Almost Finished With Debt Review? Here Is How the Clearance Certificate Process Works

Understanding Updated Balances, Paid-Up Letters, End Balance Differences and Form 19 Clearance

Reaching the end of debt review is a major milestone. If you are close to finishing your debt review, you may be wondering when you will receive your debt review clearance certificate, also known as a Form 19. You may also want to know why DCGsa requests updated balances, paid-up letters and final confirmations before the debt review flag can be removed from your credit profile.

This article explains the debt review clearance process in simple terms, including paid-up letters, end balance differences, final payments, credit bureau updates and what must happen before your clearance certificate can be issued.

Need a quick answer?
Here is a simple yes/no guide to help you understand debt review clearance, debt review flag removal and what may delay the process. For a more detailed explanation, please read the full questions below.

Quick Q&A: Frequently Asked Questions About Debt Review Clearance Certificates.

  • Can I get my clearance certificate immediately after my last payment?

Not always. DCGsa must first confirm that the legal requirements have been met. This normally includes checking final balances, paid-up letters, account numbers, fees and any end balance differences.

  • What is a Form 19?

A Form 19 is the clearance certificate issued by a debt counsellor once the consumer qualifies to be cleared from debt review.

  • Why do I need paid-up letters to have my debt review removed?

Paid-up letters confirm that the credit provider accepts the account as settled. A PDA statement may show payments, but the credit provider must still confirm that the account is fully paid.

  • How long does it take for the debt review flag to be removed?

DCGsa generally advises consumers to allow up to 21 business days after the clearance certificate has been sent for credit bureaus and credit providers to update their records. Your article already explains this clearly.

  • Can I apply for credit immediately after debt counselling?

You should be careful. Once your debt review status is removed and your profile is updated, you are no longer listed as being under debt review, but DCGsa recommends rebuilding your credit profile responsibly.

  • “My accounts are paid up on my PDA / debt review statement. Why am I not cleared yet?”

Because a PDA statement is not the same as a paid-up letter.

DCGsa still needs confirmation from the credit provider that the account is paid up.

  • “Why must I keep paying my debt review if I am almost finished?”

Because there may still be end balance differences, allocation delays or accounts waiting for paid-up confirmation.

It is safer to deal with possible surplus funds than to stop early and create a shortfall.

  • “What is an end balance difference on my debt counselling?”

It is the difference between the PDA estimated balance and the credit provider’s final balance.

It is usually not new debt. It is normally a final reconciliation difference.

  • “When will I receive my clearance certificate?”

Once all required paid-up letters, confirmations, final balances and fee checks are complete, DCGsa can issue the clearance certificate.

  • “How long do credit bureaus take to update that my debt review is finished?”

DCGsa advises allowing up to 21 business days for credit bureaus and credit providers to update after receiving the clearance certificate.

  • “Do I need to pay for clearance certificate from debt review?”

There is no random clearance fee. However, any outstanding DC aftercare fees, PDA distribution fees, restructuring fees, legal fees or final balances must be settled before clearance can be finalised.

  • “Can I get removed from debt review if I paid creditors directly?”

Possibly, but you must provide proper paid-up letters and proof. DCGsa must still investigate and confirm the file before issuing clearance.

  • “Will my credit score be perfect after removal from debt review through clearance certificate?”

No. Clearance removes the debt review status and related debt review information, but your credit score may take time to rebuild.

  • Who removes the debt review flag?

Your debt counsellor issues the clearance certificate and sends the required update to the credit bureaus. The credit bureaus then update your credit profile.

 Debt Review Flag Removal

  • What is the debt review flag?

The debt review flag is the status shown on your credit profile when you are under debt review.

  • When can the debt review flag be removed?

The flag can be removed once you legally qualify for a debt review clearance certificate, also known as a Form 19.

  • Who removes the debt review flag?

The debt counsellor issues the clearance certificate and sends the required updates to the credit bureaus and relevant systems.

  • How long does debt review flag removal take?

DCGsa generally advises consumers to allow up to 21 business days after the clearance certificate has been issued and sent for the credit bureaus and credit providers to update their records. Your article already explains this clearly.

  • Why can’t the flag be removed immediately after my last payment?

Because DCGsa must first confirm paid-up letters, final balances, account numbers, fees and any possible end balance differences.

  • What can delay debt review flag removal?

Missing paid-up letters, account number mismatches, final balance differences, unpaid fees, direct payments outside the PDA process, or credit provider delays can slow the process.

Can I apply for credit after the flag is removed?

