Here you can find an information about International driver license, such us a history of the development of an International Driving Permit, when and how you can use your International Driving Permit,, who and where it may be issued. Please use links above and find interesting for you information. We are working hard to find and create new topics about the International Driving Permit.

History of the International Driving Permit

For the first time, an International Driving Permit was determined by the International Convention relative to Motor Traffic signed at Paris on 24 April 1926. Moreover, that United Nations treaty determined the form, size, contained information, and requirements of getting of the International Driving Permit. Thus, people from 18 years and older may have the International Driving Permit for driving overseas for one year from date of its issue in three categories A, B, and C – light and heavy vehicles and motorcycles.
The second time, the United Nations agreement about the International Driving Permit was signed in 1949 in the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic. That treaty confirmed new requirements to the International Driving Permit, namely, it is a 105 × 148 mm gray booklet with white inside pages first and second from which have to be written in the national language and last in France. It is allowed to drive abroad with the International Driving Permit for one year from date of its issue in five categories A, B, C, D, and E.
The last United Nations treaty about the International Driving Permit was done at Vienna in 1968. The main distinction which the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic has done in the International Driving Permit is a validity period. The International Driving Permit issued according to the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic is valid for three years from the date of its issue.
The Vienna Convention has corrections of 3 September 1993 and on 28 March 2006 the last of which changed the International Driving Permit. The new model of the International Driving Permit is available from 29 March 2011; it has the new classification of 13 categories.

Benefits of the International Driving Permit holding

An International Driving Permit is a special document approved by the United Nations agreements and determined Geneva and Vienna Conventions on Road Traffic. Today, most countries in the world require from foreign drivers presence of the International Driving Permit further to their domestic driver licenses. Thus, a holder of the International Driving Permit can drive overseas on legal ground.
The International Driving Permit is the translation of an original Driver License at least on six languages (English, Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese, and Arabic), so the International Driving Permit helps its holder to circumvent difficulties with Police on account of different languages.
In many countries, rental car companies also demand of the International Driving Permit for hiring motor vehicles, consequently, the International Driving Permit gives access to all car hiring companies.
The International Driving Permit is a non-government identification document and may be useful in many situations, for instance, for realizing different bank operations or police investigation.

International Driving Permit standards

Today, two types of International Driving Permits are in force:

  • the International Driving Permit established by the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic of 1968 and
  • the International Driving Permit established by the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic of 1949.

The dimensions and page color both permits are the same; they are 105 x 148 mm grey booklets with white inside pages. The first and second pages are printed in the national language and the last two pages are printed in French. The structure of two last pages for both International Driving Permits is the same, but their contents are different. The inside pages repeat information from the last two pages in other official languages of the United Nations: English, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic.  Both permits contain information about a driver and his picture and signature, category of vehicles for which this permit is valid and his term of validity, and exclusions (countries). For more information, see Form and size of the International Driving Permit.

Requirements for obtaining the International Driving Permit

In accordance with the Geneva (1949) and Vienna (1968) Conventions on Road Traffic, it is required from applicants to grant two main demands:

  • the applicant must be 18 years age or older;
  • the applicant must hold a valid Driver License issued by his domestic country.

The International Driving Permit is issued on the basis of an original Driver License; therefore, getting of the International Driving Permit doesn’t required written and/or road tests.

Issue the International Driving Permit

United Nations agreements confer a right to issue the International Driving Permit by a country:

  • a country that has signed the Convention on Road Traffic of 1949 or 1968 where a driver has his permanent residence and which issued to the driver his original driver license;
  • an abroad country that has signed the Convention on Road Traffic of 1949 or 1968 and recognizes the driver license issued by another country.

Using the International Driving Permit

Each Convention on Road Traffic determined term of validation for the International Driving Permit:

  • International Driving Permits issued according to the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic of 1949 are valid for one year from date of their issue;
  • International Driving Permits issued according to the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic of 1968 are valid for three years from date of their issue.

Any International Driving Permit can only be used in countries where his holder is a temporary visitor. Different countries have different laws about a legal using term of the International Driving Permit. Usually, it is permitted to drive with the International Driving Permit for three, six, or twelve months; if a foreign visitor plans to stay longer than an allowed term of the International Driving Permit using, he must obtain a local driver license.

Necessity of the International Driving Permit

If you are going to travel to a foreign county or have a business trip, you will need the International Driving Permit as the International Driving Permit is required for driving motor vehicles by foreign drivers in most countries in the world.
Overseas, you may need the International Driving Permit not only for driving, but for renting a car too since many car hiring companies required presence the International Driving Permit.
The International Driving Permit can also be used as your personality identification in most places worldwide because the International Driving Permit is a non-government type of identification. If you want to have additional insurance abroad, you should obtain the International Driving Permit. 


 Unofficial International driver license translation services online