South African police clearance for Germany
German authorities frequently require a South African police clearance for residence, work and the newer opportunity-card routes — usually apostilled, and often with a certified German translation.
- Our fee
- R2,450per applicant
- Apostille
- R1,650usually required
When Germany requires a South African PCC
A police clearance (Führungszeugnis equivalent from your home country) is commonly required for residence permits, work visas, the EU Blue Card, and the Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card), as well as for certain professional registrations — particularly in healthcare, where recognition of your qualification (Anerkennung) often runs alongside the visa. If you lived in South Africa, the German mission or Ausländerbehörde will ask for a SAPS clearance.
Apostille and translation
Germany is a Hague Convention country, so the correct legalisation is an apostille — and for Germany it is usually genuinely required, not optional. Beyond that, German authorities frequently require a certified translation into German of the certificate. Both can be arranged: the apostille is R1,650, and we can coordinate a sworn translation so your document arrives in the form the authority expects. This matters — an un-apostilled or untranslated certificate is a common reason German paperwork is sent back.
Timing
German missions typically expect a recent certificate (commonly within three to six months). With SAPS at two to four weeks, plus apostille and translation, allow roughly two to three months. If you are on a Chancenkarte points timeline or a Blue Card job start, tell us the date and we will work back from it.
How we do it
Fingerprints on the SAPS form (in Germany, at a police station or service provider), couriered to us; we run the clearance, apostille and translation, and return the complete set to your German address (Zone 2 courier, R950). See applying from abroad and the apostille bundle.