Whether you need an International Driving Permit (IDP) depends on two things: the country you are driving in and the country that issued your driving licence. This guide covers more than 200 countries and territories and works for licences from any country.

For each destination it shows the rules that country sets for foreign drivers (for example, whether a licence in English is enough, or whether you need an IDP or an official translation), which IDP format it recognises under the UN road traffic conventions (1949, 1968 or both), and how long you can drive as a visitor. Select where your licence was issued to see the answer for your licence. EU and EEA licences are recognised across the EU without an IDP. The guide also shows what the UK, US and Canadian governments tell their own drivers.

Every answer links to its source: the destination's transport authority or government where available, the UN Treaty Collection, and the official travel advice of the UK, US and Canada. Each country page is checked by hand before it is added to search results, but rules change. Confirm the current requirements with the official source before you travel, and always carry your national driving licence together with your IDP. Find your destination in the table below.

All countries

Where was your licence issued?

The “Your licence” column then shows the answer for your licence in every country.

229 countries and territories: IDP format, destination rules and government advice
Country	IDP format recognised	Destination rule	UK	US	Canada	EU/EEA	Page
			What three governments tell their drivers
Afghanistan	None	Not yet checked	Not covered	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Albania	1968	Not yet checked	Check source	Check source	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Algeria	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Recommended	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
American Samoa	Not listed	Not yet checked	Not covered	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Andorra	1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Required	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Angola	None	Not yet checked	Check source	Required	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Anguilla	Not listed	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Antigua and Barbuda	None	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Argentina	1949	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Armenia	1968	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Aruba	Not listed	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Australia	1949	IDP or translationLicence alone is enough if: written in English	Home licence acceptedWhile you are a temporary overseas visitor.	Check source	RecommendedThe names on your licence must match your passport.	Not applicable	Guide
Austria	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence acceptedWith a photocard licence, age 18 or over.	IDP or translationA US licence alone is not sufficient: add an IDP or an official translation.	IDP or translationValid for up to 12 months with an IDP or an official German translation.	Home licence accepted	Guide
Azerbaijan	1968	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Bahamas	1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Bahrain	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Bangladesh	1949	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Barbados	1949	Not yet checked	Not covered	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Belarus	1968	Not yet checked	Not covered	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Belgium	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Recommended	Home licence accepted	Guide
Belize	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Benin	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Bhutan	None	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
Bolivia	None	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Bonaire/St Eustatius/Saba	Not listed	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Bosnia and Herzegovina	1968	Not yet checked	Check source	Required	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Botswana	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Brazil	1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Check source	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
British Virgin Islands	Not listed	Not yet checked	Not covered	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Brunei	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Bulgaria	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Check source	Check source	Required	Home licence accepted	Guide
Burkina Faso	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Burundi	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Required	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Cabo Verde	1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Cambodia	1949	Not yet checked	Required	Check source	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Cameroon	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Canada	1949	Depends on state or provinceLicence alone is enough if: Ontario: visits under 3 months	RecommendedYou may need an IDP.	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
Canary Islands	Not listed	Not yet checked	Not covered	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Cayman Islands	Not listed	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Central African Republic	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Chad	None	Not yet checked	Check source	Required	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Chile	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Home licence accepted	Not applicable	Guide
China	None	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Colombia	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
Comoros	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Required	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Cook Islands, Tokelau and Niue	Not listed	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Costa Rica	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Check source	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Croatia	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence acceptedValid for up to 1 year.	Check source	Recommended	Home licence accepted	Guide
Cuba	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
Curaçao	Not listed	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Cyprus	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Home licence accepted	Guide
Czechia	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence acceptedWith a photocard licence.	Required	Required	Home licence accepted	Guide
Côte d'Ivoire	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Democratic Republic of the Congo	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Required	Check source	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Denmark	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence acceptedWith a photocard licence.	Not covered	Recommended	Home licence accepted	Guide
Djibouti	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Required	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Dominica	None	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Dominican Republic	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Ecuador	1949	Not yet checked	Recommended	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Egypt	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	RequiredYou need a 1949 IDP plus your UK licence, for up to 6 months.	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
El Salvador	1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Check source	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Equatorial Guinea	None	Not yet checked	Not covered	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Eritrea	None	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Estonia	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Required	Not covered	Home licence accepted	Guide
Eswatini	None	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Ethiopia	1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Home licence accepted	Not applicable	Guide
Falkland Islands	Not listed	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Fiji	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Finland	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Not covered	Home licence accepted	Guide
