The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) is an organization responsible for the verification of qualifications obtained from accredited South African higher learning institutions. This is an important step for individuals who need to provide evidence of their qualifications to potential employers, institutions, or regulatory bodies both within and outside South Africa.

To request a verification letter from SAQA, there is a four-step process that individuals need to follow.

STEP 1: Collecting Documents and Forms

The first step involves completing the verification letter consent form, which you can find by clicking here. Along with the consent form, individuals need to attach copies of their South African qualifications, national identification documents, or valid passport. It’s essential to ensure that the copies are scanned at their present size and are of good quality. Once the documents are ready, they can be sent to [email protected].

STEP 2: Sending Quotation

After receiving the verification request, SAQA will send a quotation to the applicant with a reference number and draft verification letter. The quotation will indicate the amount that needs to be deposited into the SAQA bank account. It’s crucial to ensure that the quoted amount is paid, as refunds will not be issued for overpayments. Once the payment is made, proof of payment with a reference number must be forwarded to [email protected].

STEP 3: Collecting Verification Letter

Once the payment is confirmed, the applicant will receive an electronic version of the verification letter and certificate/s. The verification letter can be used for various purposes, such as legalizing documents, obtaining visas, or obtaining employment outside of South Africa. SAQA will also provide details on where to collect the original verification letter. It’s important to collect and submit the original verification letter before getting the document apostilled by DIRCO.

Sample Verification Letter

It’s essential to note that the process of requesting a verification letter from SAQA may take up to 25 working days (or longer). This processing time includes the quotation and payment process, payment confirmation, and issuing of the verification letter. If the qualification/s are not found on the National Record’s Database (NLRD), SAQA will contact the institution/s for verification. This may cause delays in the completion of the verification letter. Finally, it’s important to send verification requests to [email protected], as requests sent to any other email address will not be attended to until forwarded to the correct email address.

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