Are you looking to have documents legalised for use abroad?
#1 Trusted DIRCO Apostille and Notary Services in South Africa
Benaters is one of South Africa’s leading notary and apostille services firms, offering the most premium legal services.
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Notarisation, Apostille, & Authentication
If you’re in a situation where you must have essential documents notarised, authenticated, or legalised for use outside the country, we’re here to help you! Benaters offers a full range of notary and apostille services to help you through this complicated process.
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Notarisation is the process of a notary public verifying the authenticity of a signature on a document. Documents needing notarisation can include affidavits, power of attorney, and other legal documents. A notary will check your identification to confirm your identity and have you sign the document in their presence before notarising it. This helps prevent fraud and ensures the document's legitimacy.
Notaries also often certify photocopies of documents. This means they’ll attest to the fact that the photocopy is an accurate copy of the original document.
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An apostille is a simplified form of authentication used to verify the authenticity of documents in countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention. The Hague Convention is an international treaty that was signed in 1961. It aims to simplify the process of authenticating documents for use in other countries.
To obtain an apostille, you must submit the document to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) if it’s an original Government-issued document, such as a birth/death/marriage/police clearance certificate or letter of no impediment. DIRCO will verify the signature on the document and issue an apostille certificate. The apostille certificate is a certificate attached by ribbon to the front of the document.
An apostille contains the following information:
The name of the country that issued the apostille
The name of the issuing authority
The date of issuance
The apostille number
The apostille is valid in all countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention.
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High Court apostilles are specifically required for non-government documents that have already been notarised. To obtain a High Court apostille, you must submit your notarised documents to the High Court; the High Court then verifies the notary’s signature. Once verified, the High Court will affix an apostille certificate to legalise the document for international use.
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Authentication is the process of verifying the authenticity of a document. It’s a more comprehensive process than an apostille and is required for documents that will be used in countries that aren’t signatories to the Hague Convention.
The process varies depending on the type of document:
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Notarise the document.
Authenticate it at the High Court.
Authenticate it at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).
Submit it to the embassy for attestation.
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Submit the original certificate to DIRCO.
Then, submit it to the embassy for attestation.
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Authenticate the document at the South African Qualification Authority (SAQA).
Authenticate it at DIRCO.
Submit it to the embassy for attestation.
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Send the report to the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) for authentication.
Authenticate it at DIRCO.
Submit it to the embassy for attestation.
After completing the necessary authentication steps outlined above, the embassy will affix an official stamp to the document, indicating that it has been legalised for use in the respective country. This authentication process ensures that the document is recognised as genuine and valid for its intended purpose. The authentication and legalisation process can take several weeks or even months, so it’s important to start the process early to ensure that you have the documents you need when you need them.
The notarisation, apostille, and authentication processes may seem complicated, but Benaters has decades of experience guiding clients. We handle everything from notarising and certifying documents to obtaining apostilles and legalising documents by DIRCO. So, contact us if you have an important document that needs to be verified for official use — we’ll get you sorted and give you peace of mind that your paperwork is in order.
Notary Services in South Africa
In South Africa, notarial services are essential for legally certifying and authenticating important documents. At Benaters, we recognise the paramount importance of this function and offer top-tier notarial services led by our highly qualified and experienced notaries.
Regulations and Requirements
To become a notary public, you must be an admitted attorney who has passed specialised notarial examinations conducted by the Legal Practice Council. You must also be over the age of 18 and a permanent resident or citizen of South Africa.
Here are the steps to become a notary public in South Africa:
Complete a law degree and be admitted as an attorney
Pass the notarial examinations
Apply to the High Court for admission as a notary public
Once you’ve been admitted as a notary public, you can notarise documents, such as affidavits, powers of attorney, and wills. You can also certify photocopies of documents.
Notary vs. Attorneys
While notaries are indeed attorneys, they perform a distinct function within the legal framework. A notary attorney is a practising admitted attorney who has passed an additional exam granting them statutory powers to witness documents and signatures, draw and attest to contracts and statements, authenticate the validity of certain documents, administer oaths, and perform other wide-ranging administrative functions of a national and international nature.
Benaters offers both notary services and other specialised legal services. You can find comprehensive help by simply getting in touch to schedule an appointment for our notary service at our office in Johannesburg.
Apostille Services in South Africa
Benaters offers a full range of apostille services to help you obtain authentication and legalisation of your South African documents.
To get started with either a High Court or DIRCO apostille for your documents, contact the legal team at Benaters. We’ll handle the entire process, from document verification and certification to collecting the final apostilled documents.
Using professional services ensures your documents are appropriately handled according to the correct legal procedures. Your valuable time can then be channelled towards your international plans and travel arrangements.
