Q.1158 International Driving License Requirement
Question: Dear Sir/Madam, Your site states that an international driving licence as well as a domestic (Indian) driving licence are both necessary in order to drive abroad. However, several sites unambiguously declare that certain countries - such as USA, UK, Germany, Norway, Finland, Australia and so forth do not require an international licence - the domestic Indian one is valid for a (variable) period of months. Could you throw light on this confusing issue? Much Obliged, Answer: First a clarification: International Driving license is used interchangeably for the sake of convenience and refers to International Driving Permit (IDP) There is actually no such thing as a international driving license that I am aware of. What exists is called an International Driving Permit. International Driving Permit (IDP) are issued in many countries to those holding a valid driving license so that the person can drive for a short period when traveling in a foreign country for purposes such as tourism. Countries that accept IDP (most do) require the driver to have in their possession their home country license and the IDP.Contrives where IDP not required
Some countries may not require IDP, for instance France may not require an IDP as long as the driver has in their possession their home country driving license along with a notarized translation in French. The international driving permit (IDP) has information from the usual driving license translated into ten languages. The languages are English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, German, Arabic, Italian, Swedish and Portuguese. Keep in mind that even where driving is allowed without the requirement of an International Driving Permit, there may be specific requirements that car rental companies or perhaps insurance companies may have in case of an accident. I would advise anyone planing on driving while touring abroad to get a IDP from their home countries before departure. At the very least check with the government authorities of the countries you plan to visit to confirm driving license requirements for tourists. The Internet can quite often lead to misinformation. So confirm with authorities. Posted below is what the US government says about foreign nationals driving in USA.
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by Virendar Chand
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Q.1158 International Driving
License Requirement
Question: Dear Sir/Madam, Your site states that an international driving licence as well as a domestic (Indian) driving licence are both necessary in order to drive abroad. However, several sites unambiguously declare that certain countries - such as USA, UK, Germany, Norway, Finland, Australia and so forth do not require an international licence - the domestic Indian one is valid for a (variable) period of months. Could you throw light on this confusing issue? Much Obliged, Answer: First a clarification: International Driving license is used interchangeably for the sake of convenience and refers to International Driving Permit (IDP) There is actually no such thing as a international driving license that I am aware of. What exists is called an International Driving Permit. International Driving Permit (IDP) are issued in many countries to those holding a valid driving license so that the person can drive for a short period when traveling in a foreign country for purposes such as tourism. Countries that accept IDP (most do) require the driver to have in their possession their home country license and the IDP.Contrives where IDP not required
Some countries may not require IDP, for instance France may not require an IDP as long as the driver has in their possession their home country driving license along with a notarized translation in French. The international driving permit (IDP) has information from the usual driving license translated into ten languages. The languages are English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, German, Arabic, Italian, Swedish and Portuguese. Keep in mind that even where driving is allowed without the requirement of an International Driving Permit, there may be specific requirements that car rental companies or perhaps insurance companies may have in case of an accident. I would advise anyone planing on driving while touring abroad to get a IDP from their home countries before departure. At the very least check with the government authorities of the countries you plan to visit to confirm driving license requirements for tourists. The Internet can quite often lead to misinformation. So confirm with authorities. Posted below is what the US government says about foreign nationals driving in USA.
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