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Certified South African Driver's License Translation

eVerbary translates your South African driver's license into English for $24.95 per page with no word cap, by a professional human translator, with a signed certification. Most orders are delivered within a few hours. Accepted by USCIS and by US universities, colleges and schools, or your money back.

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$24.95/page

Flat rate per page, no word cap. No hidden fees.

Money-back guarantee

Accepted by USCIS and by US universities, colleges and schools, or your money back.

24-hour delivery

Most 1-3 page documents are delivered within 24 hours. Same-day available.

Credit-card licences since 1998

South Africa introduced the credit-card driving licence on 1 March 1998. Licences before that were printed in or fixed into the holder's ID book, and holders had to convert them. The card is in English, with the licence codes, the dates and the ID number, so it rarely needs translating; an old ID-book licence page may include Afrikaans and is then translated.

The codes do not match US classes: A1 and A for motorcycles, B for light motor vehicles, C1 and C for heavier vehicles, and EB, EC1 and EC for combinations with heavy trailers or articulated vehicles. Many South Africans still use the old codes, so code 08 means today's B and code 10 today's C1. A professional driving permit (PrDP) is a separate endorsement for carrying passengers for reward or dangerous goods. We keep every code as printed.

What a DMV wants

US states decide for themselves what a foreign licence counts for, and most use it as identity or driving-history evidence rather than exchanging it. An English card is usually accepted as it is; where an office still asks for a certified translation, see our DMV translation page.

If your proof of a licence from before 1998 is an ID book page, or a letter from a licensing office, it may be in Afrikaans. See our Afrikaans page and our vehicle registration page.

What USCIS requires

Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), a foreign-language document must be accompanied by a complete English translation and the translator's certification that it is accurate. Every seal, stamp and marginal note is part of the document, so every one is translated.

State agencies set their own rules — see government agencies — and what our certification states is on this page.

How it works

Upload a photo or a scan of your document, pick the language pair and check out online. You never have to mail originals: a legible copy is all we need.

A professional human translator, never machine translation, translates the document word for word and mirrors the layout of the original. Every certified translation ships with a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy that meets the requirements of USCIS, courts and universities.

Your translation is delivered digitally, usually within 24 hours for documents of one to three pages, and same-day delivery is available. If anything needs adjusting, we revise it.

Certified vs. standard translation

A certified translation is a word-for-word translation accompanied by a signed statement attesting to its accuracy and completeness. It is what official bodies require: USCIS, courts, universities and government agencies. Certified translations are $24.95 per page, where one sheet of your document is one page, with no word cap.

A standard translation is the same professional human translation without the certificate, for when you only need to understand the content or for internal or informal use. It is billed at the same $24.95 per page with no word cap.

Frequently asked questions

Does my South African licence need a translation?

Usually not, because the card is in English. Ask the DMV; if it wants a certified translation anyway, we provide one.

What is a code 10 licence?

The old name for what is now code C1, for vehicles between 3,500 and 16,000 kg. We keep the code as printed and do not convert it.

Is an international driving permit enough?

An IDP is not a licence on its own, and US states treat it differently. Ask the DMV what it accepts.

Ready to get started?

Upload your documents and receive your certified translation, typically within 24 hours.

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