In which countries do Russian driver's licenses work?
When traveling abroad, it is convenient not to depend on public transport, to plan your own route. This requires a car. But in order to feel comfortable driving, not to be afraid of local law enforcement officers, it is advisable to find out in which countries the Russian driver's license is valid before the trip.
Are Russian rights valid abroad
To visit other countries in your car, or rent a car there, it is not necessary to have a special driver's license to travel abroad. On the territory of many countries, rights issued in Russia are valid. The operation of driving licenses abroad is regulated by two official documents, two conventions: Geneva and Vienna.
The signatories of the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic of 1968 allow the use of Russian (national) rights within their borders.
The states that signed the Geneva Convention in 1949 recognize international driving permits (IDPs) in their territories. It should be borne in mind that the convention must not only be signed by the state, but also ratified by it.
In the event that a state has signed both documents, the rights corresponding to the requirements of either of them are recognized on its territory. In countries that have not joined any of these conventions, you cannot drive a car with a Russian driver's license. In these states, it is necessary to pass exams and obtain local rights.
Of course, there are exceptions to the rules - the country, by its internal regulatory document, recognizes the driving documents of Russia as valid, or an international certificate. Sometimes it is enough to provide a certified translation of Russian rights, but, again, it is necessary to find out such nuances regarding a particular state before the trip.
It is also necessary to know that in 2006 the format of national rights recognized in the territory of other states was changed.
The participants of the Vienna Convention brought national certificates in line with the new requirements within five years. But even if the driver has an old-style license obtained before 03/28/2011, they, according to the terms of the Convention (Article 43, clause 1), are valid until the end of their validity period, but must be supported by an IDP or a certified translation.
Countries where a Russian driver's license is valid
According to the Vienna Convention (clause 1, art. 41) dated November 8, 1968, the signatory countries accept foreign driver's licenses as a legal document. Naturally, this also applies to the national rights of the Russian Federation. They are valid in countries that have adopted the convention (acceded, participating by succession).
That is, having them, you can freely drive a vehicle on the territory:
- Republic of Austria
- bahrain kingdom,
- Belgium,
- Belarus,
- Bulgaria,
- Bosnia and Herzegovina,
- Great Britain,
- Hungary,
- Greece,
- State Of Israel,
- Transcaucasian republics: Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia,
- Iranian Islamic Republic,
- Italy,
- Principality of Monaco
- Kuwait,
- Cuba,
- Duchy of Luxembourg,
- Macedonia,
- Mongolia,
- Kingdom of the Netherlands (European part),
- Pakistan,
- Poland,
- Portugal,
- Moldova,
- Albania,
- Romania,
- Scandinavian Peninsula: Norway (excluding Jan Mayen and Svalbard), the Kingdom of Denmark (excluding the Faroe Islands and Greenland), Sweden,
- San Marino
- Seychelles,
- Serbia
- Slovenia,
- Slovakia,
- Commonwealth of the Bahamas,
- Baltic countries: Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia,
- states of the Arabian Peninsula: Qatar Emirate, UAE, Saudi Arabia,
- Central Asian republics: Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan,
- African countries: Zimbabwe and the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Morocco and Tunisia, Niger and Senegal, the Republic of South Africa,
- States of South America: the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Peru, Uruguay, the Federative Republic of Brazil,
- Turkish Republic,
- Ukraine,
- Philippines,
- Finland,
- France,
- Croatia,
- Montenegro,
- Czech Republic,
- Swiss Confederation.
States that have signed the Convention without ratifying it:
- Bolivarian Republic (Venezuela),
- Vatican,
- Indonesia,
- Ghana,
- Spain,
- Mexico,
- Costa Rica,
- Republic of Korea,
- Thailand,
- Chile,
- Ecuador.
The list shows that with a new type of Russian driving license, you can safely go abroad by car (for old ones, you need an additional IDL), because almost all states in Europe have signed the Vienna Convention. Many Asian and African countries joined it.
The text of the Vienna Convention states that a country that has signed it before ratification or before its outright rejection refrains from opposing it.
That is, the state that signed but did not ratify the agreement must also recognize the Russian national driver's license.
This is usually the case, but there are times when car rental companies do not release the booked car. It is difficult to challenge their actions and return the money. Indeed, at the legislative level, a convention that has not been ratified by a country does not work.
In order to drive a car into states that are parties to the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic of 09/19/1949, you must have international rights. They are used only together with Russian (national) rights. Also, this document, along with the ability to drive a vehicle, acts as an identity card. For example, they can be used in a hotel.
What threatens the absence of an IDP? Penalties may apply for this. If some serious accident occurs, the court will be able to prove that you did not have the right to drive a car. This will be an aggravating circumstance. Also, in this case, it will not be possible to count on the help of insurance companies.
