Why do you need an international driving license abroad?

Performed according to all the canons of the Vienna Convention, in real life, a Russian motorist who went abroad can expect unpleasant surprises and circumstances when he needs to have an international driver's license. The relevance of this issue is confirmed by numerous Internet forums dedicated to this problem. It follows from them that there is no certain clarity in society regarding the legitimacy of a Russian driver's license outside of Russia, not counting the CIS countries.

It looks like an international driver's license in a spread

Therefore, if national rights were issued after March 1, 2011, they meet the requirements of the Vienna Convention of 1968, therefore, to control the vehicle in the countries participating in the convention, it is not required to additionally obtain international rights.

If the VU was issued before March 1, 2011, or if you intend to drive a vehicle in a country that has signed only the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic of 1949, then you must obtain an international driving license of the established form.

Reasons why you need an international driving license abroad

Old driver's license. There is a duplicate inscription in French

From April 1, 2014, a new type of driver's license is valid in Russia. According to the leadership of the traffic police, the new rights satisfy all the provisions of the Vienna Convention, and it would seem that Russians can easily drive their car to Europe, having only Russian rights in their hands. However, not all so simple.
The presence of only a Russian driver's license and the absence of international ones does not guarantee the occurrence of certain problems for Russian drivers abroad. On the old Russian driver's license, the inscription "Driver's license" was duplicated in French. And the name and surname of the car owner was both in Russian and in Latin. In the rights of the new sample there is no translation either into French or into any other language. Forms of driver's licenses are the same even for Russia, even for Germany, even for Italy, in accordance with the Vienna Convention. But there is no guarantee that somewhere in a provincial town in France or Spain you will be able to prove to the policeman who stopped you that, according to the new standards, the transfer of positions is not required and that your license indicates the right to drive this category of car. Even in Europe, many police officers are not very good understand international law, there is no talk about Asia. In such a case, it will be problematic to avoid a fine, even if you have a photocopy of the Vienna Convention in your hands. Note: the amount of fines in European countries without international “crusts” can reach serious values. For example, in Italy, a similar fine for a foreign driver reaches 300 euros. It is precisely such troubles that an international driver's license helps to avoid, which is a panacea for all troubles for foreign drivers. In its intended purpose, the International Driving Permit essentially only serves as a translation of the national driving license, certified by the state supervisory authority.
In most non-CIS countries, it is established by the adopted rules to issue cars for hire or rental solely on the basis of an international driver's license. Therefore, if there is an intention to travel in a rented car, then it is best not to delay obtaining an international driver's license in order to be 100% sure of the success of your plans abroad.
In addition, the existence of such rights ensures the conclusion of an insurance contract and the receipt of compensation in insured events. In most countries, when renting a car, an insurance contract is concluded.
Some countries, such as Austria, may require a photocopy of an international driver's license in order to obtain an entry visa.

Video: International driving license

So, summarizing the above arguments, we come to the following conclusions:

With Russian rights, in principle, without problems, you can drive a car only on the territory of the CIS, and in far abroad countries it is better to have an international driver's license with you. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that international rights are valid only if there is an internal Russian certificate, on the basis of which they were issued and the details of which are recorded in an international document. In other words, abroad, international driver's "crusts" must be MANDATORY paired with Russian ones.
The presence of two certificates, Russian and international, is a guarantee of a calm ride in the above countries and solving problems with driving rental cars. In those countries that are not signatories to the Vienna or Geneva conventions, you should confirm your knowledge of driving rules by passing traffic rules exams on the territory of these states and obtain a permit to drive transport.
If you do not have the opportunity to issue an international certificate, then, as a last resort, before traveling abroad, grab a translation of Russian rights into the official language of the state where you are going, certified by a notary service.

Video: How to get international rights

Obtaining an international driving license

The international sample is an annex to the Russian national driver's license and cannot be withdrawn separately from it. In fact, this is a standardized translation of national driving licenses into many languages of the world, which agreed with the international legal acts on road safety adopted in Geneva and Vienna. It is a gray four-page book of the standard size "A6".

To obtain an international driver's license, you do not need to pass an exam on driving rules or traffic rules. You must have a valid Russian license. International rights are issued for a period of not more than 3 years. At the same time, the deadline for its validity is limited by the validity of the national driver's license. For its registration, it is necessary to apply with the appropriate application to the registration department of the traffic police at the place of registration or permanent residence.

From February 2017, an international driver's license can be obtained at the multifunctional public service center (MFC). This is done in order to unload the registration offices of the traffic police. We would like to emphasize that if the Russian license expires earlier than three years, for example, in a year, then the international driver's license will have to be changed in a year, along with the Russian ones.

List of required documents:

application (the form is issued at the traffic police department);
Russian passport;
foreign passport with a photocopy;
matte photo 35x45 mm. Non-tinted glasses and a headdress that does not cover the face are allowed in the photo. The photo can be color or black and white. Photos can be taken at the traffic police department during the issuance of the certificate.
From February 2016 medical certificate to obtain or replace an international driving license is not required;
driving license of the Russian Federation;
receipt of payment of state duty for 1600 rubles. You can print the receipt here - http://www.gibdd.ru/gosuslugi/reg/exm/?region=77 It is better to pay the receipt at the bank, there will be a commission at the traffic police terminals.

Don't forget to pay all traffic fines. Without this, it will not be possible to obtain an international driver's license. You can check the presence of a fine according to the vehicle's data. You can get an international driver's license for citizens of the Russian Federation at any department of the traffic police, regardless of the place of registration and residence.

You can also apply for international rights on the State Services website http://www.gosuslugi.ru/pgu/service/10000467319_73.html#!_description
Pre-registration is required on the site.

Note: For residents of Moscow, you can get an international driver's license in four branches:

Bolshaya Ordynka Street, Building 8 (Central District);
Lobnenskaya street, house 20 (Northern district);
Warsaw highway, 170 D (Southern district);
Delovaya street, 15 (Southern district) - for foreign citizens.

For residents of the Moscow region:

UGUVD GIBDD MO
Moscow, st. Comintern 38, tel.: 8(499)185-89-40, 8(499)185-94-67
MOTOR - 2 (Lyubertsy)
Kotelniki, Novoryazanskoe highway, 6, tel: 554-04-18

IMPORTANT: Do not pay attention to the numerous announcements of services provided by incomprehensible organizations for obtaining an international driver's license for 1.5 - 2 thousand rubles. This is a common "divorce" with fake documents, which can lead to unnecessary problems with law enforcement. Normal documents must be certified by the seal and signature of the heads of state oversight bodies, and not by intermediary organizations.