Obtaining a matric certificate is a basic fundamental right in South Africa, and not having one makes obtaining a tertiary education impossible. As such losing or damaging your matric certificate could result in a lot of sleepless nights, especially since you need it once you leave high school.
If you find yourself in the position of a lost or damaged matric certificate, there are some solutions, but they’re going to cost you. Here’s how to get your replacement.
Where to apply?
You can apply for a replacement at the Department of Basic Education (DBE) or the Provincial Education Department (PED), by completing the Replacement application form.
While waiting for your certificate you can ask for a statement of results if you urgently need proof that you passed your matric exams.
If you did not lose your matric certificate but it is damaged, you need to return the original certificate to the DBE or PED and wait for a new one.
What is needed?
- You need to pay the prescribed fee by postal order at the Post office, or you can personally go to DBE or PED offices and pay in cash.
- You will need an affidavit stating what happened to your certificate (lost or damaged).
- Your original identity document (ID) and a certified copy not longer than three months.
- The original national/senior certificate (applicable if it is damaged).
Or you can download the application form (PDF), fill it in and post it with the attached documents to DBE or PED.
Waiting period
For records on the system it can take between four to six weeks to obtain your new one, but a statement of results is received immediately in the interim.
If it happens that your records are not on the system, it will take longer as records need to be retrieved from the archives and loaded onto the system first.
How much will it cost?
At the time of writing, please note that these fees are valid from 1st April 2018 to 31st March 2019 and are subject to change. Given the current pricing window, we’re expecting a potential change or increase of as the 1st of April this year.
Replacement Certificate: R107.00
Statement of Results: An additional R45.00
[Image – CC 0 Pixabay]
