SAQA Foreign Qualification Evaluation: Online Application and Document Guide
A SAQA Evaluation can establish recognition and NQF comparability for an eligible foreign qualification. Applicants should first confirm that their award falls within the service’s scope, use the current Authentication Services portal and read the official fee conditions. An evaluation is not a job, admission or professional-registration guarantee.
SAQA Evaluation: key details
- Location or access: National
- Timing: Ongoing service; no fixed closing date is stated on the source page.
Eligibility and requirements
- For holders of foreign qualifications, not an assessment of ordinary South African qualifications
- The qualification holder must apply with their own unique contact details
- Check whether the award falls within SAQA’s scope before paying
- Short courses, professional designations and other excluded awards should not be presented as eligible degree evaluations
What is offered?
- Official recognition and NQF-comparability process for eligible foreign qualifications
- Electronic evaluation outcome
- Current application portal and fee information in one practical guide
Important conditions
Evaluation is a paid service, not an admission, employment or professional-registration guarantee. Check the current official tariff before paying and do not assume a fixed processing time.
SAQA Evaluation: application or access steps
- Read SAQA’s evaluation guidance and confirm that your qualification falls within scope.
- Open the current SAQA Authentication Services portal and register using your own contact details.
- Follow the portal’s document checklist and check the current tariff and refund terms before paying.
- Monitor the account and your email for requests or the electronic evaluation outcome.
Prepare carefully
Before paying, confirm both the purpose of the evaluation and the documents required for your particular award. An employer or professional body may have separate admission or registration requirements even after SAQA has issued an evaluation. Use your own contact details so that requests for additional evidence and the final electronic outcome reach you directly.
Verification comes before comparison
SAQA describes two connected stages. It first checks the foreign qualification, including whether the issuing body is recognised, whether the award belongs to that country’s education system and whether the documents and claimed achievement are genuine. It then compares the qualification’s structure and outcomes with the South African framework.
The resulting SAQA Evaluation concerns recognition and comparability within the NQF. It is not a decision that every employer must hire the holder, that a university must admit them or that a professional body must register them. Those organisations may apply separate requirements.
Use the current portal and read the payment conditions
New SAQA Evaluation applications should be made through SAQA Authentication Services. The portal distinguishes these applications from those lodged before 4 February 2025, for which it provides a legacy link. Use the route appropriate to your application rather than opening a second account because an older guide points elsewhere.
Only qualification holders may apply using their own unique contact details, with the exceptions described by SAQA for parents or legal guardians. Consult the portal’s document checklist and current tariff before paying. This guide does not quote an exact fee because the official tariff file was intermittently unavailable during the final check; a third-party price is not a substitute for the current official amount.
Practical preparation checklist
Confirm why the evaluation is being requested before starting. An employer, educational institution or professional body may require a particular document or a separate assessment of its own. Keep your qualification records and application correspondence organised so that you can answer follow-up requests accurately. This does not mean every holder must obtain an evaluation for every purpose; follow the requirements of the organisation receiving it and SAQA’s own service criteria.
Questions about SAQA Evaluation
Can I submit a short-course certificate?
SAQA’s guidance excludes short courses and several other awards that are not foreign qualifications within its defined scope. Check the service criteria first.
Is the outcome a South African degree?
No. It is an evaluation of the foreign qualification and its comparability within the NQF, not a newly awarded South African degree.
Will SAQA contact a representative instead of me?
The service is designed for qualification holders to own their applications and use their own contact details. Follow SAQA’s specific provisions if a parent or legal guardian is involved.
Is there a guaranteed processing time?
This guide does not promise one. Consult current portal notices and respond promptly to requests for further information.
Official source
SAQA Evaluation: official information. Information checked on 22 October 2026. Recheck the source before applying, as opportunities and service requirements can change.
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