South Africa has the shortest driver’s licence validity period of any country within the BRICS economic union, which also includes Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
While there have been talks to extend the country’s renewal period to eight and even 10 years, South Africa’s driver cards are currently only valid for five which is well below the average in many other countries around the world.
How long a driver’s licence last
We looked at each of South Africa’s economic and political contemporaries in the BRICS bloc to see how long their driver’s licences are valid in relation to our own:
| Country | Validity period |
|---|---|
| India | 20 years, 10 years, 5 years |
| Brazil | 10 years, 5 years, 3 years |
| Russia | 10 years |
| China (Hong Kong) | 6 years (10 years) |
| South Africa | 5 years |
The standout here is of course India, which has an incredible 20-year validity period, depending on the person’s age.
India and Brazil have progressive driver’s licences which allow for longer durations when the individual is younger, which then get reduced to smaller terms as the person gets older due to the associated risk factor.
In India’s case, where a motor vehicle licence can be obtained from the age of 18, a driver’s card is valid for a period of 20 years or until the individual reaches the age of 40 – whichever comes first.
Once a person turns 40, they will have to renew their licence every 10 years, which then gets reduced to a 5-year renewal term once they turn 55 years old.
Brazil has a similar system where anyone under the age of 50 can apply for a 10-year licence, which is reduced to a 5-year card for those between the ages of 50 and 70.
Past the age of 70, people in Brazil are required to re-apply for their licences every three years.
Russia, on the other hand, has a flat 10-year duration much like other countries in Europe like the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
Mainland China issues its cards over a 6-year period, but Hong Kong, which still operates semi-autonomously from Beijing, lets motorists keep their licences for 10 years.
Push for longer licences
Groups like the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa), have argued that extending the validity of South Africa’s driving licences from five years to eight or even 10 years will cut down on unnecessary red tape, reduce administrative challenges, and save time and money for motorists and the government alike.
“South Africa (more specifically the most populous Gauteng Province) has for some time experienced significant challenges with its driving licence card renewal process,” said Outa.
“The online booking system recently introduced was supposed to alleviate the manual process of phoning or visiting a testing centre to book an appointment and provide greater efficiency to the licence renewal experience. Instead, it has become a problem, and other issues intended to be resolved, have remained.”
The organisation said it is still extremely difficult to book a driver’s licence renewal online, and when visiting the testing centres there are long queues. As a result, many motorists have become dissatisfied and frustrated by the challenge to renew their cards and this often leads to the abandonment of their legal obligations.
“While there is an obvious need for efficiency in the administration of the driving licence card renewal process, we believe that an immediate solution is one whereby the Department of Transport amends the regulations to stipulate that all driver’s licences are applicable for a period of 10 years,” said Outa.
“We also believe that our recommendations will bear significant savings for South Africans as well as Government, in both expenditure and efficacy and reduce time wasted.”
Keyword: How long a driver’s licence lasts in South Africa vs Brazil, Russia, India, and China