In South Africa, you can generally use any document that has your name and physical address as proof of residence or address.

Documents that can be used as proof of address are required to have the following:

• Your full name as shown on your South African I.D.
• Your updated residence address. If you live in a township you need to include your township name as well as ERF number. A document that includes your postal address will NOT be accepted.
• Documents that are issued monthly should not be older than three months
• Documents issued annually should not be older than one year.
• Document being used needs to be issued by another company. For example, if you need to give ABSA a proof of residence, you can’t use an ABSA bank statement. You would need to find a document issued by another company.

Bank Statement

Using a bank statement is probably the most common form of proof of payment because it’s easy to source, and it has your full name and address on the document.

Just make sure you use your most recent bank statement, generally needs to be less than 3 months old.

How can you get your bank statement?

• Online banking. It all depends who you bank with, however generally speaking the quickest way to get your bank statement is to either download it from your bank’s online banking portal.
• ATM. If you don’t have online banking some banks such as FNB allow you to use an ATM to get your bank statement.
• Contact your bank via phone or email. A lot of banks in South Africa offer phone banking. If your bank does, then find the number, call it, and request that they send you the latest bank statement to your email address.
• Walk into a branch. Fall back from that, you’ll definitely be able to get one by walking into your local bank branch.

READ MORE: If you bank with FNB, I wrote a guide on how to download a bank statement from your online banking profile here.

Utility Bill

Utility bills are another common method people use as proof of residence. They can include anything from your water and lights bill to a property managing agent statement, so if you have any of these lying around then try to use them.

Just make sure the utility bill you use is no older than 3 months old. Most companies won’t accept anything older than that.

How can you get your utility bill?

If you do pay for water and lights but you’re not sure where you can get your hands on the bill then here are some places you can look.

• Register or login to your eThekwini eServices account.
• Contact eThekwini Municipality on 031-324-5000. They’re open Monday to Friday: 07:30 to 16:30.

Active Rental or Lease Agreement

If you’re renting a home or office space then you should have an active rental or lease agreement that you can use as your proof of residence.

Just make sure that it’s no more than 1 year old.

How can you get your rental or lease agreement?

If you don’t have one, or if it’s older than 1 years old then speak to the home owner. They will be able to provide you with an updated lease agreement.

Telephone Account or Any Fixed-Line Provider

If you have a Telkom or any other fixed line account then you’ll also be able to use your bill or contract as proof of residence.

You’ll need to get your hands on a bill that is no more than 3 months old. Most companies won’t accept anything later than this.

How to can you get your latest fixed line bill?

• Contact the company directly and request the latest bill. Don’t have their contact details? Do a quick google search online.
• Walk in the store. At any given moment you should be able to walk in the store and request your latest bill.
• Check your mail. You should receive your bills in the mail monthly.
• Check your online customer portal. Most fixed-line providers will have a customer portal that generally includes your bills.

Cellphone Contract

Most people have a cellphone contract which is why it’s commonly used as proof of address.

Since cellphone contracts generally need to renewed every 12 or 24 months, makes sure you use your most recent and active cellphone contract.

How can you get your cellphone contract?

• Walk in the cellphone shop. The easiest way to get your cellphone contract if you’ve lost it is to walk into the cellphone store where you signed up for the contract. They will be able to pull up your details there and then and give you a printed version.
• Contact them directly. If you don’t have time, you could also give them a call and see if they can email you a copy.

Subscription T.V Statement

A typical example here is your MultiChoice statement. That said any TV statement should work, just make sure it has your full name and address on the document.

Use the most recent copy. Typically most companies won’t accept anything older than 3 months.

How can you get your Multi-choice statement?

The quickest way is to walk into a Multi-choice store and ask them to print out your statement. Don’t forget to take your ID so you can prove who you are, they won’t print your statement for anyone.

Medical Aid Policy

If you have a medical aid you can also use the policy document as a proof of address. Just make sure the document includes your policy number, full name and address.

In this case it doesn’t really matter how old the document is, it just needs to be an active medical aid policy.

How can you get your medical aid policy?

• Call or email the agent that signed you up to the medical aid. They should provide ongoing assistance to you.
• Call or email the company. Each medical aid company will have a support team to help. Just make sure you have your policy number on hand so they can pull up your information without any hassles.
• Online portal. If your medical aid provider is advanced enough, they’ll have your medical aid policy available for download on your online profile.

Store Account or Invoice

Do you have an Edgars, Woolworth or any other store account? If yes then you could get us your store account statement or invoice as proof of address.

For a store account, generally companies won’t accept anything older than 3 months. So keep that in mind.

How can you get your store account invoice?

The best way to get your store account is by walking into the store and asking them to print it out for you right there and then.

