06 August 2009

Do I need an International Drivers Licence in South Africa?

Well, if your driving licence:
  • is issued in your home country
  • valid in your home country
  • is bearing your photograph
  • is bearing your signature
  • is in English
you DON'T need an International Drivers Licence.

If your drivers licence is NOT issued in ENGLISH you DO need an International Drivers Licence to drive a car in South Africa!

What is an International Drivers Licence?
An International Drivers Licence allows an individual to drive a private motor vehicle in another nation when accompanied by a valid license from their home country. The document is slightly larger than a standard passport and is essentially a multiple language translation of one's own existing driver's license, complete with photograph and vital statistics. It is not a license to operate a motor vehicle on its own.

Why do I need an International Drivers Licence?
In the South African National Road Traffic Regulations of 1999 it says on page 74/75:
[...] Conditions for acknowledgement and exchange of driving licence not issued in terms of Act, and international driving permit
110. (1) Subject to subregulation (3), a driving licence referred to in section 23(1)(a) of the Act, issued while the holder of it was not permanently or ordinarily resident in the Republic, shall, for the period for, and subject to the conditions under which it was issued, be deemed to be a valid licence for the purposes of Chapter IV of the Act, if —
(a) (i) the licence has been issued in an official language of the Republic; or
(ii) a certificate of authenticity or validity relating to the licence issued in an official language of the Republic by a competent authority, or a translation of that licence in such official language, is attached to it; and
(b) such licence contains or has attached to it, a photograph and the signature of the licence holder.

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