A lot of people do not know this but IBN can do more than just assist you with your immigration journey.
We can also assist you with the document procurement and legalisation/apostille.
Document Procurement
For purposes of document procurement, we mainly assist with RSA documents, which include, although not limited to the following:
- Unabridged Birth Certificates
- Unabridged Marriage Certificates
- Police Clearance Certificates
- Letter of No Impediment
Note: we can also assist in most African countries in which we operate, unless personal presence of the applicant is required.
Legalisation/Apostille
With regard to legalisation/apostille, the principle is the same as for document procurement, i.e. we mainly assist with RSA documents but we can also assist in most African countries in which we operate, unless personal presence of the applicant is required.
Why legalise/apostille?
- To elaborate, legalisation/apostille applies when an individual wishes to use a legal document from their country of origin abroad. In order for the document to be accepted abroad, the relevant authorities require the document(s) to be authenticated (legalised/apostilled) in the country in which the document was issued. In this regard, apostille applies when the country of origin and the country of intended use are signatories to the Apostille Convention (Convention de La Haye du 5 Octobre 1961) and if not, legalisation applies.
What is the distinction between Apostille and Legalisation?
- Apostille – Certificate issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DIRCO in RSA)
- Legalisation – document must be stamped/certificate issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DIRCO in RSA) and then stamped by the relevant embassy (destination country)
Do I have to have my original documents stamped?
- Depending on the destination country, it is possible to legalise/apostille a notarised copy but it is important to note that the authorities are then verifying the signatures of the notary and registrar of the court, as opposed to the actual document.
What is the steps and processing time?
- This depends on the type of document, e.g. certain RSA qualifications have to be verified by SAQA first and, thereafter, they go to DIRCO and then the embassy, if applicable.
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By Bianca Nicholls
Bianca Nicholls: Corporate Immigration Expert and Production Manager
