Consular Services
Authentication / Legalization of Documents
When a document is required for legal use in the Republic of South Africa, the following procedure should be followed to have it authenticated by any of the South African Missions in the USA:
- If the person signing the documents wishes his/her signature to be witnessed by an official of this Mission, he/she must be able to show identification. We require two (2) original forms of identification that shows a photograph and signature of the person signing the documents (passport, driver's license, resident card, etc.) as proof of identity -- with photocopies for our records.
- Applicants are reminded to kindly ensure they make an appointment before presenting at the Embassy/Consulate General during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Documents sent through mail or messenger service should be signed by a Notary Public and authenticated by the County Clerk, whose signature in turn should be authenticated by the Secretary of State of the State concerned.
New York only: The only exception to above rule are documents authenticated by the New York County Clerk. In this case, the Secretary of State does not have to authenticate the County Clerk's signature. This only applies to New York county.
Rev. Thursday, 23-Mar-2023