Architects can pursue reciprocal licensure internationally through our Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) between NCARB and the South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP). If you are an architect from South Africa seeking reciprocal licensure in the United States, contact SACAP before starting the process with NCARB.

Qualifications

To be eligible for reciprocal licensure under this agreement, you must:

Note: Architects who are licensed/registered in their home country through another international mutual recognition agreement are not eligible under this agreement. 

How to Pursue Licensure in South Africa

This MRA will go into effect on July 6, 2026. If you are a U.S. architect seeking licensure in South Africa, you may follow the steps below beginning July 6:  

  1. Confirm Eligibility—Confirm that you meet the eligibility requirements above and review the list of participating jurisdictions to confirm that your current jurisdiction is a participant.
  2. Contact NCARB—Once you confirm you’re eligible for licensure through the MRA, contact NCARB online or at 202-879-0520. NCARB’s Customer Relations team will review your NCARB Record, verify that you meet the eligibility requirements, and transmit your Record to SACAP for their review—you will be charged NCARB's transmittal fee.
  3. Complete Application Process With SACAP—After your NCARB Record has been shared with SACAP, you will need to create an online SACAP profile and complete their application process. At this point, you will need to register as a Candidate Architect and apply to take an assessment, the Professional Practice Examination (PPE). Once you have successfully passed the PPE, you may upgrade your status to Registered Professional Architect. If you have questions while completing SACAP’s application process, you should contact SACAP for guidance.  
  4. Right to Work—To conduct in-person business in South Africa, you must be granted legal permission to work there. Neither NCARB nor SACAP can provide you with the right to work. You must submit a visa application for permission to work in South Africa. Note that this is required only for architects seeking to practice in person in South Africa. 

How to Pursue Licensure in the U.S.

This MRA will go into effect on July 6, 2026. If you are a South African architect seeking licensure in the United States, please follow the steps below beginning July 6:  

  1. Confirm Eligibility—Confirm that you meet the eligibility requirements above, verify that the U.S. jurisdiction in which you are seeking licensure participates in the agreement (list of participating U.S. jurisdictions), and ensure you are able to meet any jurisdiction-specific requirements.
  2. Establish Your SACAP MRA Record—Complete your SACAP Record and pay the applicable fee on your SACAP profile.
  3. Establish an NCARB Record—Establish an NCARB Record and pay the required fee. You will need to upload the following: a SACAP Registered Architect Record or SACAP Record, a Golden Certificate of Registration, and a Golden Certificate of Good Standing. Once your payment has been processed, NCARB will issue you an NCARB Record number. NCARB will then review your credentials and, if approved, issue you an NCARB Certificate.  
  4. Apply for U.S. Licensure—After receiving an NCARB Certificate through the MRA, you must apply for licensure or registration in a participating U.S. jurisdiction within 12 months of obtaining the Certificate. If your SACAP credentials expire before you earn a U.S. license, you may be required to provide updated SACAP documents.  
  5. Right to Work—To conduct business in the United States, you must be granted the right to work there. Neither NCARB nor SACAP can provide you with the right to work. 

Fees

South African Architects:

  • South African architects will need to establish an NCARB Record and pay a $1,381 USD application fee to NCARB.
  • South African architects will also need to pay a transmittal fee to have their NCARB Record sent to the U.S. jurisdiction where they are seeking licensure and will need to pay additional licensure fees to the relevant jurisdiction. Jurisdictional licensure fees vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and are set by the jurisdiction.

U.S. Architects:

  • You will need to pay the Record transmittal fee to have your Record transmitted to SACAP. Contact NCARB online or at 202-879-0520 to initiate the transmittal process.
  • After your Record is transmitted, you will be required to pay SACAP the application fee of R2 971.00.
  • When you apply to take the Professional Practice Examination (PPE), you will be required to pay a fee of R2 962.00.
  • After passing the PPE, you will need to pay a fee of R2 208.00 to upgrade your status to  Registered Professional Architect.
  • For U.S. architects seeking to practice in person in South Africa, you will need to submit your visa application and pay the R2 436.00 visa application fee.