Once your profile is updated and you are no longer listed as under debt review, you may apply for credit again. However, DCGsa encourages consumers to rebuild carefully and avoid rushing back into debt.

Debt Review Clearance Certificate FAQs: Form 19, Flag Removal and Final Fees

A debt review clearance certificate is also known as a Form 19.

Your debt counsellor issues this document once you have met the legal requirements to exit debt review. In simple terms, the Form 19 confirms that the relevant debt review obligations have been completed and that your debt counsellor can start the process of updating your debt review status.

A clearance certificate is not just a normal letter. It is an important legal and administrative document that allows the debt counsellor to notify the relevant credit bureaus and systems that you should no longer appear as being under debt review.

Before DCGsa can issue a clearance certificate, we must check the file carefully. This includes checking paid-up letters, final balances, account numbers, legal requirements, payments made and whether any end balance differences still exist.

In simple words:

Your last payment may be the end of your repayment journey, but the clearance certificate is only issued once the final checks have been completed.

Section 71 of the National Credit Act deals with the removal of the debt review record and the issuing of a clearance certificate.

In practical terms, the Debt Counsellor must investigate whether the consumer has satisfied the obligations under the debt rearrangement.

A clearance certificate may be issued once the required debts under the debt review have been paid up in accordance with the law, the debt review order or the accepted arrangement.

Where a home loan is included, the law may allow clearance if the home loan is up to date and the consumer can continue maintaining the home loan payments, provided that the other required debts have been settled.

Once the clearance certificate is issued and sent to the credit bureaus and relevant systems, Section 71(5) of the National Credit Act requires that the debt review record and related adverse information connected to that debt review must be expunged.

This means the credit bureaus must remove:

  • The fact that the consumer was subject to the debt rearrangement order or agreement;
  • Information relating to defaults that led to or were considered in the debt review;
  • The record that a specific credit agreement was subject to the debt rearrangement order or agreement.

In simple words:

The clearance certificate is the legal document that confirms your debt review journey has been completed and allows the debt review information to be removed from your credit record.

A PDA distribution statement is not the same as a final paid-up confirmation from a credit provider.

The PDA statement shows how payments were distributed and may show estimated balances.

However, the credit provider still has its own internal account system. The credit provider must confirm whether the account is fully paid up.

This is why DCGsa must obtain paid-up letters or final confirmations before issuing the clearance certificate.

If we issue a clearance certificate too early, and a credit provider later confirms that an account still has an outstanding balance, this can create serious problems.

It may delay your credit profile update, delay your clearance, create disputes, and require additional payments or corrections.

For this reason, DCGsa follows a careful clearance process.

It may feel slower, but it protects you.

When your file is nearing completion, DCGsa will begin checking your account status.

This may include:

  • Reviewing your PDA distribution history;
  • Checking which accounts appear close to paid up;
  • Requesting updated balances from credit providers where needed;
  • Requesting paid-up letters where accounts appear settled;
  • Checking whether there are any end balance differences;
  • Checking whether there are any missed or short-paid DC aftercare fees;
  • Checking whether there are any PDA distribution fees or final payment requirements;
  • Confirming whether any home loan is up to date and can be maintained, where applicable;
  • Preparing the file for clearance once all requirements are met.

This stage is a reconciliation stage.

It is where the file is checked carefully to make sure that what appears on the PDA statement, what appears on the credit provider’s system, and what is required for legal clearance all align as far as possible.

A paid-up letter is written confirmation from the credit provider that an account has been settled.

This is one of the most important documents at the end of debt review.

A PDA statement may show that money was paid.
A credit provider statement may show a balance.
But a paid-up letter confirms that the credit provider accepts the account as paid up.

DCGsa needs paid-up letters because the clearance certificate must be based on proper proof.

Without paid-up letters, there may still be uncertainty about whether an account is fully settled.

A paid-up letter helps protect the consumer from future disputes.

However, receiving a paid-up letter is not always the only step. DCGsa must also check that the paid-up letter matches the correct account that was included under debt review.

This means we must compare the account number or reference number on the paid-up letter with the account number or reference number that appeared when the account came under debt review.

This is very important.

Sometimes this is simple. The account number on the paid-up letter matches the account number on the debt review documents, and the account can be verified easily.

Other times, it can be more complicated.

For example, an account may have been ceded, sold, transferred or handed over to a collector or attorney during the debt review process. When this happens, the collector or attorney may use their own reference number instead of the original credit provider account number.

In other cases, the type of account may have changed during the process.

