Page 21 - Claims Binders Mandates and Guidelines

Motor Claims Procedures
2. VALIDATING A DRIVER'S LICENCE
2.1 Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries: Email confirmation request to
Leigh@check-your-driver.co.za
2.1.1 Of the verifications that have been done, the highest risk seems to be Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Malawi. Many of these driver’s licenses or professional driving permits (PrDP) tend to be fraudulent. The average is around 40% of all verification checks.
2.1.1.1 Botswana, Nigeria, Lesotho are lower risk, but there are still some fraudulent driver’s licenses and PrDP permits being verified.
2.2 International driver’s licenses
Driver’s licenses from European Union (EU) related countries are mostly genuine.
2.2.1 Foreign license holders who are permanent residents in South Africa have 5 (five) years in which to convert their driver’s license to a South African one. Generally, they fail to convert their foreign driver’s license within the stipulated period. Failure to do so renders the person as an unlicensed driver and they can no longer rely on their foreign driver’s license once this period expires.
2.2.2 A driving license issued in any other country than South Africa (RSA), is valid for South Africa if:
2.2.2.1 the foreign driving license was issued on a date on which the holder thereof was not permanently or ordinarily resident in the RSA. A person is a permanent resident of South Africa if he/she is a South African citizen or disposes over the right to permanently reside in South Africa based on an official document issued by the Department of Home Affairs, and he/she resides in South Africa. A person is ordinarily resident in South Africa if he/she is in South Africa on an extended visit of more than 3 (three) months and specifically on a contract of employment (not just visiting). The permanent residence requirement does not apply to a holder of a diplomatic permit or a treaty permit; and
2.2.2.2 the license is in English OR a translation of the license in English is attached to the license OR a certificate of authenticity or validity in English which was issued by a competent authority (for example the embassy or consulate) of the country concerned, is attached to the license. The legislation does not prescribe who should attach a translation or a certificate of authenticity or validity to a driving license, how it should be attached or when it should have been attached. The legislation also does not prescribe that the translation should state the capacity of vehicle the license authorises. The code of the license does not necessarily relate to a South African license code, and therefore should describe the vehicle capacity to the license authorises; and
2.2.2.3 the license contains or has attached thereto the photograph and signature of the holder thereof. The legislation does not prescribe who should attach a photograph and signature to a driving license, how it should be attached or when it should have been attached. The rule of thumb here should be that if a license does not have the holder’s photograph or signature contained on it, some other formal document like a passport that contains the person’s photograph or signature should accompany the license; and
2.2.2.4 the license is valid in the country or territory of issue.
2.2.3 A foreign driving license remains valid:
2.2.3.1 in the case where the holder of such foreign license is a South African citizen or a person that already has permanent residence, the person returns to South Africa to resume permanent residence and has been permanently resident for a continuous period of 1 (one) year in South Africa; or
2.2.3.2 in the case of another person, the person obtains permission in terms of any law for permanent residence in South Africa and has taken up permanent residence and has been permanently resident for a continuous period of 1 (one) year in South Africa. The question is raised whether contract workers and visitors can be regarded as permanently resident in the RSA. If contract workers and visitors do not comply with
Claims Binder Holders Mandates and Guidelines – V6: 2022 Page | 19