apply at the Department of Justice, under the South African Expungement of a Criminal Record in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977 (Act 51 of 1997).
If your application to have your police record expunged is successful you will no longer be considered convicted of that crime. Your criminal record will be removed permanently from the national criminal register.
Once you have your police record expunged you can honestly tell employers and any other interested parties that you have not been convicted of a crime. The expunged criminal record will no longer show on employer background checks.
You have a good chance of successfully getting your police record expunged if:
1 Ten years have gone passed since the date of the conviction of your offence.
2 You received a sentence of periodical imprisonment or correctional supervision as opposed to a direct prison sentence.
3 During the 10 years since your conviction you have not been convicted and imprisoned, without the option of a fine, for any other offence
4 You were sentenced to the following sentences:
- Conviction of lesser serious crimes (for example minor charges of theft, assault, fraud etc.)
- Politically motivated crimes. For most crimes where a direct sentence was not laid upon except politically motivated crimes and crimes in respect of which the punishment is now unconstitutional under our new legislation.
5 You were convicted of an offence based on race.
6 You were convicted of an offence which would not be regarded as an offence in an open and democratic society based on human dignity, equality and freedom under the democratic constitutional dispensation.
Please contact us to assist with getting your criminal record expunged.