It’s no secret that anything to do with the Department of Home Affairs in South Africa is a challenge. Unfortunately, we are at their mercy as we need the documents to do basically anything.

 

Attempting to apply for a birth certificate is no different. Whether it’s an abridged birth certificate to register a new birth, an unabridged birth certificate for visa purposes or a vault copy, you need to have a whole lot of patience and time to complete the process.

 

If you apply directly through the Department of Home Affairs in your area, you can expect to receive an abridged birth certificate within 6 to 8 weeks. Your baby can not go on medical aid without a birth certificate and would be at risk for the first two months of his or her life. Imagine what would happen if there were to be complications!

 

If you need to travel, things get even more complicated. You can wait up to 24 weeks for an unabridged birth certificate. As you might imagine, visas are often time-sensitive.

 

So, what is one to do with this sad state of affairs? The answer is easy – let Doc Assist help. We can apply on behalf of you or expedite an existing application. Should we apply for an abridged birth certificate, it will take around two weeks. For unabridged birth certificates, you can expect to wait between 6 and 12 weeks.

What Is the Fastest Way to Get a Birth Certificate in South Africa?

To answer your question, “what is the fastest way to get a birth certificate in South Africa?” – hiring an agent such as Doc Assist will make the process much faster and easier.

 

Often for visa applications, birth certificates and other documents need to be apostilled. An apostille is the legalization of the official’s signature that signed the original document. This service is typically done through Dirco (Foreign Affairs) or the High Court, where they provide an apostille stamp on the document that needs to be used overseas.

 

At Doc Assist, we can assist with the entire process from start to finish – applying for unabridged birth certificates, sending your documents to Dirco, and making sure they land up in your hands on time. And it isn’t only birth certificates we can help you with. We can apply for marriage certificates, death certificates, police clearances, academic documents and many more.

 

Don’t leave your legal documents in the hands of fate when you can have more control over the timeline. For more information or to request a quote, get in touch with the team at Doc Assist today.