A Guide For Foreigners On Buying A Car In SA
Congratulations! You now live in South Africa. Whatever your reason for moving here, you will most likely need wheels. But how do you go about buying a car as a non-citizen in South Africa?
Option 1: Your first step is getting registered on the National Transport Information System, commonly known as eNaTiS. This will give you your traffic register number (TRN), which will allow you to get register and do other vehicle-related transactions on eNaTIS as a foreign national.
To register for eNaTIS, you must produce your foreign identification document. You don’t have such a document? All is not lost. You will just need more documents.
Option 2:You can still apply for a TRN, provided you have a valid passport, driving licence or a travel document that proves that you are in South Africa legally. The following requirements are vital:
1. You will need a certified copy of your
- passport
- driving licence
- travel document listed above
The easiest way to get this is to take a photocopy and the original document to a police station and ask them to certify it. They will compare the photocopy with the original, and if the same, stamp and sign the copy.
2. You will need two black and white ID photographs.
This is usually done for you at the traffic department, but there are other places to get these – such as photo printing shops, pharmacies or independent locals typically situated near the traffic department.
3. You will need proof of address.
This is usually in the form of a utility account. If the utility account is not in your name, the owner must make an affidavit declaring that you live at that address and you need to attach the utility bill to the affidavit.
If you live in an informal settlement, you will need a letter with an official date stamp from the ward councillor that confirms your address.
Once you have all these documents, you need to go to a traffic department to get your TRN. The ease of finding your nearest traffic department may vary depending on where you live. In most cases you can simply google “Municipal Traffic Departments” and you will get a full list, including where they are and their trading hours.
Follow the above steps to get your TRN and then you can buy a car as a foreigner in South Africa! We recommend dealing with a reputable dealer when trying to find a car you want to ensure quality and reliability.