France	1949 and 1968	IDP or translationLicence alone is enough if: written in French	Home licence acceptedWith a photocard licence.	Not covered	Check source	Home licence accepted	Guide
French Guiana	Not listed	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Required	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
French Polynesia	Not listed	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	IDP or translation	Not applicable	Guide
Gabon	None	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Gambia	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Georgia	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Germany	1968	IDP or translationLicence alone is enough if: in German, or issued by a country on the translation-exempt list	Home licence acceptedValid for up to 6 months. Longer stays: 1968 IDP plus UK licence.	Check source	Check source	Home licence accepted	Guide
Ghana	1949	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Gibraltar	Not listed	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Greece	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence acceptedWith a photocard licence.	RequiredIt is required by Greek law even if the rental company does not ask.	Not covered	Home licence accepted	Guide
Greenland	Not listed	Not yet checked	Not covered	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Grenada	None	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Guadeloupe	Not listed	Not yet checked	Recommended	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Guam	Not listed	Not yet checked	Not covered	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Guatemala	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Required	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Guinea	None	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Guinea-Bissau	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Guyana	1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Haiti	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Honduras	1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Hong Kong	Not listed	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Hungary	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence acceptedWith a photocard licence.	Check source	Recommended	Home licence accepted	Guide
Iceland	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Home licence accepted	Guide
India	1949	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Indonesia	None	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Iran	1968	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Iraq	1968	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Ireland	1949	Not yet checked	Not covered	Home licence acceptedValid for up to 1 year for a temporary stay; rental companies may ask for an IDP.	Recommended	Home licence accepted	Guide
Israel	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Italy	1949 and 1968	IDP or translation	Home licence acceptedWith a photocard licence.	Check source	IDP or translationYou need your Canadian licence plus an IDP or a certified Italian translation, for up to 1 year.	Home licence accepted	Guide
Jamaica	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
Japan	1949	1949 IDP or JAF translation	RequiredYou need a 1949 IDP plus your UK licence; usable for 1 year.	RequiredGet it before arriving.	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Jordan	1949	Not yet checked	Required	Required	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Kazakhstan	1968	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Kenya	1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Home licence accepted	Not applicable	Guide
Kiribati	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Kosovo	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Kuwait	1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Check source	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Kyrgyzstan	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Check source	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Laos	1949	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Latvia	1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Required	Check source	Home licence accepted	Guide
Lebanon	None	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Lesotho	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Liberia	1968	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Liechtenstein	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Not required	Not covered	Home licence accepted	Home licence accepted	Guide
Lithuania	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Check source	Check source	Home licence accepted	Guide
Luxembourg	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Check source	Required	Home licence accepted	Guide
Macau	Not listed	Not yet checked	Required	Check source	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Madagascar	1949	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Home licence accepted	Not applicable	Guide
Malawi	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Malaysia	1949	Not yet checked	Required	Required	Home licence accepted	Not applicable	Guide
Maldives	1968	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Mali	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Malta	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Home licence accepted	Home licence accepted	Guide
Marshall Islands	None	Not yet checked	Not covered	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Martinique	Not listed	Not yet checked	Recommended	Not covered	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Mauritania	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Mauritius	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Mayotte	Not listed	Not yet checked	Recommended	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Mexico	None	Home licence accepted	Home licence acceptedWith a photocard licence.	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Micronesia	None	Not yet checked	Not covered	Check source	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Moldova	1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Monaco	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
Mongolia	1968	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Montenegro	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Montserrat	Not listed	Not yet checked	Check source	Check source	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
Morocco	1968	Not yet checked	RequiredYou need a 1968 IDP plus your UK licence; the 1949 IDP is no longer accepted.	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
Mozambique	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Myanmar	1968	Not yet checked	Recommended	Not covered	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Namibia	1949	Not yet checked	Check source	Check source	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Nauru	None	Not yet checked	Not covered	Check source	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
Nepal	None	Not yet checked	Required	Check source	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Netherlands	1949 and 1968	IDP required	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Home licence accepted	Guide
New Caledonia	Not listed	Not yet checked	Not covered	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
New Zealand	1949	IDP or translationLicence alone is enough if: written in English	Home licence acceptedValid for up to 18 months.	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Nicaragua	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
Niger	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Nigeria	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
North Korea	None	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
North Macedonia	1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Check source	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Northern Mariana Islands	Not listed	Not yet checked	Not covered	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Norway	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence acceptedValid for up to 90 days.	Not covered	Recommended	Home licence accepted	Guide
Oman	1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Check source	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Pakistan	1968	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Palau	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Check source	Home licence accepted	Not applicable	Guide
Palestine	1968	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
