South African Police Clearance
Certificate Application - FAQ
Frequently asked questions for a SA PCC:
Why would I need a SA PCC while in New Zealand?
Immigration and Visas: Immigration New Zealand requires police certificates from any country you lived in for a significant period to satisfy character and security requirements.
Residency and Citizenship: Applying for New Zealand permanent residency or citizenship often requires a clean criminal record history from your country of origin.
Employment and Background Checks: New Zealand employers, recruitment agencies, or corporate compliance teams may ask for proof of your background if you previously lived or worked in South Africa.
Professional Registration: Certain regulated trades, healthcare roles, or financial and legal professions, P-Endorsement* (taxi/Uber), Fire arms license applications in New Zealand require international character verification.
Where do I get a SAPS 91 (b) fingerprint form?
South African official fingerprint form SAPS 91 (b) is generally used. Each applicant.
You can download the form (lots of blocks for finger prints) and complete, save on your device and print;or print uncompleted and fill in BLACK pen, CAPITOL letters, your New Zealand address details.
Your fingerprint service provider will complete the remainder of the form.
You can also complete the form while you have your appointment.If you have your fingerprint appointment at Saarkie Office in Albany, no need to complete this form.
Some NZ Police Stations might not have this form, but a New Zealand Official Fingerprint form is also acceptable.
Where do I get and how to complete the SAPS form?
Download, fill, save and send or print and complete:
Download, fill, save and send or print and complete:
South African official application form is used. Each applicant
You can download the form (blue lines) and complete, save on your device and print;or print uncompleted and fill in BLACK pen, CAPITOL letters, your New Zealand phone details.
If you have your fingerprint appointment at Saarkie Office in Albany, OR coming in in person the forms are available.
For a visual on the form completed as an example, click here.
What is a maiden name and does it need to be added?
A maiden name is a woman's family name (surname) before she gets married and adopts her spouse's last name
Your police clearance certificate should ideally include your maiden name and any other names you have legally been known by because If you have changed your surname through marriage or a legal name change, police records or national databases might be linked to your maiden name or previous aliases.
To add your maiden name on your result, all you need is a copy of your marriage certificate showing your maiden and married name, OR if you had a name change (after 12yo), the official documents issued at that time. Basically, for each name change, add proof.IF you do not request your maiden name at the time of application - and your immigration agent or INZ request a re-issue, you might have to re-apply. SAPS will not see it as a rectification. If your SA PCC is less than 3 months old after finalization it is a possibility it can be re-issued, but they will request a R190 reprint fee.
NOTE: Rather have it and not need it, than, not have it and need it.
Example: IF your name was Anel Louw at the time of birth, and you got married to Ben Botha, and you took Ben’s last name and you are now known as Anel Louw, then your maiden name is LOUW. Then you add your maiden name to your SA PCC Application.
What if there is a mistake on my SA PCC PDF?:
If your are female and regardless if you are married, single, separated or very angry at your partner/husband, the result will print MS. That is not a mistake, its the international form of gender appointment.
If your maiden name did not print on your result, and you did not request it on your application form, this is NOT a rectification, you will need to either: 1. Pay the R190 again, or, if your PCC is older than 3 months, re-apply and re-do the complete process.
If you were born in NAMIBIA, and your PCC states SOUTH AFRICA, and your Passport states NAMIBIA, that is a print mistake from SAPS CRC, that will be rectified at no cost.
Saarkie Limited will send you a PDF BEFORE your physical result leaves South Africa for two reasons.
1. CHECK your details on your PCC, so that corrections can be requested, and
2. For online applications in New Zealand, you can use the PDF to submit the visa you are applying for while you wait for the original to be returned.
Sometimes there is a mistake that slipped in, i.e., address, incorrect delivery, phone number, normal human errors. Once that happens, there is always a way to fix it, or re-route, or workaround once we are aware.
SA PCC Charges explained:
$20 to send your documents to us (optional)
$160 DHL to South Africa
$25 SAPS CRC fee per person (optional)
$40+$40 PostNet PTA Fees to submit and collect
$160 DHL to New Zealand (optional)
$20 to send your result back to you (optional)
$20 Admin fee
$40 for a set of fingerprints per person (optional)
FREE Copies, forms, envelopes, bookings, following up, corrections requests
To work out your estimate you can use the quote calculator at the bottom:
NZ CourierPost = with all the local couriers available, we find that NZ CourierPost meet our needs most for the area that we are in. They are not the cheapest, but are the quickest. Between $12-$19 for document sending is their charge to us. We use our own labels, envelopes, and manually check every address, delivery area. We charge $20 for using our labels, both ways, to and from. For orders, you are more than welcome to utilize your own courier, weather from work or home or the local depot from anywhere in New Zealand.
DHL Document sending overseas = From New Zealand, South Africa is literally halfway across the world, and DHL tier charging falls in the ‘up there’ bracket. We charge $160 / doculope either way, to or from between SA & NZ). Envelopes contains PAPER ONLY and no more than 0.500g. IF the document weights more, a higher tier can be worked out.
$40+$40 Agent service fee’s. PostNet PTA CBD submits, collects, and liaise on our behalf with a dedicated person available to keep in control of our applications.
SAPS CRC charges R190 per person for applications. They also request that each person’s application is paid separately. You do have an option to pay this yourself, it is easier if you still have a SA bank account to use, or even BNZ has great overseas conversion payments. We can do this payment on your behalf. It works out to be approx $22-$25 per person incl the R190, and we charge $25 in total per person on behalf. This is optional.
Timelines:
NZ CourierPost is usually overnight.
Possibly 2 days from the South Island or Waiheke Island.DHL overseas courier is usually 5-6 days, a few days longer around Oct-Dec.
After submission, around 10 days for your SAPS reference number.
Approximately 7-10 days after you received your reference number, your result is printed.
Scanned and emailed overnight.
Corrections - allow 2-3 days.
Couriers do not collect or deliver over weekends, CRC communicates week days.
For any enquiries after your- quote INV NUMBER if you have it handy. - saarkie.marion@gmail.com (NZ Time)
What would I need? (application through Saarkie Ltd):
Photo Identification (Passport copies) - for South African applications, it does not need to be certified unless it is NOT of South African origin
Less than 3 months old set of fingerprints per applicant
SAPS 91 (b) form completed. CAPITOL LETTERS, black pen / typed and printed
Copy of a marriage certificate if your maiden name is required to be printed on your result
Payment to SAPS CRC, currently R190.00 paid separately per applicant. (attach proof of payment with your application) OR Saarkie Limited can do this iternational payment on your behalf ($25).
International courier DHL, Saarkie Limited provide this, including an optional return.
Should you have your own agent preferred already - we can courier your documents to South Africa and if your agent is unable to courier your result back, Saarkie can arrange that courier for you. Currently $160 one way, $320 both ways.
Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms printed on SA PCC results:
If you are a Sir, Mr, (Male) your certificate will be printed as MR.
If you are a Madam, Miss, Mrs, Ms, Mev, (Female) your certificate will be printed as MS.
If you identify as, … South Africa is not there yet.
If you have commas, apostrophe’s or hyphens in your name/s. i.e.: Fouche-Malan OR Jean-Marie it will print as:
FOUCHE MALAN or JEAN MARIE.If you have three middle names, it will print as:
BERNINA, GERTRUIDA, MAGDALENA,
The country you were born in will print.
Your DOB (Date of birth) will print.
Results are on watermarked, official SAPS documents with an official stamp, date and signature with reference numbers.
Your convictions (if any) print on additional pages with a mention on the first page.