# UK Drivers License in South Africa... how long before changing to SA license?



## bokbabe (Nov 28, 2010)

Just a quickie....

We are moving to SA shortly and both have UK photocard licenses (mine I changed from a SA one to a UK one when I moved there 14 years ago).

Can we drive indefinitely on them?
Do we have to change them after a year?
How do we change them ie: do we have to take another test? 

Many thanks,
Bok


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## Johanna (Apr 13, 2009)

bokbabe said:


> Just a quickie....
> 
> We are moving to SA shortly and both have UK photocard licenses (mine I changed from a SA one to a UK one when I moved there 14 years ago).
> 
> ...


You can legally drive with a UK license for 12 months.

Hopefully this website will provide you with information about obtaining a SA license.
Verification of South African Drivers License


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## Stevan (Jun 30, 2009)

hi

if you have pr you must change within a year. temporary resdence just use your uk licence. you will need to have an id first. 
you dont need to take a test. 

you will need a letter from the uk embassy stating what classes of vehicals you can drive. i tried the embassy in pretoria for about two weeks and got nowhere. i then phoned the honary consul in port elizabeth told her what i needed. she got me to fax a copy of my licence and id to her and pay r500. got the letter back in a week. go to nearest licencing office fill in the form and stand in line for about three hours. you then take an eye test. you will get a temporaary licence in about six weeks then your full icence in 3 months or so. make sure you get an international driving permit before you leave. check out the AA web site you can get them from some post offices for about a tenner. you dont realy need it but if stopped by the police they will ask for it and it is easier to show one than argue (you wont be able to hire a car without one).

It states you must surrender your uk licence, they never asked for mine so i never handed it over.


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## bokbabe (Nov 28, 2010)

Thank you both for your help. We have managed to hire cars over there before, with just our UK licenses, but the AA's site does say that it's needed for car hire, weird!


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## Kaska (Mar 28, 2011)

If you are SA citizen then i think you can change it straight away , if you on temporary residence permit (like me) then you can use it with valid international driving permit. If you are not citizen you can only exchange your license once permanent residence permit has been granted



bokbabe said:


> Just a quickie....
> 
> We are moving to SA shortly and both have UK photocard licenses (mine I changed from a SA one to a UK one when I moved there 14 years ago).
> 
> ...


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## tholepa (Nov 15, 2016)

I have been driving in South Africa on my UK License for 4 and a half years and only just found out I can only drive on it for 12 months! :-( 
I have my SA ID with the paper license in it but not the card one.
Can anyone give me some advise on that to do and what may happen?
Sick with worry!!!!


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