How to get an International Driving Permit in Mumbai - Delhi

What an IDP actually is

An International Driving Permit is a translation booklet recognised under the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic. It is not a standalone licence — it is only valid when carried alongside your home-country driving licence. In India the IDP is issued for one year from the date of issue, or until your underlying Indian driving licence expires, whichever is earlier.

The IDP issued in India is accepted in most countries that are party to the 1949 Geneva Convention — which includes the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, and most of Europe. A small number of countries (notably some that only recognise the 1968 Vienna Convention) do not accept it; check before you travel.

Who can apply in India

This is the first thing to settle, because it trips up OCI holders:

You must hold a valid Indian driving licence issued by an Indian RTO.
You must hold an Indian passport. The IDP is issued to Indian citizens travelling abroad.
You must have a confirmed travel plan — typically evidenced by a visa and flight ticket for the destination country.

If you hold only a foreign passport (even with an OCI card) you are not eligible for an Indian IDP even if you have an Indian driving licence. You should apply for an IDP in your country of citizenship instead — the Canadian Automobile Association, AAA in the US, and the AA in the UK all issue IDPs to their citizens or residents.

Where to apply

IDPs in India are now issued by Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) through the central Sarathi portal. Apply at the RTO whose jurisdiction covers the address on your Indian driving licence. You book the slot online; only the biometric/verification step is in person.

Mumbai RTOs

Tardeo RTO (MH-01) — South Mumbai
Wadala RTO (MH-03) — Central Mumbai
Andheri RTO (MH-02) — Western suburbs
Borivali RTO (MH-47) — Far western suburbs
Thane RTO (MH-04), Vashi RTO (MH-43), Panvel RTO (MH-46) for the MMR satellites

The Western India Automobile Association (WIAA) is no longer an authorised IDP issuer — in the Sarathi era, IDPs in India are issued exclusively by RTOs. Treat anyone claiming otherwise as suspect.

Delhi Zonal Transport Offices

Delhi is divided into zones under the Transport Department, Government of NCT of Delhi. Apply at the zonal office serving the address on your driving licence:

Sarai Kale Khan (MLO HQ) — central / south-east Delhi
Mall Road — north Delhi
Janakpuri — west Delhi
Sheikh Sarai — south Delhi
Rohini — north-west Delhi
Mayur Vihar — east Delhi (Trans-Yamuna)
Loni Road (Shahdara) — north-east Delhi
Vasant Vihar — south-west Delhi
Jharoda Kalan, Raja Garden, Wazirpur, Dwarka — additional zonal offices serving their respective catchment areas

Delhi's process is run through the same central Parivahan Sarathi portal used nationwide, with Delhi-specific slot booking. Like Mumbai, Delhi does not use any automobile association as an issuer — only the Transport Department's zonal offices issue IDPs.

The online process, step by step

Go to the Parivahan Sarathi portal at parivahan.gov.in → Online Services → Driving Licence Related Services → select your state (Maharashtra for Mumbai, Delhi for the NCT) and your RTO / zonal office.
Choose Apply for International Driving Permit.
Fill Form 4A (application for IDP) online. Your Indian licence details will auto-populate from the Sarathi database.
Upload the supporting documents (list below).
Pay the fee online (typically around ₹1,000, plus portal charges — check the current fee before paying).
Book a slot at your RTO for verification.
Attend the RTO on the slot date with originals. The RTO will verify documents, capture your photo and signature, and print the IDP booklet — usually the same day, sometimes within a few working days.

Documents required

Form 4A (application for IDP) — filled online
Form 1A (medical certificate) — signed by a registered medical practitioner; needed if you are over a threshold age or if your licence requires it
Valid Indian driving licence — original plus a self-attested copy
Indian passport — original plus a self-attested copy of the photo and address pages
Valid visa for the destination country — original plus a copy
Confirmed air ticket — print or e-ticket
Proof of address in India — utility bill, Aadhaar, passport, or registered rental agreement; must match the state of your RTO (Maharashtra for Mumbai applicants, Delhi for NCT applicants)
Passport-size photographs — two to four recent colour photos
Fee receipt from the online payment

Bring the originals of everything, even items you uploaded — RTOs routinely check them at the counter.

Fee and validity

Government fee is in the region of ₹1,000 plus small service charges (fees are revised occasionally — confirm the live figure on Sarathi before paying).
The IDP is valid for one year from issue, or until your Indian driving licence expires, whichever comes first.
It cannot be renewed from abroad — you must come back to India and re-apply through the same RTO process.

Avoid the fakes

There are operators online and in WhatsApp groups advertising same-day IDPs by courier for a few thousand rupees. These are almost always either outright forgeries or documents issued by unrecognised "federations" that have no standing under the 1949 Geneva Convention. Consequences range from the document being refused at a rental counter abroad to being pulled over and charged with driving on a fraudulent permit.

Apply only through Sarathi at an authorised RTO. If you want help with the form-filling, use the facilitation services inside the RTO premises rather than a third-party website.

Bottom line

If you hold an Indian passport and a valid Indian driving licence, the IDP is a straightforward one-visit process at your local RTO in Mumbai or zonal office in Delhi, all through the Sarathi portal. If you hold a foreign passport — OCI card notwithstanding — you should get your IDP from the motoring association in your country of citizenship, not from India.