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What is an International Driving Permit?

Short answer
An International Driving Permit (IDP) is a translation of your national driver's licence into multiple languages, in the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Convention format. It lets foreign authorities and rental companies read your driving credentials and is always carried alongside your original licence.
Daniel MercerWritten by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026

Why you need an IDP

When you drive abroad, local police and car-rental desks need to read your licence, but a licence printed only in English (or any single language) is hard for them to verify. An IDP solves this by translating your licence details into the languages recognised under the United Nations road-traffic conventions.

  • Car rental: Hertz, Enterprise, Alamo, Budget, Sixt, Avis, Europcar and Localiza often require an IDP at the counter.
  • Legal compliance: many countries require foreign drivers to carry an IDP by law.
  • Peace of mind: it's a document most police and rental staff recognise, which can help at checkpoints and after an accident.

The legal basis: Article 24 and Article 41

The IDP is defined in Article 24 of the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic and Article 41 of the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. Those articles set the booklet format, the particulars it must contain, and its validity — up to 1 year under the 1949 convention and up to 3 years under the 1968 convention. Our translations are prepared in exactly those formats.

What this document is — and what it isn't

Honesty matters in this industry, so let's be precise. The document we provide is an IDP-style multilingual translation of your national driving licence, prepared in the booklet format described by the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Conventions. It is not a driver's licence and grants no driving privileges on its own — it works only alongside your original, valid licence.

In the United States, official government-recognized IDPs are issued only by AAA (the American Automobile Association) and AATA, and other countries designate their own authorized issuers. We are an independent private company with no affiliation to AAA, AATA, or any government. If your destination legally requires an official government-issued IDP, our translation is not a substitute for it — check your destination's rules in our country directory or with the relevant authority.

Why choose us, then? Speed and convenience. Official issuers typically require a mail-in or in-person application; we deliver a convention-format translation digitally in as fast as 8 minutes, with a printable booklet and QR-verifiable card — useful for rental desks and roadside readability where a translation is what's needed. Every order is backed by a 100% money-back guarantee. Worried about fraudulent operators in this space? Read our guide on how to avoid IDP scams.

1949 Geneva vs 1968 Vienna Convention: what's the difference?

There are two IDP formats, set by two United Nations road-traffic conventions. The one a country accepts depends on which treaty it signed. Many countries recognise both; some accept only one. Your destination's country page shows exactly which format applies.

1949 Geneva1968 Vienna
Governing articleArticle 24Article 41
Adopted19491968
Typical validityUp to 1 yearUp to 3 years (or until your licence expires)
Approx. countriesAround 100 countriesAround 90 countries
Vehicle categories5 classes: A, B, C, D, ESubcategories: A, A1, B, B1, C, C1, D, D1 + combos
Where it appliesWidely accepted, incl. US, Japan, AustraliaMost of Europe, Latin America, parts of Asia

We prepare your translation in the format your destination recognises — and where a country honours both, our booklet covers both.

Comparison of the 1949 Geneva Convention IDP (valid 1 year, around 100 countries including the US, Japan, Canada and Australia) and the 1968 Vienna Convention IDP (valid up to 3 years, around 78 countries, most of Europe).

Always carry both documents

Your IDP and your original national driving licence work together — bring both when driving abroad and you are fully covered at rental desks and checkpoints worldwide.

