What an IDP is, and what it is not
An international driving permit South Africa travellers carry abroad is a translation of your existing licence, regulated by the United Nations. It contains your name, photo and driver information in several languages, so officials in the country you are visiting can read it.
It is not a licence. The Automobile Association is explicit: an IDP is not a stand-alone document or a substitute for a valid driving licence. You must always carry your South African licence together with it.
It also does not exempt you from anything. Holding an IDP does not reduce your obligation to obey the road laws of the country you are in.
Only the AA issues them here
The Automobile Association of South Africa is the issuer. That matters, because a search for an international driving permit turns up a long list of websites offering to sell you one online, sometimes as a “digital IDP” delivered in half an hour.
Those are not issued under South African authority. A permit that a foreign traffic officer or car hire desk will not accept is worse than no permit at all, because you paid for the false confidence.
There is a second rule that catches people out. An IDP can only be obtained from the country where you obtained your driving licence. You cannot get one after you have already left, and you cannot get one abroad from a local motoring club.
So: apply before you travel.
Who the AA can and cannot issue to
The AA issues IDPs to holders of a valid South African driving licence.
It cannot issue one to citizens of Botswana, Lesotho or Eswatini who hold a licence issued in those countries. It can issue one to a Namibian citizen holding a valid Namibian licence.
If you are living abroad long term, an IDP is a stopgap rather than a solution. At some point you will need a local licence in the country you have moved to.
What to bring
The AA’s requirements are short:
- A valid South African driving licence
- An ID document or a valid passport
- One passport-size photograph per IDP type
Note the last one. If you need more than one type of permit, you need a photograph for each. Some AA outlets can take the photo for you, but not all, so ring ahead and ask rather than arriving without one.
Your licence must be valid. An expired or suspended licence means no permit.
Applying
There are two routes.
In person, at an AA accredited outlet. The AA puts the counter process at ten to thirty minutes, and in most cases you walk out with the permit.
Online, through the AA’s IDP application page. You upload your licence and your ID or passport, complete the form, and choose a collection branch. The paperwork is done in advance but you still collect in person.
Which version you get
The AA issues the permit according to the country you are visiting, and there is more than one version in circulation internationally. Tell them where you are going so they issue the right one.
One rule holds regardless of version: the validity of an IDP cannot exceed the validity of your domestic licence. If your South African licence expires in eight months, that is the effective ceiling on your permit.
If you are renewing your licence soon anyway, do that first, then apply for the IDP.
What it costs
The AA sets the fee and reviews it from time to time. Prices quoted on third-party sites vary widely and several are years out of date.
Check the current fee on the AA’s own site or ask at the branch. Ask separately whether the photograph carries a charge, because at some outlets it does.
Before you go
Check the driving requirements of your specific destination. Not every country requires an IDP from a South African visitor, and a few have their own additional rules for foreign drivers. Car hire companies also set their own conditions, which can be stricter than the law of the country.
Make sure your own paperwork is in order too, including a valid licence and, for anything you are driving here, a current roadworthy certificate where one is required.
Where to check
Apply through the AA, either online or at an accredited outlet, and confirm the current fee and document list on aa.co.za before you go. For the rules in the country you are visiting, check that country’s own transport authority or your travel provider.
