About applying for alteration on your matric certificate (changing your name or surname)

To change your name or surname on your matric certificate, you must apply for Reissues: legal alteration of personal details with the Department of Basic Education (DBE).

You must personally go to the nearest DBE offices, for the DBE officials to interview you before they make the amendments.

You can request for the statement of results while waiting for the release of your certificate.

What you should do

• Pay the prescribed fee by postal order at the post office.
• Go to the nearest DBE offices with the following documents:
• your original National/ Senior Certificate and a certified copy
• identity Document (ID) and a certified copy of your ID
• an affidavit stating reasons for alteration (i.e. you got married)
• confirmation letter from the Department of Home Affairs
• birth certificate. If you don’t have a birth certificate you must bring either a clinic card, baptismal certificate, school report with your name and date of birth.
• Alternatively you can download the Re-issue-Senior Certificate/NSC Change of personal information form, fill it in and post it with the attached documents including the postal order to: Private Bag X895, Pretoria, 0001.
  

How long does it take

It takes four – six weeks for replacement certificate.

How much does it cost

It will cost you R250.00 for replacement certificate. If you want a statement of results, it will cost you an additional R15.00.

Forms to complete

(Documents are provided in PDF format. To open PDF documents, you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader 4 or higher installed on your computer.)

Re-issue-Senior Certificate/NSC Change of personal information

Who to contact

• National office: (012) 312 5845/6/7
• Eastern Cape: (043) 604 7709/73
• Free State: (051) 404 8000
• Gauteng: (011) 355 0588
• KwaZulu Natal: (031) 327 0538/0331
• Limpopo: (015) 290 7747/7830
• Mpumalanga: (013) 766 5807
• Northern Cape: (053) 839 6585
• North West: (018) 384 3100/51
• Western Cape: (021) 467 2483