Document expediting service?(home affairs)

Paul Kemp

Paul Kemp

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Hi everyone,
Hope someone can assist.

I’ve applied for vault copy birth certificates for my kids a couple of months back. I understand these take time but need to apply for their passports ASAP.
I’d like to pay someone to expedite the process.

Can anybody recommend a reliable companies which you have first hand experience with.

ta.
 
How many months ago is a couple?
If it was a while ago you should be able to follow up on your own. Which is basically what anyone else would do if you pay them.
 
|tera| said:
How many months ago is a couple?
If it was a while ago you should be able to follow up on your own. Which is basically what anyone else would do if you pay them.
Click to expand...

A little over two.
As I understand it, Expediting services seem to have an inside guy that speeds up the process.
All the local home affairs does is send the request through to document storage in Pretoria, then wait for it to return. The return depends on when the “bag” for your local home affairs office is full.
I’ve been down to the home affairs office and they are unable to give any progress on the documents.
 
Edit: Wrong person. Deleted
 
Last edited:
Escapee said:
A little over two.
As I understand it, Expediting services seem to have an inside guy that speeds up the process.
All the local home affairs does is send the request through to document storage in Pretoria, then wait for it to return. The return depends on when the “bag” for your local home affairs office is full.
I’ve been down to the home affairs office and they are unable to give any progress on the documents.
Click to expand...
Personally going through the process as my birth certificate was declined for apostille, was great having to pay a fee to do it and then getting declined based on person's signature for the document no longer being on file/they retired.

Fees for unabridged were R2350, apostille R1250.
Took about a month after payment for birth certificates to be done (technically 25 days for the final one, for some reason different bag to the other ones, they were 20 days).
Busy waiting on the apostille, previous time it took just over two weeks with a different agency.
 
Last edited:
Escapee said:
A little over two.
As I understand it, Expediting services seem to have an inside guy that speeds up the process.
All the local home affairs does is send the request through to document storage in Pretoria, then wait for it to return. The return depends on when the “bag” for your local home affairs office is full.
I’ve been down to the home affairs office and they are unable to give any progress on the documents.
Click to expand...
Those a rookie numbers. Yesterday marked exactly TWO YEARS since I applied for an unabridged marriage certificate and still nothing has been forthcoming. Thinking of paying someone to do the chasing up for me as well. I hope you find someone who can assist.
 
R_D_V said:
Those a rookie numbers. Yesterday marked exactly TWO YEARS since I applied for an unabridged marriage certificate and still nothing has been forthcoming. Thinking of paying someone to do the chasing up for me as well. I hope you find someone who can assist.
Click to expand...

Crazy. At two years I would assume that application to be lost and would start by re-applying.
At this point I’ve spent the most part of 4 days in queues applying, following up etc.
I really feel for anyone that has to deal with/work at home affairs. Everyone seems to be trying to do their best in a not so ideal environment.

Thanks again for the help and input so far.
 
Yeah, Doc Assist is the biggest and best known for this job. Unfortunately, they are expensive and you will need to fork a few Ks out per passport.
 
HavocXphere said:
hmm...either people are talking about two very different things in this thread. Or greasing palms is now a bona fide business model lol
Click to expand...

Not sure what you are refering to, but nonetheless, if you apply for these documents at Home Affairs, it could takes months to years. I know, been waiting 6 years for my own vault copy of my birth certificate. These services require you to apply for the documents and then you can approach them. At a fee, they will speed up the service and get the documents for you in days to weeks. You do pay a hefty fee for that. They do not apply on your behalf. Also, I too suspect that they have someone inside Home Affairs archives in Pretoria who helps them locating files and documents much faster.
 
Escapee said:
A little over two.
As I understand it, Expediting services seem to have an inside guy that speeds up the process.
All the local home affairs does is send the request through to document storage in Pretoria, then wait for it to return. The return depends on when the “bag” for your local home affairs office is full.
I’ve been down to the home affairs office and they are unable to give any progress on the documents.
Click to expand...
I'm just thinking of background processes and why the actual delays are happening.
Sure, these services are around, but seriously, it looks like one big scam.
Don't release docs, use a service, pay your ass off. Cycle repeats.
Much too convenient.....
 
|tera| said:
I'm just thinking of background processes and why the actual delays are happening.
Sure, these services are around, but seriously, it looks like one big scam.
Don't release docs, use a service, pay your ass off. Cycle repeats.
Much too convenient.....
Click to expand...

I have seen the inside of the Home Affairs archives back in 2005. Back then, things were hectic there. There are thousands upon thousands of steel cabinets which houses brown files for every South African. All your dealings with Home Affairs, from birth to death are in these brown files. When I was there, thousands of files were stacked against walls waiting to be filed again. Documents were laying all over the floor, no longer in files. We were told just to step on the papers as we walked through to an office. Other brown files were falling from the cabinets. Back then I was amazed that they would ever be in a position to locate any file. I also suspect that those millions of files are no longer filed in sequence of identity number or surname the way it was done years before.

In the meantime, I heard about at least two fires in the building that also destroyed some files and paperwork.

If you see that mess, one would understand why it would take long to find a file in order to complete the electronic system to issue an unabridged certificate of any kind, birth, marriage or death.
 
HavocXphere said:
hmm...either people are talking about two very different things in this thread. Or greasing palms is now a bona fide business model lol
Click to expand...

It irks me like you won’t believe but it’s hard to believe these businesses exist without palm greasing somewhere down the line.

All documents are stored centrally and no normal man on the street has access to the premises. For anyone to be able to speed up the process they would need a contact. Anyway.

Fees wise everyone I have now contacted are charging the same amount for this particular service.
 
Escapee said:
It irks me like you won’t believe but it’s hard to believe these businesses exist without palm greasing somewhere down the line.

All documents are stored centrally and no normal man on the street has access to the premises. For anyone to be able to speed up the process they would need a contact. Anyway.

Fees wise everyone I have now contacted are charging the same amount for this particular service.
Click to expand...

Yes, you are right. These companies do have connections inside Home Affairs archives to get these documents faster. There are no ifs or buts about it. This is why they survive and do well too. Most people I know who used them got their documents in a matter of days or couple weeks.
 
You may have to accept the fact that you may never get a vault copy of your birth certificate if Home Affairs has lost the original. The problem is that many embassies will not accept an unabridged birth certificate (computer printout) and want to see a copy of the original. Which puts you in a sticky situation if Home Affairs no longer has the original.
 
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