A death certificate is required to settle an estate, apply for insurance benefits, pay pension claims, and close the family member’s estate. 

On receipt of the Death Notification and the Death Report, the Department of Home Affairs will issue the Death Certificate. Copy of a Death Certificate is usually free of charge for the first copy. 

A Death Certificate application can be made at any office of the Department of Home Affairs. People living abroad should apply at any South African embassy, consulate or mission if the death of a South African citizen occurs.

How Do I Obtain a Death Certificate?

You could apply directly to the Department of Home Affairs in your area. But, take note that, as with anything else, service delivery isn’t high up on their priority list. And seeing that these types of documents are somewhat delicate, it might only aggravate the situation and might not be the best option. 

The other option is to apply through Doc Assist. Not only will the process be less tedious, but it will also be much faster. If you’ve already applied to DHA but want to speed up the process, we can expedite the application. You will get the death certificate of your loved one in weeks, not months or years. 

Types of Death Certificates

Abridged 

As the name implies, an abridged death certificate is a computer printout without the full details of the death. We require the ID number and details of the death to be registered at Home Affairs. It will take around one week to process the application. In addition to the ID number, all details about the death need to be provided.

Unabridged 

An unabridged death certificate gives the exclusive details of the deceased and their death. A computer printout of this type of death certificate can be legalised or apostilled.

At Doc Assist, we can only expedite applications that have already been submitted to a DHA office in South Africa.

When will you require an unabridged Death Certificate?

• Visas for certain countries  
• Emigration purposes

It will take 3 to 6 weeks to expedite the application depending on how easily the records are located in the archives. The costs for both types of death certificates will be dependent on the number of certificates required.

Doc Assist specialises in legal document assistance for South Africans. We can help you obtain a death certificate, marriage certificate, birth certificate or copy thereof fast and efficiently. Our team can apply for the certificate on your behalf or expedite the application. For more information or to request help from Doc Assist, get in touch with the team today!