Frequently asked

Common questions

01
What is an International Driving Permit (IDP)?
An International Driving Permit is a certified translation of your national driver's licence into multiple languages, prepared in the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Convention format. It lets authorities and rental companies abroad read your driving credentials and is carried together with your original licence.
02
How fast will I get my driving licence translation?
Your IDP translation is generated and emailed in as fast as 8 minutes with Express Processing — always within 2 hours of payment. You can print the PDF yourself, keep it on your phone, and scan its QR code to verify it.
03
Do I need an IDP to rent a car abroad?
Many rental companies — including Hertz, Enterprise, Alamo, Budget, National, Sixt, Avis, Europcar and Localiza — ask for an IDP when your licence is not printed in the Roman alphabet, and many countries ask foreign drivers to carry one. Our translation is prepared in the format rental desks expect, which can help at the counter — but acceptance is always at the staff member's discretion, and a small number of destinations only accept an official government-issued IDP (see your country page).
04
How long is my driving licence translation valid?
Official IDPs run up to 1 year under the Geneva Convention or up to 3 years under the Vienna Convention. We offer matching 1-year, 2-year and 3-year validity options for your translation — choose the length that fits your travel plans; longer validity is the better value for frequent travellers.
05
Is an IDP accepted in every country?
An official IDP is recognised in 195+ countries that follow the Geneva and Vienna Conventions. Our certified translation follows the same booklet format, but it's a private translation, not a government-issued IDP — a small number of countries (for example Japan for certain nationalities, and mainland China) require the official government-issued version specifically. Our country pages explain exactly what each destination requires.
06
Do I still need my original driver's licence?
Yes. An IDP is always used alongside your valid national driver's licence — it never replaces it. Always carry both documents when driving abroad.
07
Do you need my licence photo or an exam?
No exam is required. You enter your licence and personal details and upload a passport-style photo; we prepare your driving licence translation instantly. You must already hold a valid national driver's licence.
08
Can I use an IDP to drive for a rideshare or delivery service abroad?
No. An International Driving Permit is for driving on your existing personal (private) driving entitlement while visiting. Commercial or paid driving — rideshare platforms like Uber or Bolt, food or parcel delivery, taxi or professional transport — is regulated separately in every country and almost always requires local registration, a local or converted licence, and often a specific commercial permit. An IDP does not grant commercial driving rights and is not a substitute for those local requirements. If you plan to earn money by driving, check the platform's and the country's licensing rules directly before you rely on an IDP.
09
How long can I drive on my foreign licence and IDP before I must convert to a local licence?
It depends on the country and your residency status. As a visitor or tourist, most countries let you drive on your valid national licence — carried with an IDP where required — for the length of a normal visit, commonly up to 3, 6 or 12 months from entry. Once you become a resident, most countries require you to convert to (or take a test for) a local licence within a set window, and an IDP no longer covers you after that point because it is a translation, not a licence. Our per-country pages summarise the typical visitor allowance, but always confirm the exact limit and residency rules with the destination's motor authority before a long stay.
10
What is your refund policy?
We offer a 100% money-back guarantee. If there is any issue with your document or it is not accepted, contact our 24/7 support and we will correct it, or refund you within 30 days of purchase. See our full refund policy for details.
11
What's the difference between the Geneva and Vienna conventions?
The 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (Article 24) and the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (Article 41) are the two UN treaties that define the IDP. Geneva-format IDPs are valid up to 1 year and use 5 broad vehicle classes (A-E); around 100 countries are party to it, including the US, Japan and Australia. Vienna-format IDPs are valid up to 3 years (or until your licence expires) and use a more detailed category and subcategory system; around 90 countries are party to it, mostly across Europe, Latin America and parts of Asia. Which one applies depends on which treaty your destination has signed, not on where you live — some countries recognise both.
12
Does this replace an official government-issued International Driving Permit?
No. We prepare a certified private translation of your national driving licence in the IDP booklet format. It is not a licence and not a government-issued document. A small number of countries — Japan is the clearest example — accept only an official IDP issued by a government-authorized body in your country of residence, and our translation is not a substitute there. Check your destination's country page, or its motor authority directly, before you rely on ours for that purpose.
13
Is acceptance by rental companies and authorities guaranteed?
No — no translation or permit provider can guarantee that. Acceptance is always decided by the individual rental desk, police officer or border official you present it to, not by us. We prepare the translation in the exact convention format your destination recognises, and back every order with a 100% money-back guarantee if it has an issue or isn't accepted.
14
How do I know if this is suitable for my trip?
Check the country page for where you're driving — it states whether an IDP is required or recommended, which convention format applies, and flags the rare destinations (like Japan) where only an official government-issued IDP will do. If your trip depends on it being accepted for a specific legal purpose, confirm directly with that country's motor authority or your rental company before you order.
15
Who certifies the translation, and what does "certified" mean?
International Driver Licence prepares and certifies the translation in-house, following the standard 1949/1968 convention booklet layout and checking it against the details you submit. "Certified" here means we stand behind the accuracy of the translation we produce — it is not a government certification. If a rental desk wants a separately signed and stamped attestation page, add the optional Certified Translation Page at checkout.

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