South African police clearance for the United Kingdom

Which UK visas need a South African PCC

The UK does not ask every applicant for one. It is required where you are applying in a route that involves working with vulnerable people — most commonly the Skilled Worker visa in health, education and social-care roles (doctors, nurses, teachers, care workers) — and for some settlement and partner routes. You must provide a certificate from any country where you lived for 12 months or more in the 10 years before your application, while aged 18 or over. For South Africans, that usually includes South Africa.

If you are on a visitor visa, a student route, or a Skilled Worker role outside the specified sectors, you generally do not need one — check your visa's document checklist, which states it explicitly.

Apostille for the UK

The United Kingdom is a Hague Convention country, so where legalisation is needed, an apostille is the correct route — not embassy attestation. In practice UK Visas and Immigration usually accepts the SAPS certificate directly for the criminal-record requirement, but if you are also submitting South African civil documents (birth, marriage) for a partner or settlement application, those frequently need an apostille. We will tell you which of your documents need it; the apostille is R1,650 and we add it in the same run.

Timing

UK criminal record certificates are usually expected to be issued within six months of your application. With SAPS running two to four weeks plus courier, start about two to three months before you intend to apply — not so early that it ages out.

From South Africa or already in the UK

Either works. In the UK, have your fingerprints taken on the SAPS form (we supply it), courier them to us, and we handle the South African side and return the certificate to your UK address (Zone 2 courier, R950). See applying from abroad.