What Is an Unabridged Certificate?

Certificate	Abridged Contains	Unabridged Also Contains
Birth	Child’s name, date of birth	Both parents’ full names, ID numbers, nationalities
Marriage	Names of spouses, date	Witnesses, marriage officer, type, maiden names
Death	Name, date of death	Cause of death, informant details, marital status

For most international purposes — visa applications, immigration, travel with minors, and document legalisation — the unabridged version is required.

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How to Apply

Unabridged certificates are issued by the Department of Home Affairs. Visit your nearest office with your ID, existing certificate (if you have one), and the relevant reference number.

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Getting It Apostilled

Once you have the unabridged certificate from Home Affairs, we handle the apostille:

Hague countries: We lodge the original at DIRCO → apostille issued (5–10 working days) → returned to you.

Non-Hague countries: We lodge at DIRCO for authentication → embassy legalisation if required.

Important: The certificate must be the original (not a copy) and must not be laminated.

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How We Can Help

• Advise on whether you need an unabridged certificate
• Apostille the certificate through DIRCO
• Legalise for non-Hague countries
• Prepare notarised copies if required
• Handle complete legalisation packages — multiple documents in one batch

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use my abridged certificate instead?

For most international purposes, no. DIRCO and foreign authorities typically require the unabridged version. For domestic SA use, the abridged version is usually acceptable.

My certificate is laminated. Is that a problem?

Yes. DIRCO rejects laminated documents. You will need a new, unlaminated certificate from Home Affairs. Do not laminate your certificates.