These 30 countries allow you to use your SA driver’s licence
Have a South African driver’s licence and live abroad? We’ve got a list of 30 countries that you can legally drive in using your SA licence.
Moving or travelling abroad is a daunting yet exciting task and driving while you’re there is not at the top of your head.
Although these countries allow you to drive within their borders, there are varying terms and conditions per area.
While some nations allow you to drive until your licence expires, others only permit you to use your SA licence for a few months.
Even with this permission, it is still imperative to obtain your International Driving Permit (IDP) if you are travelling out of the country and planning to drive, according to BusinessTech.
This permit has a number of benefits including the translation of your licence to a number of international languages, which comes in handy if you are approached by police officers or are unfortunately involved in an accident.
The IDP can be obtained from the Automobile Association of South Africa through an application on their website or in person with a sales agent.
Driving abroad on an SA licence
There’s a lot of nitty-gritty that goes into preparing to drive when you’re overseas.
According to Apostil.co.za, a document concierge company, these are the countries you can use your SA driver's licence and for how long:
Andorra: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 6 months
Bulgaria: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 6 months
Canada: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 6 months
Estonia: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 6 months
Germany: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 6 months
Greece: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 6 months
Lesotho: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 6 months
Montenegro: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 6 months
UK: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 6 months
Poland: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 6 months
Portugal: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 6 months
Russia: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 6 months accompanied by IDP
Mozambique: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 3 months
Namibia: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 3 months
Australia: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 3 months
Botswana: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 3 months
Zambia: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 3 months
Zimbabwe: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 3 months
Luxembourg: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 3 months
San Marino: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 3 months accompanied by IDP
Seychelles: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 3 months
Panama: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 3 months
Croatia: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 12 months
France: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 12 months
Monaco: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 12 months
New Zealand: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 12 months
Singapore: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 12 months
Eswatini: May use SA driver’s licence freely
Hungary: May use SA driver’s licence freely with a notarised copy of the licence
Sweden: May use SA driver’s licence freely until expired
United States: May use SA driver’s licence freely, but some states could require IDP
Angola: May use SA driver’s licence for up to 1 month, after which an IDP is required
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