New way to get international driving permits in South Africa
Businesstech | 29 November 2022
South Africans looking to get their hands on an international driving permit can now apply at VFS Global Application Centres in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria.
VFS Global has been working with the Department of Home Affairs as an outsourced technology services company to assist in applications for visas and passports through its online platform and physical offices.
The group also facilitates the admin and payment, and delivery of the documentation when processed.
People based in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria can now visit the VFS Global centres to apply for an international driving permit.
As regulated by the United Nations, an international driving permit allows eligible applicants to drive vehicles in foreign countries. The permit can be helpful in terms of identifying a driver to offer assistance.
International driving permits are valid in more than 150 countries worldwide, said VFS Global. It contains your name, photo and driver information in several languages, which can be interpreted by the local officials and authorities of the countries you visit.
“An International Driving Permit can only be obtained from the country of your driving licence,” added VFS Global.
The extension into international services follows previous moves by VFS Global to work with the Department of Home Affairs.
Earlier in October, the department said that it plans to expand the visa facilitation services to countries where there are a high number of South African citizens.
The group is currently piloting a new system where South African nationals can visit a VFS Global centre in the UK to renew their South African passport.
“Since its launch, the turnaround times for passport issuance have reduced from six to twelve months to one month,” said the home affairs minister Aaron Motsaoledi.
Motsoaledi said that the department now plans to extend the system into countries such as:
• New Zealand;
• Australia;
• The United Arab Emirates(UAE);
• France; and
• The United States of America (USA).
www.samigration.com