The matric certificate is also known as the national senior certificate. It is proof that you were in school, completed and left senior school; You are required to present this document when you are 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 it or damaging it could be a serious problem for the holder. Well, you can rest easy because replacing your matric certificate is easy and stress-free.
Also Read: 2024 Matric Exam Dates
Replacing to replace a lost matric certificate
In case you had lost hope of replacing your certificate, we beg that you revive that hope. In this article, we are going to be giving you 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 would have to 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 quite enough; we understand that. That is why we will be providing information on how to go about the application process.
First, you will need an application form. You can get this form from the department of education website, or you can 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 will need to 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 will have to attach other documents to it. These documents include:
- You have to state in an affidavit why you are requesting your certificate to 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 along with the original ID.
For a bit more information on the supporting documents:
The affidavit: it is supposed to be gotten from the police, so you can’t get it from anywhere else, and it is a sworn statement explaining in detail what happened to the original document and the condition of the document before you lost it. You must also detailly explain how you lost it; were you vandalised, was it stolen, did you lose it in a fire, whatever the case may be, it must be spelt out.
Certified copies of your identification documents: a certified copy means that you photocopy your original identification 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: the process to replace your lost certificate is not cost-free. You will have to pay a fee. However, the amount changes every year after the Department of Education has reviewed it. But what’s sure is that you most definitely have to 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 inquire what the present costs are.
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 have to 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 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?
The process to have your matric certificate replaced usually takes about 4 – 6 weeks before a new certificate is issued to you. As much as you may like to get it a little quicker, that isn’t possible. There is no quick fix to be able to get the certificate replaced within 24 hours or so. You would have to wait patiently.
Also, notes that once you are issued a new certificate, the old one automatically becomes useless and invalid. So, if your certificate was lost, you applied to have it replaced and later found the original; the original is no longer valid.
In conclusion, the information contained 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 seeking enrollment may have been difficult, but you will be ready to jump right in no time. 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
