Academic Qualifications
It’s that time of year.
You may have just matriculated and are looking to study overseas (congratulations!) or perhaps you are already at University and are considering completing your tertiary studies abroad.
Either way – it’s an extremely exciting time for you.
But before you can make that move, the foreign country and/or the foreign institution to which you are applying may require your documents to be authenticated. And this will most likely include all South-African academic credentials, such as certificates, degrees, diplomas, academic transcripts and school records for use outside the borders of South Africa.
We are specialists in the field of Notarial Work and are therefore able to easily assist you with legalising and notarising your academic qualifications (if needed). So, don’t hesitate! Reach out to us today.
Where can I obtain my academic qualifications?
Matric qualifications
You are able to obtain your matric certificate directly from your school or through the Department of Basic Education (DBE).
The DBE can also be approached to issue a replacement certificate (if it was lost or damaged) or re-issue a certificate.
If you have lost/misplaced your matric certificate or it is damaged
You must apply for a replacement certificate at the DBE or Provincial Education Department (PED) by completing the replacement application form and following the steps as set out on the DBE website. If the certificate is damaged, you must return the damaged certificate to either the DBE or PED.
You need to re-issue your matric certification
You can apply for your matric certificate to be re-issued due to a change in particulars (within 6 months but no later than 1 year after first-issue), either due to administrative issues i.e. there is a mistake on the certificate (i.e. mistake with a subject mark, subject choice, change in result or some aspect of the personal details) or an alteration of sex description or sex status.
Whether you are applying for a replacement certificate or re-issue of your certificate, it is prudent for you to request a statement of results while waiting for the issue of your certificate.
Tertiary academic transcripts
Your tertiary institution can be approached to either supply or re-issue your certificate, degree, academic transcripts or diploma. It is best to approach your relevant institution to find out about their process regarding either the issue, re-issue or replacement of your relevant academic qualification.
You may also approach the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHE) for assistance.
Verification of academic qualifications
Before your academic qualifications can be authenticated (see below), they need to be verified by one of two bodies - .
SAQA
South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) is the oversight body of the NQF and is currently responsible for the verification of South African Qualification Achievements.
Umalusi
Umalusi Council for Quality Assurance in General and further Education and Training (“Umalusi”) sets and monitors standards for general and further education and training in South Africa in accordance with the National Qualifications Framework Act No 67 of 2008 [as amended] and the General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance Act No 58 of 2001 [as amended].
Umalusi is currently responsible for the certification (and verification) of the following qualifications:
1. Schools
Senior Certificate amended (SCa) – continues as a revised qualification for adults
National Senior Certificate (NSC)
2. TVET Colleges
National Technical Certificate (N3)
National Certificate Vocational (NCV)
3. Adult Learning Centres
General Education and Training Certificate: Adults (GETC)
Umalusi has records of all learner achievements from November 1992 to date. All certificates issued before November 1992 must be verified by the DBE for schooling qualifications or the DHE for vocational and adult qualifications.
Note: the public cannot apply directly to Umalusi for the verification of certificates, but should do so through one of the verification clients registered with Umalusi.
If this seems intimidating, don’t stress - contact us should you require further information and we will try our utmost to assist you.
Must my academic qualifications be authenticated?
Authentication of a formal document, like your academic qualifications, means to legalise it and is specifically required for use abroad.
Legalising a document means that official (public) documents executed within South Africa for use outside of South Africa (for example when emigrating and requiring a VISA, obtaining a foreign passport, applying for citizenship applications or when working or studying overseas), are affixed, sealed and signed either with an Apostille Certificate (if the destination country is a signatory country of the Hague Convention) thereby authenticating the origin of a public document, or with a Certificate of Authentication (if the destination country is not a signatory of the Hague Convention).
This process is done by sending it to the Legalisation Section of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (“DIRCO”) in order to get it affixed with an Apostille seal or a Certificate of Authentication (as per the above).
Note: DIRCO will not apostille or authenticate academic qualifications if they have not first been verified either by SAQA or Umalusi.
Further note: in some instances, each university degree must be authenticated, meaning that for someone with a Bachelor’s degree, an Honours degree, a Masters and a Doctorate, four apostilles will be required. This will take a lot of effort, especially if each was granted by a separate institution.
We are able to assist you with legalising your academic qualifications. So don’t be shy, get in touch!
Must my academic qualifications be notarised?
You would need to notarise your academic qualifications should you require copies of them (especially for authentication or legalisation purposes).
And you would need copies of them only if your documents are going to be used abroad (as per the above). And for this purpose, they can only be notarised before a Notary. The Notary attaches a completed and signed notarial certificate to the front of the copy of the original document, and affixes a seal next to their signature thereby verifying that it is a true copy of the original.
How long is my notarised academic qualification valid for?
Simply put, it all depends on the authority requesting the notarised document.
Why should we trust Benaters to notarise our documents?
At Benaters we pride ourselves on the fact that we are able to offer a specialised niche service, always remembering that due to the ethical nature of the services which Notaries render and the specialist knowledge required to draft and/or legalise certain documents, the office of a Notary is considered to be held to a higher standard of care. And we take that extremely seriously (and therefore hold ourselves to very high standards).