How to get an International Driving Permit

An International Driving Permit (IDP) translates your national driver's licence into the languages set out by the UN road-traffic conventions, so police and rental desks abroad can read it. It never replaces your licence — you carry both. There are two ways to get one, and the right one depends on where you live and how soon you travel.

First, check you actually need one

Of the 154 countries we track, 14 list an IDP as required and 139 recommend one. China does not recognise IDPs at all — visitors there need a temporary local permit instead. Rental companies often ask for one even where the law doesn't. Our guide Do I need an International Driving Permit? walks through the decision, and every country page states the rule for that destination.

What you need before you start

• A full, valid national driver's licence. A learner or provisional permit is not enough, and the licence must stay valid for your whole trip — the IDP is worthless the day it expires.
• A recent photo of your face, passport-style: plain light background, eyes open, no sunglasses.
• Your name exactly as it appears on your passport. A mismatch between licence, IDP and passport is a common reason a rental desk hesitates.
• Your destination. It decides which convention format is recognised — Japan, for example, accepts only the 1949 Geneva form.

Route 1: the authorised issuer in your home country

The treaty booklet is issued in the country that issued your licence. In the United States the Department of State authorises two organisations to issue it: AAA and AATA. Elsewhere it is usually the national licensing authority or a designated motoring association — your government's driving-licence pages will name it.

The process is similar everywhere: an application form, two passport photos, a copy of your licence and a fee, in person or by post. It produces the convention booklet itself. The catch is time and geography: postal applications take one to three weeks, and most issuers only deal with applicants in, or mailing to, their own country — not much help if you're already abroad.

Route 2: online, as a certified translation

An online service translates your licence into a multi-language document you carry alongside it. It is not the convention booklet from your home issuer — it is a certified translation, which is what rental desks and officers are asking to read when your licence is in another language. With International DL the whole process happens on your phone:

1. Enter your email and licence details. No account to create; the form takes a few minutes.
2. Choose your plan and pay by card or PayPal.
3. Upload your licence and a headshot, and sign with your finger on screen.
4. Review every field and confirm. The document is generated from exactly what you confirm, so check the spelling against your passport here.
5. Download it from the link we email you. Plans with a physical booklet are posted as well.

Start your application, or see a sample of the finished document first.

How far ahead to apply

If you're using your home issuer by post, apply at least three weeks before you fly and allow for the return post. Online, digital delivery is same-day once you've confirmed your details, which makes it the practical option inside the last week — or once you're already travelling. Either way, apply before you collect a rental car: a counter that refuses you on the day leaves no time to fix it.

Mistakes that get drivers turned away

• Leaving the national licence at home. An IDP on its own proves nothing; officers and rental desks want both, plus your passport.
• The wrong convention format. 35 countries we track recognise only the 1949 Geneva form and 31 only the 1968 Vienna form. Check the destination page.
• A name that doesn't match the passport — a missing middle name or a transliteration difference is enough to cause a delay.
• A digital copy only, where the counter wants paper. Print it, or choose a plan with a booklet.
• Assuming an IDP lifts local rules. It doesn't change the local minimum age, the rental company's own minimum, or which vehicles you may drive.