What driving license is needed in Europe?

When traveling to Europe, many tourists prefer to use a rented car as a means of transportation. It is quite convenient and more economical than using local public transport or taxis. However, here the question arises, what kind of driver's license is needed in Europe and are Russian driver's licenses valid in Europe? To understand, it is worth considering this topic in more detail.

Driving license options

There are two types of licenses that allow you to drive a car. The first of these is the national certificates that are used in the country. The second are international, which can be used in countries that have joined the Vienna or Geneva agreements. These include most European countries.

Different countries in Europe have different requirements for providing driver's documents. For example, in Spain, for renting a car, as well as for presenting it to local traffic authorities, a Russian driver's license (only a new model) will be enough. In Italy, however, the presence of an international certificate will be mandatory.

In any case, such a document should be drawn up so as not to get into an awkward situation and so that you do not have to pay a fine. In the event of insured events, an international certificate is mandatory in all countries.

Where to get an international driving license?

An international driver's license is a booklet where your Russian driver's license is translated into 8 languages.

It is not difficult to obtain such a certificate. To do this, go to the local traffic police. It should only be borne in mind that people who have ordinary national rights can get it. At the traffic police, you will need to pay the state duty and present certain documents. These include:

Russian driver's license;
passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation and a foreign passport;
receipt of payment of the state duty for the issuance of an international driver's license (1600 r in 2015)
medical certificate;
photos;
application for an MDL.

Such international rights are made within 20 minutes (maximum one hour), so you won’t have to wait long.

Issue term: for 3 years, but no more than the validity period of the Russian driver's license.

Documents required to rent a car in Europe

Only adults who are over 21 years old can rent a car in Europe. In addition, it is necessary that the traveler's driving experience be more than 1 year. At the car rental point, you will need to present the following documents:

passport and visa;
national driver's license;
international driving license.

In addition to providing these documents, you must confirm your ability to pay. Often, companies providing rental services freeze a certain amount on the customer’s account, which serves as a pledge, if something suddenly happens to the car through the fault of the borrower.

What happens if you do not have an international driving license with you?

First of all, without an international license, a car rental company may simply not release the car. Some small firms may make concessions, but they risk doing so. In the event of an insured event, the contract states that international driving license must be in place when driving. In addition, problems may arise when confronted with the police. If any violation is committed, they can issue a significant fine.

It should be borne in mind that in addition to obtaining an international driver's license, you must familiarize yourself with the rules of the road in the country you intend to go to. They may have their own nuances and differences from Russian rules.