Am I required to have an IDP when driving in other countries?

Some countries will not recognise your SA driver’s licence, but officially will recognise an IDP. Others will honour your valid SA driver’s licence but will require a local language translation to be supplied by your embassy or consulate. Your IDP will satisfy both of these requirements.

Law enforcement agencies require an IDP when you are stopped for traffic violations or routine checks. Furthermore, if you are involved in an accident in a foreign country your SA driver’s licence may be disputed by the authorities and/or insurance companies. The fact that a car rental company has not requested an IDP does not mean that it is not a legal requirement of the country you are driving in.
Your IDP serves as an official document, constituting proof that you possess a valid SA driver’s licence. Your IDP will be invaluable in these situations, so obtaining one before travelling is highly recommended.

Validity

The IDP is an official document recognised in over 150 countries. It provides important information to validate your SA driver’s licence in many different languages, including English.
An IDP can only be issued if the applicant has a valid South African driver’s licence. Your IDP will be issued for a period not exceeding one year if you are visiting countries requiring the 1949 and/or 1926 convention IDP, or three (3) years for countries requiring the 1968 convention IDP, and not exceeding the validity period of your South African driver’s licence, whichever is earlier. If the South African driver’s licence expires within the next year then the IDP will only be issued up to the expiry date. Holders must always carry their valid South African driver’s licence as well as their IDP when driving abroad.

We also issue an IDP to holders of a valid Namibian driver’s licence, but not licences from Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland.