An international driving permit is required for driving abroad and in many cases for renting a car while visiting a foreign country as well. Luckily, it’s an easy document to get and you can get it quite quickly if you have the paperwork prepared.
The document is also easy to renew and it lasts a year before you need to do so. Compared to other documents that you need for traveling abroad, the international driving permit is the least expensive one and the one that is issued the fastest.
How to Get the License?
An international driving license or IDL is issued based on your national license and by the same legal authority. You need to fill out a form and pay a small fee, as well provide proof that you have a valid permit already. Once you’ve provided these you’ll need to provide two photos, the same as the ones used for your passport and you’re all done.
For the most part, it takes up to a week to get the permit sent to you via mail. If you get the license yourself and are ready to wait in line to do so, you can get it in a matter of hours.
How to Get a Permit Once It Expires?
The permit will expire within a year and can be renewed online. The process is the same and if you need to send some of the documents we’ve mentioned abroad – it’s best to do it via a licensed carrier service.
If your national permit expires your international driving permit won’t be valid either. This document can sometimes also be renewed online but not all countries allow for it, meaning that you sometimes can’t do it while abroad.
What Are the Age Restrictions on Getting a License?
The license can only be issued if you’re over 18 years of age and already have a national permit. Sometimes you can get the national permit before you’re 18 since that’s how the rule is defined in some countries. This doesn’t apply to an international permit but there are other rules you need to check out.
Even if you have a national permit and are allowed to drive as an underage person, you won’t be able to drive abroad. There are also some limits on which vehicles the international permit can be used for. It covers personal vehicles only and doesn’t apply to commercial ones.
When To Get One?
It’s best to get your international permit before your trip. That way you can prepare for your trip on time and resolve any issues if they come up so that they interfere with your travel. It takes a week to get the license so take that into account as well.
It’s also a good idea to make sure your national driving permit won’t expire during your stay abroad. The same goes for your ID which needs to be produced when the authorities require you to do so. In most cases, that document is a passport but there are exceptions as well.
