Anybody that wants to apply to either convert their South African driver’s licence for a foreign licence abroad or obtain a new one in their new home country will need to submit a South African Driver’s Licence Confirmation Letter. This is sometimes also referred to as a Driver’s Licence Verification Certificate and proves that you are indeed in possession of a valid South African driver’s licence.
Driver’s licence confirmation letters are issued by the South African Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) after verifying the information contained on the National Traffic Information System. In essence, this letter serves as proof that you have a valid driver’s licence, and it is a document you are required to submit when converting an SA licence card or applying for a foreign driver’s licence.
Why do I need a driver’s licence confirmation letter?
As mentioned, your South African driver’s licence must be verified if you want to convert your SA driver’s licence card abroad or obtain a new foreign driving licence. This letter might also come in handy if you’re going to rent a vehicle abroad.
Keep in mind that there are countries that do not accept South African driver’s licences as valid, and therefore, you cannot convert your SA licence card in these countries.
How can I obtain a driver’s licence confirmation letter?
The process of applying for and obtaining your confirmation letter is relatively straightforward. Still, since the RTMC often makes mistakes on the letters, you’d need to reapply in the event that there is an error on your certificate. This can lead to costly delays in your timeline. However, when you work with a professional document assistance service like Apostil.co.za, there won’t be any significant delays in the process since reprints can quickly and easily be issued.
Once issued, your driver’s licence confirmation letter will contain your full name and identity number, along with which type of licence you hold. It also includes information on when your licence was first issued and where it was earned.
One important step that has been introduced during 2022 is the completion of a form: Driver’s Licence Confirmation Letter Application Form (CTC RMTC – DL FORM).
Important things to note
Your South African drivers’ licence never expires, but your licence card expires every five years. In some countries, like Spain for example, it is not possible to convert your SA driver’s licence, and thus, you must complete all the exams for a new Spanish driver’s licence from scratch.
The problem, however, is that the new licence will not be indicative of the actual years of driving experience you have since it only counts from the day it was issued. This can be burdensome for obtaining insurance for your car and other processes like renting a vehicle abroad.
To ensure your years of driving experience gets added to your new licence card abroad, it is essential to obtain a driver’s licence verification letter from South Africa so the foreign authorities can edit your details and capture the years of experience on your new licence card.
Professional assistance with driver’s licence verifications
Apostil.co.za can assist you with obtaining your letter of confirmation for your SA driver’s licence in between 4 and 15 working days. In order for us to assist you, we will need copies of the back and front of your South African driver’s licence and a clear copy of your South African ID.
We can also have the document apostilled (as this is a prerequisite in many countries) and translated, if necessary. And should you need to have it authenticated or attested, we can assist with that as well.
Get in touch with us right now to learn more about this service. Alternatively, head over to our pricing page.
I am in need of the relevant documentation etc to convert my South African driver license to a Namibian driver license. Can you assist?