Transferring irish license to a south african 1

15-01-2009 2:17pm #1

hi

i am going to be working in south africa for the next year. i totally forgot to get an international license.

i was reading somewhere on another thread that ireland has an agreement to exchange licenses from countries including south africa.

was wondering does this work in the reverse as i am a bit stuck now with just my irish license and i can't find the answer anywhere.

i have a full clean irish driving license by the way

any help appreciated

S.I.R · 15-01-2009 2:30pm

you can drive on your full irish leisence anywhere as you get a 1 year international one till you have to get one from the nation you reside in...

CharlieCroker · 15-01-2009 2:39pm

I got an international driving licence from the AA office about 5 years ago. Assume its the same story now

Our man in Havana · 15-01-2009 2:40pm

Those international licences are a waste of time and money.
Your full Irish licence will be accepted abroad.

L1011 · 15-01-2009 3:12pm

+1 on what bond says, English is an official language in SA so an IDP is a waste of time and money - your standard pink licence will be accepted for a year under the reciprocal deal we have.

Lord Nikon · 15-01-2009 3:27pm

Is the International Driving Licence a credit card size jobby, if so they would be valid here, right?

Our man in Havana · 15-01-2009 3:40pm

neuromancer wrote: »

Is the International Driving Licence a credit card size jobby, if so they would be valid here, right?

The IDP is never valid on its own. It is always used in conjunction with your own licence. It is a 8 page book bigger than a passport with various translations. It is merely a translation of your Irish licence. It is not really a licence at all. It would never be valid in Ireland.

It may be of use in countries as a translation where English is not spoken and the categories are different to the European groups.

15-01-2009 3:58pm

sorry put that wrong in the first post,i am in south africa at the moment and i forgot to get an internationl license.

is there anywhere where it officially states that it is ok to drive around on an irish license

Our man in Havana · 15-01-2009 4:06pm

http://www.southafrica.info/travel/advice/driving.htm

Driver’s licences
Any valid driver’s licence is accepted provided it bears the photograph and signature of the holder and is printed in English.

http://www.travelbutlers.com/South-Africa/driving/

Driving Licence

All drivers must have a valid driving licence from their country of residence. If the license is not printed in English, then you will need to obtain an International Drivers Licence.

You must carry your driving licence with you at all times when driving in South Africa. If you licence doesn't hape a photograph on it, then you must also carry your passport with you so that you can be identified as the legal holder of the driving licence.

15-01-2009 4:15pm

thing is these are travel sites, i want to buy a car and use it for the next year,i know i can rent a car but thats not viable for a year as you could imagine

Our man in Havana · 15-01-2009 4:24pm

Simple answer would be to ring an insurance company and ask them if they will cover you on an Irish licence for a year. As far as the police are concerned there will be no issue with your irish licence. It is the insurance that you need to be sure of.

mdebets · 15-01-2009 4:32pm

From what is stated here it seems you can drive on your Irish license as long as you are not a permanent residence in South Africa.

Our man in Havana · 15-01-2009 4:42pm

Indeed, that is the case. The problem would be trying to get insurance on a car which is not a hire car. I have no idea how fussy a SA insurance company would be.

Transferring irish license to a south african 1

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