Which countries will require an international driver's license

The road infrastructure abroad is of high quality, which is why many people prefer to travel by car. Before you go on a trip, it is worth finding out which countries require an international driver's license. This will save you trouble with the police and unnecessary hassle.

What is an international driving license

International driving license - IDL - a document that confirms the right to drive a car outside the country of residence. It includes the following information:

• date of receiving;
• validity;
• place and organization that issued the document;
• series and number of national driving license;
• last name, first name of the driver, date of birth;
• vehicle category.

In 1949, at the UN conference in Geneva, the Convention on Motor Traffic was presented, which was signed by 96 countries. She established the appearance of international rights, their validity, categories of vehicles and the minimum age of the driver - 18 years.

In 1968, the Vienna Convention appeared. It has been ratified by 75 countries. The agreement establishes standard rules of the road for the states that signed the document, and a single form of international certificate. The book made in A6 format (148×105 mm) is a multilingual translation of national rights and is valid only if they are available.

You can find out more about the benefits that an IDP provides by reading.

On the territory of which countries does the IDP operate

In Russia and the CIS, national rights of a new type are issued. They comply with the requirements of the Vienna Convention and are valid in the countries that have signed it. This means that drivers have the right to drive vehicles of the corresponding category in these states without additional documents.

But in practice, without an international certificate, problems may arise when solving unusual situations on the roads and when renting a car. For example, in Italy, domestic and international licenses are required to book a car for temporary use. The same principles are followed by Uruguay, New Caledonia, Senegal, Botswana and a number of other countries.

In states that have not signed any agreements, and in those that adhere to the Geneva Convention, national rights of any kind are invalid. That is why, before traveling abroad, it is better to issue an IDP, which is also an identity card, so it can be useful for various purposes.

In order to travel the world without delay or rent a car, you need to be aware of which countries have an international driver's license. To do this, it is important to know which states have signed the Geneva and Vienna conventions.

You can travel by car on an IDP in Greece, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. A complete list of states that have signed road traffic conventions can be easily found on the United Nations website.

It is imperative to make an IDP for drivers whose rights were issued earlier than 2011. Old-style documents are not valid abroad. As can be seen from the table, some states did not sign any agreements. This means that at the entrance there, if you have to drive a car yourself, you will have to issue a local driver's license.

In Spain, Thailand, Portugal, the Vienna Convention has not been ratified, so you need an IDL to travel there by car.

Traffic police abroad often require national driving licenses to be translated into the local language and notarized.

Such nuances can be encountered in Brazil and Italy. To avoid complications, it is better to prepare documents in advance.

In Croatia, only the provisions of the Vienna Agreement apply. You can safely go there with a national driving license of a new type. You must be over 21 to rent a car. The driver has the right not to present an IDL when registering a car, but it is better to take the certificate with you: in isolated cases, local rental agencies do not recognize the national certificate. The situation is the same in Crete and in many other European countries.

What threatens to travel abroad without VMU

If you are going abroad with your car in 2019, it is worth getting an IDL and taking them along with your regular driving license. On the road, many situations may arise when the presence of a document is necessary.

In the event of an accident, the national police often refuse to recognize the national driver's license as valid, and in the absence of an IDP, one will have to answer for driving without documents - in all countries the law is harsh for such violators.

The most lenient punishment is a fine. For example, in Italy for the lack of international rights it is 300 euros, even when there is no fact of an offense. If the driver becomes a participant in the accident, lawyers can easily prove in court that he did not have the right to drive a car, and he may face imprisonment.