Birth, Marriage, and Death Certificates
Forecast Consulting assists clients in obtaining both abridged and unabridged Birth, Marriage, and Death Certificates through the South African Department of Home Affairs. Whether you are based locally or abroad, we streamline the process to ensure you receive the correct type of certificate for your needs.
⚠️ Important: For international use, only unabridged certificates are accepted, as they contain full details required by foreign authorities.
Legalisation & International Requirements
When using South African certificates abroad, most countries require the documents to be legalised. The process depends on whether the destination country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention or not.
1. Hague Convention Countries
Documents must be issued in original unabridged format.
An Apostille Certificate is affixed by DIRCO (Department of International Relations and Cooperation).
This apostille confirms the authenticity of the South African certificate, making it valid for use in countries such as the UK, EU member states, Australia, and many others.
2. Non-Member Countries
For countries not part of the Hague Apostille Convention (e.g., Vietnam, China, UAE, Angola), a Authentication certificate is required instead of an Apostille certificate.
- Notarisation by a South African Public Notary.
- Authentication at the High Court.
- Legalisation at DIRCO.
- Embassy or Consulate Attestation in South Africa (specific to the destination country’s requirements).
This ensures the document is fully recognised abroad for official use.
Additional Certificates & Documents
Letters of No Impediment
Issued by the DHA, confirming that an individual is free to marry. Required in many countries before marriage.
Divorce Decrees
Must be original or a certified copy obtained from the High Court where the divorce was finalised. For Hague Convention countries, these require an apostille from DIRCO. For non-member countries, the notarisation, authentication, and embassy legalisation steps apply.
Save time & let us streamline your DHA document process for you.
EXTRA CONVENIENCE, EXTRA CARE
Why Choose Us
Benefit of Using an Admitted Attorney
As an admitted attorney, we bring legal authority, expertise, and precision to every matter, ensuring your documents are prepared, verified, and executed in full compliance with South African law.
- Legally recognised to certify and authenticate documents
- Comprehensive understanding of South African legal procedures
- Ability to provide legal advice where applicable
Travelling Notary within JHB
Our Notary and dedicated driver will come to you anywhere in Johannesburg or Pretoria, offering professional, reliable document services at your convenience – even after hours.
- Flexible scheduling to suit your availability
- Secure handling of sensitive legal documents
- Convenient on-site notarisation at your location
We Offer Online, Call-Out & In Person Options
Depending on your case we offer online solutions, as well as call-outs from our traveling notary service and in-person appointments.
We also offer after hours and weekend Notary options at an extra charge, which many of our clients make use of. A quote will be given for these extra services.
Save Up to 85% on Bulk Applications
Get your Home Affairs and Police Clearance Certificates processed quickly and cost-effectively. We assist with Apostille, Notary, and Legalisation services so your documents are accepted internationally without delays.
- Police Clearance & Criminal Record Checks
- Birth, Marriage & Death Certificates
- Apostille & Document Legalisation
Certificates We Can Assist With
- Letter of No Impediment (Certificate of Non‑Impediment to Marriage)
- Marriage Confirmation Certificate (Proof of marriage / marital status certificate)
- Abridged Birth Certificate
- Unabridged Birth Certificate (full birth certificate)
- Vault Birth Certificate (copy of original birth registration form)
- Vault Marriage Certificate (BI‑30 or DHA‑30)
- Abridged Marriage Certificate
- Unabridged Marriage Certificate
- Abridged Death Certificate
- Unabridged Death Certificate
- Retention Certificate
- Divorce Decree
Department of Home Affairs Processes
1. Provide SA ID Number
Submit your South African ID number to begin the process.2. Send ID Copy & Application Form
Complete the application form and send a copy of your ID. Processing usually takes 14 – 21 days.3. Scan & Courier
Once processed, we will scan your documents and courier them locally or internationally.FORECAST CONSULTING
Pricing & Timeframes
| Service | Price | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Notarial Certification | R180 | Same Day |
| Notarial Attestation | R850 | Same Day |
| Notarial Certificate | R1,200 | Same Day |
| High Court: Notary + Apostille | R850 | 1–3 Work Days |
| High Court: Notary + Authentication | R850 | 1–3 Work Days |
| Same Day High Court: Notary + Authentication | R1,800 | Same Day |
| Express DIRCO Apostille | R950 | 1–2 Weeks |
| Express DIRCO Authentication | R950 | 1–2 Weeks |
| Courier Local | R250 | 2-4 Work Days |
| Courier International (DHL) | R1500 | 3–8 Working Days |
| Service | Price | Time |
|---|---|---|
| DHA: Unabridged Birth Certificate (UBC) | R2,800 | 14-21 Days |
| DHA: Marriage Certificate (Spouse Deceased) | R2,800 | 14-21 Days |
| DHA: Unabridged Death Certificate (UDC) | R2,800 | 14-21 Days |
| DHA: Unabridged Certificates (no records) | R3,800 | 21-30 Days |
| DHA: Abridged BC/DC/MC | R1,800 | 7 Days |
| DHA: Stnd Letter of Non-impediment (LNI) | R2,850 | 14-21 Days |
| DHA: Express Letter of Non-impediment (LNI) | R4,500 | 7-10 Days |
| DHA: Vault (UMC / UBC) | R3,800 | |
| Police Clearance Cert Budget | R1,500 | 2 - 3 Weeks |
| Police Clearance Certificate | R2,800 | 12 - 20 Working Days |
| Police Clearance Cert Express | R3,800 | 4-8 Days |
| Police Clearance Cert Urgent | R5,000 | 3-5 Days |
| SAQA | R2,500 | 3-4 Weeks |
| UMALUSI | R1,500 | 1 Week |
| Service | Price | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ante-Nuptial Contract | R2,800 | 1 Week |
| ANC - By Power of Attorney | R3,500 | 1 Week |
| ANC - Urgent/Expedited | R4,500 | 1-2 Working Days |
| Cohabitation Agreement | R2,500 | 1 Week |
| Life Partnership Agreement | R2,500 | 1 Week |
| Express Life Partnership Agreement | R4,500 | 1-2 Days |
| Registration of Foreign Marriage | R4,500 | 3-6 Weeks |
| Registration of Foreign Divorce | R4,500 | 3-6 Weeks |
| Divorce Decree <10 years | R750 | 2 Weeks+ |
| Divorce Decree >10 years | R1,200 | 1 Month+ |
| Registration of Foreign Death | R4,500 | 3-6 Weeks |
| Will | R1,500 | 1 Week |