A new service, made possible through a partnership between the AA and VFS Global, and using offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban, will enhance the process of obtaining an international driving licence (IDP).
An IDP has two purposes. It allows applicants to drive in foreign countries and can be used as identification in more than 150 countries as it contains the holder’s name, passport photograph, and driver information in several languages, which can be interpreted by local officials and authorities in the countries visited.
“With the rollout of IDPs at our application centres across in South Africa (Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban), we are confident of providing applications with a world-class service experience by leveraging off our global experience of providing transparent and scalable solutions in the citizen’s service space. Since 2007, VFS Global has supported the economic growth and development of South Africa through our strong workforce that includes 257 nationals who support our operations daily by maintaining the highest levels of service and security,” says VFS Global Sub-Saharan Africa head Hariprasad Viswanathan.
Willem Groenewald, the CEO of the AA, adds: “Many people require an IDP when they’re abroad, but they aren’t always aware of how to obtain these or where. Introducing this service through VFS Global Centres will make that a lot easier and provide additional comfort to travellers knowing they’ve obtained all the necessary documents to drive in a foreign country. The added advantage of an IDP is that it is another form of identification for travellers, which is always handy. We’re delighted to partner with VFS Global on this initiative which will ultimately benefit travellers.”
The AA can only issue IDPs to holders of a valid South African-issued driving licence. An IDP can only be obtained from the country of origin of a driving licence. The AA cannot issue an IDP to citizens of Botswana, Lesotho or Swaziland who are in the possession of a valid driving licence issued in that country, but it can issue an IDP to citizens of Namibia who are in the possession of a valid Namibian driving licence.
For enquiries contact: 012 425 3058 or email VFSIDP@vfshelpline.com.
Source: AA
