Before you start

Original foreign driving licence, plus a certified copy
A letter from the issuing authority or your embassy verifying the licence is genuine
Passport and your residence and work permits, or an exemption certificate
Eye screening result, valid for one year

Step-by-step

1
Check whether you are exempt
Holders of driving licences issued within SADC states are exempted from the conversion requirement, though they may convert if they wish. Coming from South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe or Zambia removes the whole errand. Everyone else has 90 calendar days.
OnlineWho: YouFirst week
2
Get the verification letter early
The Department requires a letter from the issuing authority, or from the embassy representing that country, confirming the licence is authentic. Obtaining this from a distant licensing authority takes far longer than the conversion itself. Start it before you leave, if you can.
In personWho: YouWeeks
3
Certify the licence copy correctly
The copy must be certified by the embassy or consulate representing the issuing country, or by a commissioner of oaths in Botswana. A notarisation from your home country is not the same thing and is a common reason applications bounce.
In personWho: You
4
Complete Form DL1 and the eye screening
Download and complete the Botswana driving licence application form, then take it with your documents to an eye screening office. The screening result is valid for a year, so do not do it months before you plan to apply.
In personWho: You
5
Submit, pay and have the photo taken
Submit at a Department of Road Transport and Safety office in Gaborone with your passport, permits and the verification letter, pay the fee when instructed, and have the licence photograph taken.
In personWho: You
6
Sort out the paperwork for South African trips
If you will drive across the border, carry the vehicle registration papers and, for a company or financed car, a written letter of authority to take it out of the country. Third-party insurance requirements differ on each side and cross-border cover is not automatic — check the policy wording rather than assuming.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Original foreign driving licence and a properly certified copy
Letter from the issuing authority or embassy verifying authenticity
Passport
Residence and work permits, or exemption certificate
Eye screening result
Completed Form DL1

Things most newcomers don’t know

SADC licence holders are exempt, and a surprising number of people convert unnecessarily.

The Government of Botswana states plainly that holders of driving licences issued within SADC states are exempted from the foreign licence conversion requirement, with conversion available as an option rather than an obligation. Since a large share of foreign professionals in Gaborone arrive from South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe or Zambia, that exemption covers most of them — and the ones who convert anyway have usually been told to by someone applying a general rule.

Source: Government of Botswana

The verification letter, not the test, is what makes conversion slow.

Botswana requires a letter from the issuing authority or the representing embassy confirming the foreign licence is authentic. Some licensing authorities produce this readily; others have no process for it and take months, and a few will only correspond with the applicant in person. Anyone from outside SADC should start this before leaving their home country, because chasing a provincial licensing office from Gaborone is genuinely difficult.

Source: Government of Botswana

A car is close to essential in Gaborone, and the reason is layout rather than distance.

Gaborone is small but low-density and planned around driving: extensions and blocks sprawl outward from a compact centre, the shopping has moved to malls at Kgale, Airport Junction and Riverwalk, and pavements are patchy. Combis run fixed routes cheaply but not usefully for most professional commutes. Nearly every foreign resident buys a car in the first month, and the second-hand market — heavily supplied with Japanese imports through Durban — is deep and cheap.

Source: community-reported

Driving to Johannesburg is normal here and needs its own paperwork.

The Tlokweng border is fifteen kilometres out and Johannesburg is about four hours, which makes South African shopping, medical appointments and long-haul flights a routine drive rather than an expedition. What catches people is the paperwork: vehicle registration in the car, a letter of authority if the car is financed or company-owned, and confirmation that your motor insurance actually extends across the border. None of it is difficult; all of it is easier to arrange before you are at the boom gate.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Converting a SADC licence you were never required to convert.
Leaving the issuing-authority verification letter until after you arrive.
Having the licence copy notarised at home rather than certified as Botswana requires.
Doing the eye screening months before applying and letting the year lapse.
Driving to South Africa without cross-border insurance or a letter of authority.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.