If you have lost or damaged your matric certificate, you can now get an Umalusi replacement certificate online within just two days – not the lengthy one-to-six-week period that was the case previously.
Umalusi formally launched its Online Application System for Replacement Certificates on Friday, 31 March 2023. In a statement afterwards, it said applicants can access the system from anywhere using a cellphone or computer device.
“The new system has significantly reduced the turnaround time and costs involved in replacing a lost or damaged certificate,” the quality assurance council explained.
“At a cost of R137.00, a candidate can collect a replacement certificate from Umalusi within two workings days of the application. Alternatively, a candidate can pay R202.00 (R137.00 for the certificate and R65.00 for courier fees) to have the certificate sent within seven working days to their chosen physical address anywhere within the borders of South Africa.”
How to get Umalusi replacement certificate online
You can apply for an Umalusi replacement certificate online using the following steps:
Step 1: Register online
The first step is to register on Umalusi’s replacement certificate website. You will need to provide details such as your name and surname, nationality, date of birth, gender and physical/postal address.
Step 2: Create a request
Once you have registered an account and have logged in, create a request. Provide details such as the year you obtained the qualification and, where possible, the school name. Additionally, specify the qualification you’re applying a replacement for. These include:
- National Certificate Vocational
- National Certificate (N3)
- National Senior Certificate (matric)
- Senior Certificate
- General and Further Education Certificate
- Amended Senior Certificate
- ABET Level 4
Once you’ve selected the qualification, upload a signed affidavit stating what happened to your original certificate (for example, lost, stolen or damaged). You should obtain this affidavit from a police station.
Next, upload a certified copy of your identity document. Finally, choose how you wish to receive your replacement certificate and then make your payment. You can choose collection from the Umalusi Pretoria office or via a courier service.
Step 3: Collection
The last step is to collect the certificate from the Umalusi office. If you chose to receive it via a courier service, the waiting period is seven days.
“A request for a replacement certificate obtained before November 1992 can be made from any of the Departments of Education and the same procedure followed. However, it should be noted that this certificate will be printed by the relevant Assessment Body and not Umalusi. The processing time is 1 to 3 weeks under normal circumstances,” Umalusi explains.
“It should be noted that the previous certificate is cancelled when a replacement certificate is issued. Should it happen that a candidate finds a certificate that was lost/replaced, then the candidate should know that the certificate is invalid.”