Most Recent Payslip

If you work, then you can also use your most recent payslip as proof of payment. Just make sure it’s a proper letterhead that has your physical address, your full name, your employer’s full name as well your employee number.

It’s important that you use your most recent payslip, nothing older will be accepted by most companies.

How can you get your most recent payslip?

The only way you can get a copy of your most recent payslip is to speak to your boss directly, and if that’s not possible, then speak to someone in management.

Traffic Fine

Traffic fines can be good for one thing, they can be used as a proof address. Just make sure your traffic fine was issued directly from the Metro Police Department, most companies won’t accept E-toll statements.

I’m not 100% how old your fine needs to be however I think as long as it’s within a 12 month period you should be good.

How can you get your traffic fine?

Traffic fines generally come in through the post, but if you’ve lost it then you’ll probably be able to get a copy by walking into your local Metro Police Department.

Vehicle Registration Documents

Have you ever registered a vehicle in your name? Then consider using your registration document as proof of address.

How can you get replacement vehicles registration documents?

If you’ve lost your documents then you can get them replaced by either:

• Go to mySA GOV account here. Once in, find a print the “registration details certificate.” This option is completely free.
• If you can’t use the mySA account then you can also walk into one of many service stations or give them a call. Find one near you here. For this option, you will have to pay to get your registration document printed.

Official Tax Return

If you’ve ever submitted a tax return then this is another viable option.

Just make sure you use your most recent tax return, it needs to be less than 1 year old.

How can you get your tax return?

• If you used efiling to submit your tax return then getting a copy should be relatively easy. Login to your filing account here and locate and download your latest tax return.
• You should also be able to get your tax return at a local SARS branch. Use this to find a branch feature to locate one near you.

Affidavit That Confirms Your Address

Proof of residence affidavit’s are useful in a case where you live with someone, but you don’t have a tenant or lease agreement.

How to create a proof of residence affidavit?

1. First, go to this link and download and print the affidavit template.
2. Get the owner of the property or the person you’re living with to fill in the form.
3. Get either the police station or your local bank to certify it. This is free.

Valid SABC T.V Licence

Most people will have a SABC T.V license which makes it a common method, and getting your hands on it is really easy. You can use two documents, either your renewal or registration T.V license document. Just make sure it has your name and address on the document.

Just make sure the license you use is up to date. Try to get one that is less than one year old.

How can you get your T.V license?

To get a copy of your T.V licence all you need is an internet connection and your T.V licence number.

1. Follow this link to sign in or to register with the SABC online platform.
2. Once done, you’ll get access to a downloadable copy of your T.V license.

If you struggle to get your hands on your T.V license, then you can also contact SABC here.

Home Loan Statement From an Approved Lender

If you’ve taken out a mortgage on your home you can use your statement as a proof of address. However, this only applies if you’ve taken out a mortgage with an approved financial lender for example, major banks such as FNB, ABSA etc.

How can you get your home loan statement?

If you don’t have your home loan statement then you should be able to request a copy from the lender.

Registration Letter From College For Students

If you’re a student and you live on campus then you’ll be able to use your college or university registration letter. Just make sure it includes the address of your college or university, as well as your full name.

How can you get your registration letter?

If you’ve lost your college registration letter then the best way to get it is to go to your college’s admin office.

Letter From Security Service Employer

If you work for security service and live on base, then you could get a letter from an employer stating that you live on-premises. Just a few things to keep in mind.

The security company needs to be registered with the PSIRA (Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority.) For example, if you work for ADT or Chubb. You need to make sure the PSIRA number is visible on the letter, along with your full name and the address of the premises.

Life Insurance Policy

If you’ve taken out life insurance you can also use this document as proof of address. Make sure that your full name, address, and FSB number is shown on the document.

How can you get your life insurance policy?

If you’ve misplaced your policy then either contact your life insurance rep, or you can contact the company directly.

Short Term Insurance Policy

If you’ve recently taken out insurance then this is another document you can use. You just need to make sure it was issued by a verified financial service in South Africa and your FSB number must be visible on the document.

How can you get your short term insurance policy?

If you don’t have the policy on hand, you can contact your insurance company directly to request it.

Letter From Your Local Municipal Councillor

Don’t have access to any of the above documents? Then usually a letter with an official municipality letterhead from your local municipal councilor will be your last resort.

Make sure they include your full name, ID number, resident address as well as a signature from the Councillor, an official municipality stamp, and the date it was issued.

Tribal Village Authority Letter

If you live in a tribal village this could be another option you could use.

The letter would need to include; your full name, the name of the designated official (tribal chief or leader), what legislation, ordinance, or regulation authorizes the designated official, confirmation by the designated official that you live on the communal property under the control of the traditional authority, the date when the letter was issued, and the signature and stamp of the designated official.