The matric certificate is also known as the national senior certificate. It proves you were in school, completed and left senior school. You must present this document when looking for a job or even seeking admission to a school. If you do not have this certificate, you can have a successful life and career, but having the certificate is more than an added advantage. This is why losing or damaging it could be a serious problem for the holder. You can rest easy because replacing your matric certificate is easy and stress-free.
Also Read: 2025 Matric Exam Dates
Replacing to replace a lost matric certificate
If you have lost hope of replacing your certificate, we beg you to revive that hope. This article will provide you with a guide that will help you throughout your application process.
There are two ways of applying for a replacement of your matric certificate. You can either do it online or offline. The government has charged Umalsi to replace lost or damaged certificates. However, you cannot apply to Umalsi directly; you must apply to the Department of Education.
What do you need when applying for a lost matric certificate?
Knowing where to tender your application isn’t enough; we understand that. That is why we will provide information on how to complete the application process.
First, you will need an application form. You can get this form from the Department of Education website or walk down to any of their branch offices and get the form. It doesn’t matter where you wrote; there is no need to return there to complete this process. You can do it wherever you are now.
The form requires that you fill in certain details correctly; otherwise, you may have complications in getting your certificate replaced. You must include the exact year you wrote the examination, the name of the school and your full name as it was on the lost certificate.
Supporting documentation
Added to the form, you must attach other documents to it. These documents include:
- You must state in an affidavit why you are requesting your certificate be replaced: Was it stolen or damaged?
- If the certificate was damaged, you would have to attach the damaged certificate to your application form and the affidavit. If it was lost, this doesn’t apply to you.
- Then you would also need to include a certified copy of your identification documents and the original ID.
For a bit more information on the supporting documents:
The affidavit is supposed to be obtained from the police, so you can’t get it from anywhere else. It is a sworn statement explaining in detail what happened to the original document and its condition before you lost it. You must also explain in detail how you lost it: Was it vandalised, stolen, or lost in a fire? Whatever the case may be, it must be spelt out.
Certified copies of your identification documents: a certified copy means you photocopy your original documents and then take the copy to a police station or an attorney’s office. The certification would make it a legal document; otherwise, it is a regular piece of paper. This document is simply so that the Department of Education can identify you.
Proof of payment: replacing your lost certificate is not cost-free. You will have to pay a fee. However, the amount changes yearly after the Department of Education has reviewed it. But what’s sure is that you must pay a fee. Whatever fee is decided upon runs for 12 months from the 1st of April to the 31st of March the following year. As of March 2024, the cost to replace a matric certificate was R130. You can check with the Department of Education website to determine the present costs.
You can choose to pay the fee through checks, credit or debit cards or an ATM deposit. However, if you decide to make the payment, ensure that you have proof that you made the payment. You could use a payslip or any other document that proves the transactions.
An e-request: This isn’t as complicated as it sounds. After filling out your application and attaching all the supporting documents, you would submit your request to the Umalusi electronically, where it will be added to their database. If you are not familiar with the internet and would rather have the form filled out offline, simply fax the filled form along with the other supporting documents to Private bag X895, Pretoria, 0001.
How long does it take to replace a lost matric certificate?
Having your matric certificate replaced usually takes 4 – 6 weeks before a new certificate is issued. As much as you want to get it quicker, that isn’t possible. There is no quick fix to get the certificate replaced within 24 hours or so. You would have to wait patiently.
Also, note that once you are issued a new certificate, the old one becomes useless and invalid. So, if your certificate was lost, you applied to replace it and later found the original, which is no longer valid.
In conclusion, the information in this article should provide you with a guide to getting your matric certificate replaced. We understand that trying to penetrate the job market or seek enrollment may have been difficult, but you will be ready to jump right away. If you have any questions that the article has not been able to answer, please forward your inquiries to the Department of Education through any of the contact details listed below:
Department of Basic Education
222 Struben Street, Sol Plaatjie building Pretoria Central Tel: 012 357 3255 Web: @dbe.gov.za
Department of Higher Education
222 Struben Street, Sol Plaatjie building Pretoria Central Tel: 012 357 3255 Web: @dbe.gov.za