Panama	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Papua New Guinea	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Check source	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Paraguay	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Peru	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Home licence accepted	Home licence accepted	Not applicable	Guide
Philippines	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Poland	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence acceptedValid for up to 6 months.	RequiredYou need your US licence plus an IDP; Polish licence needed after 6 months.	RequiredGet it before arrival.	Home licence accepted	Guide
Portugal	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence acceptedWith a photocard licence.	Home licence acceptedValid for up to 6 months.	Not covered	Home licence accepted	Guide
Puerto Rico	Not listed	Not yet checked	Not covered	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Qatar	1968	Not yet checked	Required	Home licence accepted	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Republic of the Congo	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Romania	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Check source	Check source	Home licence accepted	Guide
Russia	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Required	Check source	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Rwanda	1949	Not yet checked	Required	Required	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Réunion	Not listed	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Saint Barthélemy	Not listed	Not yet checked	Not covered	Not covered	Home licence accepted	Not applicable	Guide
Saint Kitts and Nevis	None	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Saint Lucia	None	Not yet checked	Check source	Check source	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	None	Not yet checked	Not covered	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
Samoa	None	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
San Marino	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Saudi Arabia	1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Check source	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Senegal	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Check source	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Serbia	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Check source	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Seychelles	1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Required	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Sierra Leone	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Singapore	1949	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Slovakia	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Required	Check source	Home licence accepted	Guide
Slovenia	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Check source	Required	Home licence accepted	Guide
Solomon Islands	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
South Africa	1949 and 1968	IDP or translationLicence alone is enough if: in English (or another official language) with photo and signature	Home licence acceptedValid for up to 12 months.	Not covered	RecommendedIt is strongly recommended; insurers and rental companies often require it.	Not applicable	Guide
South Korea	1949	Not yet checked	Required	Required	Required	Not applicable	Guide
South Sudan	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Required	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Spain	1949	IDP or translationLicence alone is enough if: in Spanish or in the UN convention format	Home licence acceptedWith a photocard licence.	RequiredThe IDP is valid for 1 year; also needed to rent a car.	RequiredYou need your Canadian licence plus an IDP, for up to 6 months.	Home licence accepted	Guide
Sri Lanka	1949	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha	Not listed	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
St Maarten	Not listed	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
St Martin and St Barthélemy	Not listed	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
St Pierre & Miquelon	Not listed	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Home licence accepted	Not applicable	Guide
Sudan	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Required	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Suriname	None	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Sweden	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	RecommendedA Canadian licence is valid for up to 1 year.	Home licence accepted	Guide
Switzerland	1968	Not yet checked	Home licence acceptedWith a photocard licence.	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
Syria	1949	Not yet checked	Not covered	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
São Tomé and Príncipe	None	Not yet checked	Required	Check source	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Taiwan	None	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Tajikistan	1968	Not yet checked	IDP or translation	Not covered	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Tanzania	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Thailand	1949 and 1968	IDP requiredLicence alone is enough if: issued by an ASEAN member country	RequiredYou need a 1968 IDP plus your UK licence.	Not covered	RequiredYou need an IDP with a motorcycle endorsement to ride a motorcycle.	Not applicable	Guide
Timor-Leste	None	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Togo	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Tonga	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Check source	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
Trinidad and Tobago	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Check source	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Tunisia	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Turkey	1968	IDP or translationLicence alone is enough if: valid foreign licence, up to 6 months	IDP or translationYou need a 1968 IDP or a UK licence notarised in Turkish; the 1949 IDP is no longer accepted.	Home licence acceptedValid for up to 180 days.	RecommendedA Turkish licence is needed after 180 days.	Not applicable	Guide
Turkmenistan	1968	Not yet checked	Required	Required	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Turks and Caicos Islands	Not listed	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Required	Home licence accepted	Not applicable	Guide
Tuvalu	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Check source	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Uganda	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Ukraine	None	Not yet checked	Required	Required	Required	Not applicable	Guide
United Arab Emirates	1949 and 1968	IDP requiredLicence alone is enough if: issued by a country on the UAE approved list	Home licence acceptedFor visitors; residents need a UAE licence.	Home licence acceptedFor visitors only; an IDP may be required in some emirates.	RequiredAn IDP is needed to drive and rent, except in Dubai where a Canadian licence is accepted.	Not applicable	Guide
United Kingdom	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Not covered	Check source	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
United States	1949	Depends on state or provinceLicence alone is enough if: depends on the state	RecommendedA 1949 IDP may be needed; rules vary by state.	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
Uruguay	1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
Uzbekistan	1968	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Vanuatu	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Vatican City	1949	Not yet checked	Not covered	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
Venezuela	1949	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Vietnam	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Required	Check source	Check source	Not applicable	Guide
Virgin Islands, U.S.	Not listed	Not yet checked	Not covered	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide
Wallis and Futuna	Not listed	Not yet checked	Check source	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
Western Sahara	Not listed	Not yet checked	Required	Not covered	Not covered	Not applicable	Guide
Yemen	None	Not yet checked	Not covered	Not covered	Required	Not applicable	Guide
Zambia	None	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Home licence accepted	Not applicable	Guide
Zimbabwe	1949 and 1968	Not yet checked	Home licence accepted	Not covered	Recommended	Not applicable	Guide