For example:

  • An overdraft or cheque account may originally have had a facility account number, but once the account was confirmed under debt review, it may have been converted to a loan account number;
  • A vehicle finance account may originally have been linked to an asset account number, but if the vehicle was sold, surrendered or written off after an accident, any remaining shortfall or surplus balance may have been moved to a loan account, legal account or recovery account;
  • A credit provider may have closed the original account and opened an internal recovery reference;
  • A handed-over account may appear under an attorney or collection reference instead of the original account number.

This does not always mean anything is wrong.

It simply means the account must be verified carefully.

DCGsa must make sure that the paid-up letter received relates to the same debt that was included under debt review. If the paid-up letter refers to a different reference number, we may need to check the history of the account, obtain confirmation from the credit provider, or request that the credit provider confirms the link between the old account number and the new reference number.

This protects the consumer.

If the wrong paid-up letter is accepted, or if the account is not matched correctly, the consumer may later face problems with clearance, credit bureau updates or future disputes with a credit provider or collector.

In simple words:

A PDA statement shows payments.
A paid-up letter confirms settlement.
But the paid-up letter must also match the correct debt review account.

A clearance certificate depends on proper confirmation, accurate records and correct account matching.

An end balance difference is when the PDA system shows that an account is paid up or close to paid up, but the credit provider still shows a balance.

This does not always mean someone made a mistake.

It also does not mean that a new debt suddenly appeared.

It is normally a final reconciliation difference between the PDA estimate and the credit provider’s own account system.

End balance differences can happen because of:

  • Interest charged before acceptance or court order;
  • Interest rate implementation differences;
  • Capitalised interest from the early months;
  • Payment timing differences;
  • Missed payments;
  • Short payments;
  • Fees or charges;
  • Insurance;
  • Allocation differences;
  • Credit provider system updates;
  • The fact that COB balances are not normally updated every month during the debt review process.

Debt review is structured from the Certificate of Balance received at the start of the process. During the process, credit provider balances and PDA balances may not always match perfectly.

This is why final balances and paid-up letters are needed at the end.

You can read more about how your debt review payment plan works here.

Consumers sometimes become upset when they hear there is an end balance difference.

They may say:

“But I paid every month. Why must I still pay more?”

This is understandable.

However, an end balance difference is usually not a new debt.

It is normally the final amount needed to align the PDA estimate with the credit provider’s actual system balance so that the credit provider can issue the paid-up letter.

The important thing to remember is that during debt review, consumers often benefit from reduced interest rates, reduced instalments, cancelled or reduced service fees and a structured repayment plan.

In many cases, the amount saved during debt review is far greater than the final end balance difference that may need to be settled.

This does not mean an end balance difference is pleasant.

It simply means it must be understood in context.

The goal is to settle the account correctly so that the paid-up letter can be issued and the consumer can move toward clearance.

Even when you are close to the end, you should continue paying your debt review instalment until DCGsa confirms that it is safe to stop or amend the payment.

This is very important.

We understand that one or two more debt review payments may feel inconvenient.

However, those final payments often protect you from bigger problems later.

If there is an end balance difference, the funds already paid into the debt review process can be used to settle the final balance.

It is usually easier to refund surplus funds than to fix a short-paid account.

If you stop paying too early and the credit provider later confirms that a balance is still outstanding, you may need to find extra money again before the paid-up letter can be issued.

If you have already used that money elsewhere, this can delay the entire clearance process.

While you are waiting to raise the extra amount, interest, arrears, fees or further balance differences may continue.

This can result in a higher amount needing to be paid later.

That is why DCGsa may advise you to continue paying until paid-up letters are received and the file is properly reconciled.

This is not done to inconvenience you.

It is done to protect your clearance process.

In simple words:

It is better to have a refund after overpayment than to be told later that you still owe money and cannot receive your paid-up letter yet.

Understand your distribution statement by reading more here.

When your file is nearing completion, DCGsa may request updated balances from credit providers.

This helps us check:

  • Whether the PDA balance and credit provider balance are aligned;
  • Whether an account is paid up;
  • Whether there is an end balance difference;
  • Whether a final payment is needed;
  • Whether a paid-up letter can be requested;
  • Whether the file is ready to move toward clearance.

Updated balances are part of the final checking process.

They are not requested to delay you.

They are requested so that the clearance certificate is issued correctly and safely.

Once DCGsa receives the required paid-up letters and confirms that the file is in order, the clearance process can continue.

This may include:

  • Saving the paid-up letters to your file;
  • Checking whether all accounts under debt review are dealt with;
  • Confirming that any home loan is up to date and affordable, where applicable;
  • Checking for outstanding DC aftercare fees or PDA distribution costs;
  • Checking whether any final balances or end balance differences still need to be paid;
  • Preparing and issuing the Form 19 clearance certificate;
  • Updating the NCR Debt Help System where applicable;
  • Sending the clearance certificate to the credit bureaus and relevant parties;
  • Sending the clearance certificate to you.

