Document apostille and embassy attestation for South Africans heading to Asia and the Middle East — one place for the SA-side paperwork your visa needs
Heading to Asia or the Middle East for work, study, marriage, family or business? Almost every visa category requires South African documents — degree, police clearance, marriage certificate, birth certificate — to be either apostilled (for Hague Convention countries) or attested through the full embassy chain (for non-Hague countries). We handle the SA-side document chain end-to-end so your visa application doesn’t get rejected for documentation. Tell us your destination and we’ll quote.
We do: Apostille and embassy attestation of all your South African documents on the SA side — degree, transcript, professional registration, police clearance, birth/marriage certificates, work experience letters, powers of attorney, and commercial documents. We bundle sworn translation where needed.
We don’t do: The visa application itself. The visa is submitted to the destination embassy/consulate by you, your employer, or a visa agent in the destination country. Our job is to make sure that when your documents reach the embassy, they are attestation-ready so the visa step doesn’t get rejected for paperwork. WhatsApp us your destination if you need a referral to a visa agent.
The right document path depends on whether your destination is a Hague Apostille Convention member. Hague countries accept the simpler apostille; non-Hague countries require the full embassy attestation chain.
| Country | Hague Member? | Document Path | Our Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | Yes (since 2023) | Apostille only | China page |
| India | Yes | Apostille only | via apostille |
| Japan | Yes | Apostille only | via apostille |
| South Korea | Yes | Apostille only | via apostille |
| Hong Kong | Yes | Apostille only | via apostille |
| Vietnam | No | Full embassy attestation | Vietnam page |
| Thailand | No | Full embassy attestation | Thailand page |
| Taiwan | No | Full attestation via Taipei Liaison Office | Taiwan page |
| Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Myanmar | No | Full embassy attestation | WhatsApp for quote |
| Country | Hague Member? | Document Path | Our Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAE | No | Full embassy attestation | UAE page |
| Saudi Arabia | No | Full embassy attestation | Saudi page |
| Qatar | No | Full embassy attestation | Qatar page |
| Kuwait | No | Full embassy attestation | Kuwait page |
| Bahrain | Yes | Apostille only | via apostille |
| Oman | Yes | Apostille only | via apostille |
| Israel | Yes | Apostille only | via apostille |
| Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan | No | Full embassy attestation | WhatsApp for quote |
Standard pack: degree, SAPS police clearance, professional registration certificate (HPCSA, SACE, ECSA), employment / experience letters, sometimes marriage and birth certificates for dependants. Healthcare workers heading to Saudi need the full Mumaris+ pack.
Standard pack: degree, TEFL/CELTA certificate, police clearance. SACE certificate if state-school placement. See our teacher destination guides.
Standard pack: unabridged marriage certificate, unabridged birth certificates for children, sometimes letter of no impediment for new marriages.
Standard pack: degree (for postgraduate) or NSC/Matric (for undergraduate, with Umalusi letter), academic transcripts, police clearance.
Standard pack: CIPC company documents, board resolutions, powers of attorney, financial statements.
Most don’t require attested documents — just passport and standard supporting docs to the embassy. Check the destination embassy’s requirements before applying.
Most Asian and Middle Eastern destinations require sworn translation alongside the apostille or attestation:
We coordinate sworn translation through our partner network where SA-side translation is accepted.
Tell us the destination, the visa type and what documents you have available — we’ll quote the full attestation pack and timeline within the day.
Asia and the Middle East have become leading destinations for South African skilled emigration in 2025–2026:
No. We handle the South African document side — apostille and embassy attestation. The visa application is submitted to the destination embassy by you, your employer, or a visa agent in your destination country. We make sure your documents arrive embassy-ready.
China (since 2023), India, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Mauritius, Fiji. For these countries, an apostille is sufficient. Non-Hague Asian countries needing full embassy attestation: Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Myanmar.
Bahrain, Israel, Oman are Hague members (apostille sufficient). Non-Hague: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan.
Hague countries (apostille only): 1–2 weeks per document. Non-Hague countries (full attestation): 2–5 weeks per document. Multi-document packs: 3–6 weeks total. Plan early.
Translation usually happens after apostille (the translator translates both the original and the apostille certificate). For non-Hague embassy attestation chains, translation timing depends on whether the destination accepts SA-side or destination-side translation. We coordinate to avoid any delays. More on sworn translation.
Yes. We process documents for any embassy located in South Africa, plus any DIRCO apostille destination. WhatsApp us your destination and we’ll confirm the chain.
The Campus, Bryanston
Gauteng 2021, South Africa
Monday - Saturday
08:00 - 18:00