Required: IDP required.
IDP or translation: IDP or official translation required.
Recommended: IDP recommended.
Home licence accepted: Home licence accepted, no IDP needed.
Not required: No IDP required.
Check source: Not stated in the advice, check the source.
Not covered: the government has no advice page for this destination in our data.

How to get an IDP

You can only get an International Driving Permit (IDP) in the country that issued your driving licence, and you must do this before you leave. It cannot be obtained or renewed abroad.

United Kingdom

Since 1 April 2024, UK IDPs are issued in person at participating PayPoint stores (Post Offices no longer issue them). You must live in Great Britain or Northern Ireland, hold a full UK driving licence and be 18 or over. Bring your licence and a passport-style photo. The UK issues three types of IDP (1926, 1949 and 1968), so check which one your destination needs before you go.

United States

Two organisations are authorised to issue US IDPs: the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA). AAA issues IDPs in person at branches or by mail, and membership is not required. You must be 18 or over and hold a valid licence from a US state or territory.

Canada

The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) is the only body authorised to issue IDPs in Canada: an IDP from any other source is not valid. Apply at a CAA store or by mail. CAA membership is not required. You must be 18 or over and hold a full, valid Canadian provincial driving licence.

Other countries

In most countries, IDPs are issued by the national automobile club or the driving licence authority. Check with the body that issued your licence to find out where to apply.

Warning: websites selling an "international driver's licence", "international driving document" or similar are not official issuers. These documents are not recognised by the police and do not replace a driving licence. Only the authorised body in the country that issued your licence can issue a valid IDP.

Data and methodology

The IDP format column comes from the United Nations Treaty Collection, adjusted where a government says outright that one version is no longer accepted. Territories do not appear on their own in that list.

Destination rules are the rules a country sets for every driver with a foreign licence. They come from the country’s own authorities or, where marked, from a reputable secondary summary. 15 countries have one so far; for the others we show the general rule under the UN conventions.

The “Your licence” column applies these steps in order: an EU/EEA licence in an EU/EEA country; a special rule for your licence country; the destination rule; the advice of your own government (UK, US or Canada); otherwise the general rule under the UN conventions.

The statuses in the government columns are derived from each government’s travel advice text for its own citizens, and every country page quotes that text. 30 of 229 country pages have also been checked by hand against it.

UK FCDO foreign travel advice. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
US Department of State: public domain (US Government work).
Government of Canada travel advice. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
United Nations Treaty Collection: convention status.

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International Driving Permit: Country by Country Guide