Application Guide
Most application delays are caused by avoidable errors. This guide explains each one and how to make sure your application is done correctly from the start.
Mistakes can delay your application by weeks. We make sure it is done correctly the first time.
These are the issues we see most frequently when clients come to us after a failed or delayed application. DocuLink SA checks for all of these before lodging your application.
SAPS requires ink fingerprints taken on the SAPS 91(a) form. The form must be completed in full and signed by the fingerprinting officer. Digital fingerprints, inkless fingerprints and prints on non-SAPS forms are not accepted. Many applicants overseas attend general fingerprinting services that do not use the correct format.
Use a SAPS-accredited fingerprinting station or follow the country-specific guidance DocuLink SA provides when you apply.
SAPS does not require your ID or passport copy to be certified - a plain copy is accepted, and paying a notary or commissioner of oaths to certify one is wasted time and money. What SAPS will not accept is a copy it cannot read. The most common failures are a photograph taken at an angle, a page cropped at the edges, glare across the bio data, or only the front of a smart ID card when the back is also needed.
Scan rather than photograph where you can, capture the full page with no cropping, and check that your name, ID or passport number, date of birth and photograph are all clearly readable before you upload. Upload it to your portal and our team will confirm it is usable before you courier anything.
DocuLink SA generates your prepaid DHL inbound label based on an A4 envelope: 40 cm x 30 cm x 1 cm, 0.5 kg. Using a different size, a box, or a padded bag creates a size mismatch on the waybill, which can result in courier delays, repackaging charges, or customs holds.
Use an A4 envelope only. Do not use a box or padded bag. Do not declare a monetary value on the shipment.
Your original South African ID, smart card, or passport must not be included in the courier package unless specifically and explicitly confirmed in writing by DocuLink SA. Only a copy is required, and for Police Clearance it does not need to be certified. Sending originals risks them being lost in transit.
Send a copy only. Never send your original ID or passport unless explicitly instructed in writing by DocuLink SA.
Many applicants go straight to couriering without first emailing scans for review. Sending documents with an error in the fingerprint form, the application form, or an unreadable identity copy means the entire package needs to be returned and resubmitted, adding weeks to the process.
Upload scans of all documents to your client portal for a pre-check before physical couriering. We confirm exactly what to send.
A Police Clearance Certificate confirms your South African criminal record status as at the date of issue. It is not an apostilled document by default, it does not cover offences in other countries and it has an effective date that institutions may consider when evaluating your application.
Confirm with the institution requesting the certificate exactly what format and date range they require. DocuLink SA can advise on whether an apostille is needed for your specific case.
Use this checklist before couriering your documents. DocuLink SA also runs through this with you during the pre-check phase.
Fingerprints taken on the SAPS 91(a) form at a certified location
Fingerprint form signed and stamped by the fingerprinting officer
SA ID or passport copy is clear and complete - certification is not required
SAPS application form completed in full and signed before a commissioner of oaths
Document scans uploaded to your portal for pre-check before couriering
Documents packaged in an A4 envelope only, no box
No original ID or passport included unless explicitly confirmed by DocuLink SA
SAPS application fee is included in your DocuLink SA fee - no separate payment to SAPS required
Applicant under 18: parental or legal guardian consent form signed in ink and included as an original
We guide you through every step, review your documents before submission and check for all common errors before anything reaches SAPS.