Confused about the International Driving Permit? Hey, so were we . and so are a whole lot of other people if the number of inquiries coming into Drivers is any guide. Undaunted, we’ve done a bit of research on the Internet, and here is what we’ve found.
Essentially, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is proof that you hold a valid driver’s license in your own country. And it provides a translation into almost a dozen languages, mainly so that police and other authorities in other countries can read your license in their own language. It may not be absolutely necessary to have it, since many countries recognize each other’s licenses, but traveling with an IDP has many advantages.
The permit is intended to overcome the difficulties drivers might have while traveling in other countries that may have widely varying licensing requirements. The IDP is a special license for tourists authorized by United Nations conventions on road safety in 1923, 1943, 1949, and 1968. Nearly 180 countries are signatories.
The IDP is printed in several languages-the five official UN languages (English, French, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese) plus German, Arabic, Italian, the Scandinavian languages, and Portuguese.Continue reading