This is the final administrative and legal stage of debt review.

The National Credit Act requires the Debt Counsellor to issue the clearance certificate within the prescribed period once the legal requirements have been met.

The important part is this:

The period starts when the file qualifies for clearance.

That means the required paid-up letters, confirmations, final balances and fee checks must first be in order.

DCGsa cannot issue a clearance certificate just because a consumer believes the file is finished.

The Debt Counsellor must first investigate and confirm that the legal requirements have been met.

Once all requirements are met and the file is ready, DCGsa will proceed with issuing the clearance certificate.

Once the clearance certificate is issued, it is sent to the relevant credit bureaus and the NCR system.

The credit bureaus and relevant parties must then update their records.

In terms of Section 71(5) of the National Credit Act, once the credit bureau or national credit register receives a copy of the clearance certificate, it must expunge the debt review-related information referred to in the Act.

This includes removing the record that you were subject to the debt rearrangement and removing certain related default information connected to the debt review.

In simple words:

The clearance certificate is what tells the credit bureaus and systems that your debt review has been successfully completed.

After the clearance certificate is issued and sent, credit providers and credit bureaus still need time to update their systems.

Consumers should allow time for this process.

DCGsa generally advises consumers to allow up to 21 business days for the credit providers and credit bureaus to complete their updates.

Sometimes updates happen sooner.

Sometimes a bureau or credit provider may take longer or may need to be followed up.

This is why it is important to check your credit report after the update period and let DCGsa know if something still appears incorrect.

The clearance certificate starts the update process, but each bureau and credit provider must still process the information on their side.

No.

A clearance certificate removes the debt review status and the relevant debt review-related information that must be expunged under the National Credit Act.

However, it does not automatically mean your credit score becomes excellent overnight.

Your credit profile may need time to rebuild.

After clearance, your future credit score may depend on:

  • Your updated bureau records;
  • Your payment behaviour after debt review;
  • Whether you apply for new credit responsibly;
  • Whether any unrelated adverse information remains;
  • How long your profile takes to rebuild after the debt review flag is removed;
  • Whether all credit providers and bureaus updated correctly.

Clearance gives you a fresh starting point.

It does not guarantee immediate approval for new credit.

Legally, once your debt review status has been removed and your profile has been updated, you are no longer listed as being under debt review.

However, DCGsa strongly encourages consumers to be careful.

You have worked hard to get out of debt review. Do not rush back into debt.

If you need credit in future, use it responsibly and only when it is affordable.

Debt review is not only about paying off debt.

It is about learning a better way forward.

DCGsa does not charge a random clearance fee simply because you are receiving a clearance certificate.

However, certain outstanding amounts may need to be settled before clearance can be issued.

The main possible costs are:

  • Any missed or short-paid DC aftercare fees;
  • PDA distribution fees where funds still need to be distributed;
  • Any outstanding restructuring or legal fees that were not paid during the process;
  • Any final end balance differences required by credit providers;
  • Any fees or amounts still due because payments were missed, short-paid or made outside the normal process.

The most common clearance-related issue is missed or short-paid DC aftercare fees.

Under debt review, the Debt Counsellor continues to manage the file after the initial application and court process.

This aftercare includes monitoring the matter, dealing with credit provider issues, balance queries, PDA queries, paid-up letters, settlements, end balances and clearance preparation.

If payments were missed, started late or short-paid, the aftercare fees may also have been missed or short-paid.

Those fees must be brought up to date before clearance can be finalised.

This is because the work was done and the file was managed.

Sometimes a consumer stops paying through the PDA and pays credit providers directly.

Later, the consumer comes back to DCGsa and asks for a clearance certificate.

In this situation, DCGsa must still investigate the file properly.

The consumer may need to provide:

  • Paid-up letters from all credit providers;
  • Proof of payments made directly;
  • Updated balances where accounts are not fully paid;
  • Settlement confirmations;
  • Any documents requested by DCGsa to verify the position.

If payments were made outside debt review, the PDA record may not reflect those payments. This can make the clearance process more difficult and may take longer to verify.

If there are outstanding fees from the debt review process, including restructuring fees, legal fees, aftercare fees or PDA-related costs, those amounts may need to be settled before clearance can be issued.

This is not because DCGsa wants to make the process difficult.

It is because a clearance certificate must be based on accurate records and proper confirmation.

