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What you need to know before driving across a border

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Whether you’re heading in or out of South Africa, being prepared for crossing a border will make your journey stress-free. WesBank has created a border-crossing guide just for you.

Finding accommodation and planning which routes to take are part of the fun of going on holiday. After all, travel is about the journey, not just the destination. But all of that can come to a standstill if you’ve missed an important bit of paperwork such as a border letter.

This is a letter that you need to present to officials at South Africa’s border posts when crossing into another country. It confirms that you have been given authority to drive a car, trailer, boat, jet ski or caravan into another country for a specific time frame.

If your car is not financed you won’t need a border letter from the bank but you will need other documentation such as the vehicle registration proving the car is yours or you have permission from the owner to take the car over the border. Border officials will ask that you provide them with a vehicle registration certificate or a certified copy of this document. However, financed vehicles will need a border letter from the bank that will serve as permission for the vehicle to cross the border.

Here’s what you need to know to get across the border:

  • A valid driver’s license and passport – The driver of the vehicle needs to have a valid driver’s license and passport. Check that your passport has expired before you travel.
  • Contact your insurance company – When planning to cross the border, drivers should contact their insurance companies to ensure their comprehensive insurance policy includes cross-border travel. If not, travellers can purchase international insurance at the border post gate.
  • Vehicle registration documents – A driver will be required to have a certified copy of the vehicle registration or the vehicle license. If the vehicle is financed you will also need a letter from the bank giving you authorisation to take the vehicle across the border, with the dates of your trip indicated. Both the bank letter and license papers should be signed by a
  • Commissioner of Oaths. If you are not the registered owner of the vehicle, you will need an affidavit from the police giving you authorisation from the financial institution/ owner to take the car out of South Africa.
  • Rental vehicles – Drivers of rental vehicles must have a letter from the rental company giving full consent to take the vehicle out of the country.
  • Stickers, triangles and safety gear – It is compulsory for any South African vehicle, caravan or trailer to have a ZA sign displayed when it crosses any of the borders. Some countries require you to place the blue and yellow warning triangle or the T-sign on your caravan or the trailer towing your boat. Other neighbouring countries require you to have a set of red warning triangles in your possession as well as reflective jackets. Double-check what stickers, triangles or safety gear you need before you depart.

If you are not a fan of queues, there are several ways in which you can request your border letter from WesBank. You can either use the self-service facility on the WesBank website or email the Customer Care team to assist you. Please visit www.wesbank.co.za, log in and request your border letter using the self-service portal. You can also email your request to service@wesbank.co.za, the subject line of your email should read ‘Admin Department – [your name] – [your email]. You can expect to get your response within three days, so the earlier you request your border letter the quicker it will arrive in your email inbox.

To learn more helpful #WesBankHowTo tips, and to ask your own car finance or travel questions, join the conversation online by visiting the WesBank Facebook page, @WesBank on Twitter or watch the videos on YouTube.

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.