Updated 2026-11-14
A Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) is the SAPS document that states whether criminal convictions are recorded against you. If an employer asks for one, confirm its required format and date before you apply. SAPS says PCCs are issued only by its Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management unit in Pretoria.
Never pay a recruiter, employer or middleman for a job. Apply for the PCC only through SAPS or the process the employer confirms.
For an application made while you live in South Africa, SAPS requires fingerprints on a SAPS 91(a) form taken by SAPS, a completed PCC application form, a certified copy of your ID or passport, and proof of payment. Take your original ID or passport to the police station because identity must be checked.
| What to prepare | What SAPS says |
|---|---|
| Fingerprints | A full set on SAPS 91(a), taken by SAPS when you are in South Africa. |
| Application form | A completed SAPS PCC application form. It asks for your identity details, reason for the application and return or collection choice. |
| ID document | A certified copy of your ID or passport. Present the original at the station. |
| Name evidence, if needed | If you need a maiden or other surname shown, state this in the application and attach documentary proof, such as a certified marriage-certificate copy. |
| Payment proof | Proof of payment. SAPS lists the prescribed, non-refundable PCC fee as R190 per application. |
A PCC is not the same as a Police Clearance Report. SAPS describes the report as a document for people seeking confirmation of criminal status for expungement, so do not substitute it for a PCC unless the employer specifically accepts it.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1. Get fingerprints | Go to a South African police station with your ID or passport. Have SAPS take your full fingerprints on SAPS 91(a). |
| 2. Complete the form | Complete the PCC form, including the reason for the request and how you want the certificate returned or collected. |
| 3. Pay and retain proof | Pay the prescribed fee using the method SAPS sets out and attach the proof of payment. For an electronic payment, SAPS says the reference must be PCC followed by your initials and surname. |
| 4. Submit | Ask the police station to forward the application to SAPS Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management in Pretoria. SAPS says this forwarding is at no additional cost to applicants in South Africa. You may instead deliver it yourself or use post or courier at your own cost. |
| 5. Track and collect | If you give a South African cellphone number, SAPS says it will send an acknowledgement SMS with a reference number and another SMS when completed. Use the SAPS PCC status enquiry while it is being processed. |
SAPS says incomplete applications will not be processed. It also says it does not process scanned fingerprints and does not scan and email completed certificates. Choose a practical return option on the form: return to the police station, collection in Pretoria by you or a nominated person, courier collection, or posting to a private address in South Africa.
SAPS currently warns of a backlog. Its application page gives an approximate finalisation time of 15 working days from the date all required documents reach Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management, excluding postal time. Treat this as an estimate, not a deadline, and apply early if the employer gives you a closing date.
The SAPS application page lists the postal address as: The Head: Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management, for attention Police Clearance Certificates, South African Police Service, Private Bag X308, Pretoria, 0001. It lists the physical client service centre as Bothongo Plaza West, 1st Floor, Room 14, 271 Francis Baard Street, Pretoria.
A completed certificate is handed only to you, your nominated person or the courier selected on the form. Take proof of identity when collecting. SAPS says certificates not collected within three months after finalisation will be destroyed.
The SAPS status page was updated on 14 November 2026 and says results include finalised and outstanding applications for the year before that update. If you cannot find your application, it lists the CRC telephone number as +27 (0)12 393 3928.
If the job is outside South Africa, the destination country or employer may require legalisation after SAPS issues the PCC. DIRCO says its Legalisation Section accepts only original, valid PCCs issued by SAPS Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management, and does not accept PCCs older than six months from issue for legalisation. Check the employer's instructions and the destination country's requirements before arranging legalisation.
If you are outside South Africa, SAPS says you may have fingerprints taken at a police station in that country or at a South African embassy. Applications and required documents can be sent directly to SAPS Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management. SAPS says applications received from abroad are not returned to the applicant, so monitor the status and arrange collection as indicated on your form.
A police station can take your fingerprints and, if you are applying in South Africa, SAPS says you may ask it to forward the application. But SAPS says only Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management in Pretoria analyses the fingerprints and issues the PCC.
SAPS lists the prescribed, non-refundable fee as R190 per application. Keep the proof of payment because it is a required document.
The current SAPS application page says finalisation takes approximately 15 working days after all required documents reach Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management, excluding postal time. The same page warns that there is a backlog, so do not assume it will be ready by a job application's deadline.
No. SAPS says completed certificates are not scanned and emailed. Select collection, courier collection, return to the police station, or posting to a private South African address on the application form.
Ask the employer. A PCC is an official criminal-status document, but the fetched SAPS and government guidance describes the service particularly for emigration, travel and employment abroad. Follow the job advert or employer's instruction on whether it is required and when to submit it.