There are many reasons why you would need the ID number of a deceased person in South Africa. One such reason is for immigration purposes. See, when you apply for a residence visa or citizenship in another country, they need information about your parents. If your parents are deceased, it might be difficult to find the details needed for the application to proceed.
A lot of websites claim to have databases where you can search but from experience, none of these work and you’ll be wasting hours upon hours online trying to find something you simply can’t get your hands on because it’s not available to the public.
One way to obtain the ID of a deceased person in South Africa is to apply at your nearest DHA office, complete form BI-132 and pay the required fee of R75. An appropriate reason and relationship are required to obtain a death certificate. The death certificate contains the identity number of the deceased if the person was a citizen or a permanent resident.
Keep in mind that you’ll need to take a day’s leave for this as you will be waiting in line for a long time. If you’re already abroad, this option won’t cut it. You can apply at your nearest South African consulate or embassy for a death certificate. The waiting time when you go directly through DHA is also a gamble. If you’re willing to take the chance, then go ahead. But, more often than not, visa applications are time-sensitive and waiting for months on end simply isn’t an option.
How do I find the ID of a deceased person in South Africa?
Another option (also the most efficient option) is to use a legal document agent such as DocAssist to apply on your behalf. In addition to making the process less tedious, you will receive your documents much quicker. For an unabridged death certificate, the turnaround time is about three weeks, and for an abridged death certificate, it is one week. Apostille documents for use abroad is another service we can provide. Get in touch with DocAssist today to learn more or to get the process going as soon as possible.