A consumer may still qualify for clearance if all other qualifying debts have been settled and the bond is up to date, provided that the consumer can maintain the bond payments going forward.

This must be checked properly.

DCGsa may need to confirm:

  • That the bond is up to date;
  • That there are no arrears;
  • That the consumer can afford to continue paying the bond;
  • That all other required debts have been settled;
  • That the credit provider confirmations support clearance.

A bond does not automatically prevent clearance, but it must be dealt with correctly.

Sometimes, after all paid-up letters, balances and fees are dealt with, there may be surplus funds.

If this happens, the surplus can be refunded or dealt with through the correct PDA and debt review process.

This is one of the reasons DCGsa may advise consumers to continue paying until the file is fully confirmed.

It is usually better to have a surplus that can be refunded than to stop too early and later discover that money is still needed to settle an end balance.

A refund may be inconvenient to wait for, but a short-paid account can create far greater delays and stress.

Consumers often feel that once the final payment is made, the clearance certificate should be issued immediately.

We understand this feeling.

However, the final payment is not always the final step.

Before clearance can be issued, DCGsa may still need to:

  • Wait for funds to distribute;
  • Wait for credit providers to allocate payments;
  • Request paid-up letters;
  • Follow up on paid-up letters;
  • Resolve end balance differences;
  • Check whether fees are up to date;
  • Confirm bond status, where applicable;
  • Prepare the Form 19;
  • Send the Form 19 to the relevant parties;
  • Allow bureaus and credit providers time to update.

This process is not there to frustrate you.

It is there to make sure your debt review is closed properly.

The cost depends on where you are in the debt review process. Debt review has different stages, and different fees may become due as the work progresses.

In most cases, where the work has already been completed, the following fees may need to be paid before the matter can be finalised, transferred or cleared:

Debt restructuring fees
Legal fees
Debt counsellor aftercare fees
Any outstanding fees for work already completed

Consumers should be careful of companies advertising “debt review removal” services and requesting large upfront payments. The NCR has warned that some companies charge consumers high fees, sometimes up to R10,000, while promising removal even where removal may not legally be possible. The NCR also states that a person offering services to improve a consumer’s credit record or remove information from a credit bureau may not receive payment until the service has been fully performed and must provide the required disclosure.

Please read the NCR guidance here:
Link to: NCR Withdrawal Guidelines
Link to: NCR Explanatory Note to the Withdrawal Guidelines
Link to: NCR Debt Review Removal Circular 2 of 2025

No, a consumer cannot simply remove themselves from debt review by choice. The NCR Withdrawal Guidelines explain that once a consumer has applied for debt review in the prescribed manner, there is no ordinary voluntary withdrawal process. The correct exit route depends on the stage of the process and whether a court order has already been granted.

Where a court order has been granted, the consumer generally exits debt review through section 71 and the issuing of a clearance certificate once the legal requirements have been met.

Your debt review flag can be removed once you legally qualify for clearance and the correct update process has been followed.

In most cases, this happens after your debt counsellor issues a valid Form 19 clearance certificate and sends the required updates to the credit bureaus and relevant systems.

The debt review flag cannot simply be removed because you ask for it to be removed. The removal must be supported by the correct legal status and proper proof that you qualify.

DCGsa must first confirm that the required accounts have been paid up, that the paid-up letters match the correct accounts, that no important balances remain outstanding, and that the matter complies with the legal requirements for clearance.

When you are close to the end of debt review, DCGsa must check your file carefully.

We need paid-up letters from your credit providers.

We may need updated balances.

We must check for end balance differences.

You should keep paying until DCGsa confirms it is safe to stop.

If there are extra funds after everything is paid and confirmed, those funds can be refunded or dealt with through the correct process.

It is better to receive a refund than to stop paying too early and later be told that you still owe money.

Once all requirements are met, DCGsa issues the Form 19 clearance certificate.

The certificate is then sent to the credit bureaus and relevant systems so that your debt review status can be removed.

You should allow time for the bureaus and credit providers to update your profile.

Final message to consumers

If you are close to the end of debt review, congratulations.

This is a major achievement.

The final stage can feel frustrating because everyone wants the process to be finished immediately. However, the final stage is also one of the most important parts of the process.

DCGsa must make sure that every account is properly confirmed, every paid-up letter is received, every end balance is dealt with, and every legal requirement is met before the clearance certificate is issued.

This protects you.

The goal is not only to issue a document.

The goal is to make sure your debt review is closed correctly, your records are updated properly, and you can move forward with confidence.

You have come this far.

Let us finish the process carefully, correctly and legally.