Frequently Asked Questions

1. Evaluation of foreign qualifications is a process followed by SAQA to verify the authenticity of foreign qualifications and to compare foreign qualifications with South African qualifications registered on the South African National Qualifications Framework.
2. In South Africa, only SAQA can perform foreign evaluation and issue a recognition decision.
3. The result of the evaluation is a recognition statement. This tells you where the qualification fits within the South African National Qualifications Framework.
4. The results of a SAQA foreign evaluation can either be electronic SAQA Certificate of Evaluation (eSCoE) or an outcomes letter.

The turnaround around time for processing foreign evaluation is 3 months from date of receiving and registering a compliant application.

1. The purpose of the evaluation function is the recognition of foreign qualifications in terms of the South African National Qualifications Framework (NQF). SAQA derives this mandate from the NQF Act, 67 of 2008 (as amended) and performs the function according to the Policy and Criteria for Evaluating Foreign Qualifications within the South African NQF (as amended, 2024). (The document need to be updated on to the website)
2. The function is an integral part of a national recognition value chain, as explained in the above Policy and Criteria. The focus of SAQA’s role is on the location of foreign qualifications within the NQF. For admission to study; professional licensing; and employment the specific internal criteria and requirements of other relevant institutions must be met.
3. Evaluation is a two-phased process followed by SAQA to:

           A. Verify foreign qualifications by ensuring the following.

• Issuing bodies are accredited/recognised in the national systems they operate in.
• Qualifications are legitimately issued by those issuing bodies and part of the national qualifications of that country.
• Qualifications documents are in order and awards claimed by individuals are genuine.

        B. Compare foreign qualifications with South African qualifications, considering the structure and outcomes of the foreign qualifications, to locate  them within the South African NQF.

4. What is accreditation?

Is the process followed by competent recognition authority or quality assurance body to recognise a legally established institution as having the capacity to offer a qualification or part-qualification at the required standard; and/or to approve a learning programme as meeting the required standard.

5. what is comparison?

Comparison is the process of comparing foreign qualifications with qualifications registered on the South African National Framework.

6. What is verification of a foreign qualification?

This is the process of followed by SAQA to;

• Check the accreditation status of the awarding institution.
• Check the accreditation of the qualification and ensure that it falls with the national framework of the country of origin.
• Verify whether the submitted qualification(s), were lawfully awarded to the individual.

7. What is a professional designation?

A professional designation means a title or status conferred by professional body on recognition of a person’s stated learning outcome for a qualification.

• Payment per qualification submitted for evaluation.
• Foreign Qualifications Fee Structure
• directly with QHs and involve third parties only when they are the parents or legal guardians of the affected QHs.

1. For Hardcopy SAQA Certificate of Evaluation (SCoE)

The SCoE has several security features, as specified below. Therefore, it is important to always insist on seeing the original SCoE and to look for the following:

1. The new SAQA Certificate of Evaluation Security features on the front of the certificate (Page 1)
2. The new SAQA Certificate of Evaluation Security features on the front of the certificate (Page 2)
3. The new SAQA Certificate of Evaluation Security features on the back of the certificate
4. The new SAQA Certificate of Evaluation The contents on the back of the certificate

2. Electronic SAQA Certificate of Evaluation (eSCoE)

As a foreign qualification holder who applied for a SAQA evaluation, your Certificate of Evaluation is issued in electronic format that includes a digital seal.

The eSCoE is yours to share as and when you wish – it will always provide real-time confirmation of the SAQA evaluation outcome.

• To obtain your electronic SAQA Certificate of Evaluation (eSCoE), log onto the SAQA online application portal where you lodged your application (https://www.saqa.org.za > Services > Evaluation of foreign qualifications > Apply for an evaluation).
• On the Welcome page you will see a link to your eSCoE and to your SAQA Seal (both of which display for as long as the evaluation outcome remains valid).
• You can share the eSCoE as follows: 

1. Download as a PDF and share it via email (you can also print the PDF); or

2. Insert the SAQA Seal in your email footer, website, social media posts, documents, and the like. Please note that you should use the Seal URL, so that the image updates with the current date and time and is not simply copied and cached (stored) as at the date you inserted it.

• You can forward the QR code and Seal that appears on the electronic SAQA Certificate of Evaluation to any 3rd Party (individual and or organisation) and they can automatically access the evaluation outcome in real time. All they must do is to scan the QR code with their smartphone.  

Should you need any further assistance, kindly email dfqeas@saqa.org.za.

SAQA holds the copyright to the SCoE and it remains the property of SAQA.