Benaters has provided fast and efficient apostille services in South Africa for over 15 years. Our team of legal professionals are highly experienced in navigating the DIRCO and High Court processes to obtain apostille stamps for a wide range of personal and business documents. For peace of mind and hassle-free apostille certification, trust the experts at Benaters.
Types of Documents We Can Have Notarised and Apostilled
At Benaters, we handle the notarisation and authentication of several documents, including:
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We can assist with obtaining an apostille or authentication of your original marriage certificate by DIRCO. This validates it for use outside the country.
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An original birth certificate can be apostilled for use internationally. This includes both abridged and unabridged birth certificates subject to the certificate being stamped and signed by Home Affairs.
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An original death certificate can be apostilled to be used as supporting documents internationally, for example, for estate administration purposes if the deceased had assets outside of South Africa..
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This is particularly important for individuals who need to prove their marital status in an international context. As with all documents we handle, an apostille can be obtained to validate an original divorce decree for global use.
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Benaters’ notary public attorney team can authenticate or apostille original police clearance certificates—otherwise known as “police clearances” or “good conduct certificates”— at DIRCO for international use. The police clearance certificate must be less than 6 months old.
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We can assist with drafting, notarising, and obtaining an apostille for general or special powers of attorney for use internationally. Powers of attorney allow one to appoint another to act on one’s behalf.
A power of attorney must be drafted by a lawyer in the country where it will be used. It’s then signed before us as notaries. We can also help you find a lawyer in the relevant country to draft your power of attorney.
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We can notarise and authenticate original or certified copies of educational certificates, diplomas, degrees, transcripts, and statements of results for international use. Degree certificates obtained from a South African public university must first be authenticated by the South African Qualification Authority (SAQA).
We draft, notarise, and obtain apostille for affidavits, declarations, consent letters and other legal documents for use internationally. These documents allow a person to declare specific facts or give consent formally.
Once the documents have been drafted by a lawyer in the country where they’ll be used, we can notarise them and obtain an apostille from the High Court.
Why Choose Benaters for Your Apostille Needs
When you need documents authenticated for use abroad, Benaters should be your first choice. We have over 15 years of experience providing notary and apostille services in South Africa.
Our team of legal professionals handles the entire apostille process for you, ensuring your documents are authenticated quickly and correctly. We know the specific requirements for each country and will advise you on what information and documentation is needed. We’ll handle the bureaucratic red tape so you can focus on what matters.
We operate throughout South Africa, with our office based in Johannesburg. Drop off your original documents at our office, and we’ll take care of the rest. For added convenience, we also offer a mail-in service if you prefer to send in your documents.
Customer service is our top priority. We’re available during business hours to answer your questions and provide updates on the status of your notarisation and apostille requests. We aim to make the entire experience as seamless and stress-free as possible.
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Our Legal Team
At Benaters, our legal team comprises a husband and wife duo who bring a unique blend of expertise and strong family values to our practice.
With a deep understanding of the importance of family and personal relationships, we approach each case with care, empathy, and integrity. We believe in building long-term relationships with our clients based on trust and mutual respect.
Shaun Benater
Partner — LL.B LL.M
Attorney & Notary Public (South Africa)
Solicitor (England & Wales)
Registered European Lawyer (Spain)
Roxanne Benater
Partner — B.COM LL.B
Attorney, Notary Public & Conveyancer
Administrator Of Deceased Estates
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Notarial + Apostille Pricing
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R575.00 per photocopy
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R1 150.00
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R2 300.00
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R2 300.00
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R3 450.00
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R3 450.00
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R3 450.00
Pricing is subject to change and may vary depending on your specific requirements and instructions to us.
Helpful Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
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We provide guidance and handle the authentication process for:
Birth, marriage, and death certificates
Degrees and transcripts
Police clearance certificates
Company documents issued by CIPC
Power of attorney
Affidavits
Divorce Court Orders (Divorce Decrees)
Letters of No Impediment (also known as Letters of Non Impediment)
The criteria for international legalisation depends on the country the document is intended for. Most countries require an apostille certificate, while others need additional authentication from DIRCO and the respective embassy of the country where the document is going to be used. Our team will advise you on the specific process based on the country where you intend to use the document.
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High court apostille certification can usually be completed within 1–2 business days, while DIRCO authentication may take 6–8 weeks. The exact turnaround time depends on the workload of the various government departments. We aim to handle the entire process as quickly and efficiently as possible.
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Our staff is experienced in navigating the DIRCO and High Court legalisation procedures. We handle the application process on your behalf and will advise you on any requirements for authenticating your documents.
How Can We Help with Your Legal Needs?
At Benaters we’re always pleased to hear from you. Let us know how we can help by selecting the enquiry form, or get in touch via Whatsapp.