Quick answer
Bank statements come up in South African visa and permit files. One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs — $220, 5–7 business days.
- Issued by
- A Florida notary: notarizing a bank officer's signature on a letter or stamped statement, attesting a copy of your statement, or notarizing your sworn statement about it.
- Florida state fee
- $10 — included in $220
- Route
- Apostille only — Hague member since 1995
- Online notarization
- Available as an add-on
- Translation
- English is one of South Africa's official languages and Florida documents are issued in English, so they usually go without a translation.
- Turnaround
- 5–7 business days, filed in person
How a Florida bank statement is used in South Africa
Bank statements come up in South African visa and permit files. Retired person's visas and other categories look at proof of financial means, and visitor's visa applicants may be asked to show they can support themselves. Home Affairs checklists set what's required, and an apostille isn't always part of it, so check before you order one. If an apostille is wanted, a bank officer signs a letter or statement before a notary, or a Florida notary certifies a copy as a true copy. A printout from online banking can't be apostilled.
Getting a bank statement Florida will apostille
The statement or bank letter must carry a complete Florida notarial certificate: a bank officer's signature acknowledged in a representative capacity (or sworn), a Florida attested-copy certificate, or a jurat on your sworn statement with the statement attached. Every page must be included, and the notary must be commissioned in Florida.
Ask your branch for a reference letter signed before a Florida notary, or use the attested-copy or sworn-statement route, both of which can be done through our online notarization add-on: $40 for the first document ($10 notarization fee + $30 technology platform fee) and $20 for each additional document. Bank fees and notarization are not included in our $220.
State fee for this document: $10 — included in our price. Full details on the bank statement apostille page.
Who receives it in South Africa — and translation
The Department of Home Affairs handles visas, permits and civic records. The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) evaluates foreign degrees. Attorneys and conveyancers take Florida documents to the Deeds Office, banks and the Master of the High Court for estates. DIRCO (the Department of International Relations and Cooperation) says foreign documents must be legalised in their country of origin, which for a Florida document means the Florida Department of State.
English is one of South Africa's official languages and Florida documents are issued in English, so they usually go without a translation. Home Affairs' sworn-translator requirement covers documents that aren't in an official South African language. If a Florida document is in another language, our standard applies: translator's certification, notarized by a different notary, with its own Florida apostille, and ask whether Home Affairs instead wants a sworn translator.
Home Affairs' work-visa checklists say a police clearance can't be older than six months when submitted. Parental consent affidavits for children traveling through South African ports of entry must be no more than four months old when presented, according to DIRCO's advisory.
Four steps, one week
Order online
Pick the document and destination country on the order form and pay by card. After we review your documents, FedEx emails you a prepaid label.
Send it — or sign online
Drop the envelope at any FedEx location. Not signed yet? Add online notarization and there is nothing to ship.
We file in person
We review it, then walk it to the Florida Department of State in Tallahassee for the apostille.
Returned to you
Back in 5–7 business days — anywhere in the U.S., or abroad for a flat $100.
Why bank statements get rejected
- Medallion signature guarantee instead of a notarization
- Letter notarized at an out-of-state bank office
- Pages missing, or added after notarization
- Statement older than the consulate's cutoff
What it costs for South Africa
$220 per document, $380 for two and $160 each for three or more — the state fee, request form, in-person filing in Tallahassee and FedEx shipping inside the U.S. are included. Shipping the finished apostille to South Africa is a flat $100 per order.
Not included: whatever the issuing office charges for the certified copy or certificate, and notarization (online notarization is $40 for the first document — $10 notarization fee + $30 technology platform fee — and $20 for each additional one).