For general information, please click here
To download the Apostille form, please click here
APOSTILLE INFORMATION
Please note: In South Africa, one must turn to the High Court in order to obtain the Apostille. One can also go to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pretoria, but only if the document is unabridged.To make an appointment at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pretoria, please email legalisation@dirco.gov.za. Official documents presented in the Consular Department will not be accepted without an Apostille stamp.
A document is generally recognized only in the country in which it was issued. In order to facilitate recognition of a document abroad, an international treaty regarding mutual recognition of documents was signed by many countries, including South Africa,Namibia and Botswana.
There are two possibilities for verifying a public document:
1. Verification by means of apostille
In 1978, Israel signed and ratified the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents - 1961 (hereinafter: the Hague Convention). The purpose of this Convention was to shorten the processes required for a particular country to recognize the official documents issued by another country, by means of apostille certification. This treaty is called the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirements of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents. According to that treaty, a document originating in one Convention country is recognized in all other Convention countries if it bears the socalled "APOSTILLE" stamp, which is a validation performed by the superior office in the country and province where it was issued.
Public documents and certificates that were issued in one of the countries that are signatories to the above Convention, and which bear the apostille stamp, are valid for presentation in Israel, without the need for additional verification / certification by the diplomatic / consular representative at the Israeli mission.
Verification of a document in a country that is not a signatory to the Hague Convention should be implemented as follows:
After the document is verified by the competent authority in the foreign country (usually the Foreign Ministry or Ministry of Justice), the Israeli consular representative verifies the signature of the competent authority.
With regard to a list of the countries that signed the Convention, and details about the authority competent to grant apostille certification in each country, as well as additional information, click
here.
If you need an Apostille please contact the country where the document was originally
issued.
You will need to submit the original document with a request to have the Apostille
attached.
The easiest way to obtain up to date information is to go into any search engine and enter the word Apostille. You will obtain various options how to order the Apostille.
NOTICE OF CHANGE IN CHILD VISA & PASSPORT PROCEDURES
Travelling with Children
New rules will apply from 1 June 2015. Parents travelling with children (under 18yrs) into or out of South Africa (through all borders and gates) will be asked to show the child’s unabridged (full) birth certificate with an apostille stamp.
Where only one parent is accompanying, parental or legal consent for the child to travel (eg an affidavit from the other parent, a court order or – if applicable – a death certificate). these documents also need to be signed by apostille or notarised.
There are more requirements for children travelling unaccompanied or with adults who are not their parents: Birth Certificate with apostille, Affidavit from the parents which must be notarised with apostille, copy of the parents passports and contact information of the parents.
You should travel with these documents in order to get in and out of South Africa.
Should you need a birth certificate stamp with apostille you can order it from the Israeli Consulate in Pretoria. You will need to fill in the birth certificate form in English. To add a photo of your child in the Israeli passport and pay R110. After completing the request it will take 8 weeks to produce(we cannot shorten the procedure)
Please send completed forms and proof of payment or for more info please email: consular2@pretoria.mfa.gov.il
consular4@pretoria.mfa.gov.il
Please take note of these new policies, and plan your applications accordingly.
Thank you.