What is needed to obtain an international driving license?

What is it and what is it for?

An international driver's license (IDP) is a license translated into another language in the form of an A6 book. A document of this type cannot be issued without national rights.

Important! The main function of the IDP is translation into the 8 main UN languages. The certificate is not a separate document. It is always provided in conjunction with the main one. Its scope is determined by two conventions.

Vienna Convention

The IDP operates on the basis of the Vienna Convention of 1968 and contains provisions for safe travel on the roads. It was signed by several countries: Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Finland, Estonia, Brazil, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic.

This is not the entire list. Before going on a trip, you should find out in advance where the international ID is valid.

Geneva Convention

There is also the Geneva Convention - countries that have not signed the Vienna Convention participate in the Geneva Convention. By law, the countries of the Geneva Convention take into account only the IDP, and the countries of the Vienna Convention take into account the DDP (new driver's license 2021) and the IDP. The new driver's license is a “revolution” in the field of international documents. It allows you to move around the territory of foreign countries in a personal car and rent them.

Countries included in the Geneva Convention: Albania, Andora, Vatican City, Ireland, Iceland, Cyprus, Malta, the Netherlands, Turkey.

There are countries that have signed both conventions, for example Austria. But there are countries that have not signed any of them; they recognize only the national rights of their country.

What documents need to be prepared?

The service for acquiring an IDP requires the collection of certain documents.

You will need:

• driver's license;
• 1 photo on matte paper (glossy are not accepted) 35x45 mm;
• passport;
• international passport;
• paid state duty (you need to print it from the website);
• an application to be filled out on the spot.

Passing exams is not required when registering.

Do I need a medical certificate?

Previously, a medical certificate was required, which took a lot of time and money. This is now an optional document.

Important! A medical certificate is not required to obtain an IDP from 2021. The requirement has been abolished by law. There is such an item on the State Services website, but the fields are about.

In the application, which is issued at the traffic police station, you need to indicate your passport details, full name, place of birth, fill in the fields by entering your driver's license details, indicate the reason - obtaining an IDP. The reverse side is filled out by the employee.

Issuance and registration are not carried out without a passport, since without it it is prohibited to travel outside the country.

Legal force of IDP, fines

You should learn about the legal validity of the document and driving rules separately for each country. Everywhere has its own conditions and subtleties. For example, countries that have signed the Geneva Agreement do not rent a car, even if you have a new type of certificate - you need a translated license.

The IDP will indicate the driver’s personal data, validity period, series, number and categories of cars available for driving.

Important! If you travel without an IDP, the driver may not be allowed in/out of the country in a personal car. It is also impossible to rent a car.

If the police stop the car, and this happens often with foreign license plates, the driver will receive a fine of 300–400 euros. In the event of an accident, not a single company included in the state register of insurance companies will pay out money.

Where and how to get international license

The issuance of an international driver's license of the 2014 model, as well as a regular driver's license, is carried out by the MREO (interdistrict registration and examination department) of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate. The package of documents that must be submitted to obtain an IDP includes:

1. Application for an international driver's license. The application is accepted strictly in the prescribed form. An application form on two pages is issued directly to the MREO. One sheet containing information about the driver is filled out by him, and the second sheet will be filled out by the MREO employee.
2. A valid passport and a photocopy of its first page. Without this document permitting travel outside the Russian Federation, you will not be able to obtain an international license.
3. Russian driver's license. This document is also the main one when registering an IDP.
4. A document confirming registration. Most often, an internal Russian passport is presented. If for some reason this document is missing, then you need to have a certified certificate or other document stating that registration actually exists.
5. Medical certificate of the established form and its photocopy.
6. Color photograph on matte paper measuring 3.5X4.5 cm. There should be no corners on the right or left of the photo.
7. Receipt of payment of 1000 rubles of state duty for obtaining an IDP.

The prepared package of documents must be submitted to the appropriate window. You will be able to receive a new document in another window. As a rule, it does not take long to obtain an international driver's license.

If there are many people in line to receive the coveted international rights, then perhaps the wait will last for 2–3 hours.

How to apply through the State Services website

You can easily obtain an international license. State Services support registration through their portal with a 30% discount and no queues.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Log in or register on the site.
2. Click on the “Services” section in the top menu of the site.
3. Then select "Transport and Driving".
4. Find the inscription: “Driver’s license.”
5. A list of all possible services will open. From them, select “Obtaining an international diploma.”
6. After opening the section, you can see a blue “Get service” button on the right.
7. Next, you need to fill out a form indicating your passport details, full name, and citizenship.
8. Enter information about your current user account.
9. If desired, add information from a medical certificate.
10. At the bottom of the page you should select the traffic police department with a convenient location for the user.
11. Click “Select appointment time.”
12. Confirm your consent to the processing of personal data.
13. A notification about the consideration of the application will appear in your personal account.
14. The message will ask you to pay the state fee and visit the traffic police station with a full package of documents for further processing. Obtaining a new international license will take a few minutes.

Important! When making an appointment through the website, service occurs as quickly as possible; the appointment is scheduled for a specific time. You should arrive 10–15 minutes in advance, as they may call you a little earlier.

You can receive a new document in 1–2 days or less.

In the next block you can find out how to get that same international driver's license through State Services in the shortest possible time, even if you are not registered on the site.

If you are not registered on the State Services website

It is important to consider the situation when the driver first obtains a license. How to obtain an IDP through State Services if the site has not been used before?

The instructions will be identical for all citizens of the Russian Federation. However, new users can receive different levels of profile: simplified, standard and verified.

To register a simplified profile, just fill in the data with your phone number and email.

For a standard account, you need to register using SNILS and your passport.

For a confirmed account, you must confirm your own identity by contacting the Service Center, online bank, using an electronic signature, or a universal electronic card.

How to get an international driver's license through government services

You can also submit an application for an IDP in electronic form using the official State Services portal. This saves a lot of time, and when paying by credit card, the state duty is reduced by 30%. Instead of 1600 rubles, the driver pays 1120.

To take advantage of this opportunity, you must do the following:

• Select the type of service: electronic or personal visit to the traffic police.
• Register on the portal, or log in if you already have an account.
• Fill out an application for an IDP, indicating the series and number of your passport, as well as the details of your national driving license.
• In the application, indicate the time at which it is convenient for you to appear at the traffic police.
• If the form is filled out correctly, you will receive a receipt for payment of the state duty. You can pay by credit card, via mobile phone or e-wallet; if paying in cash, print a receipt on the State Traffic Inspectorate portal.

At the specified time, you come to the department, the employee takes your photo and gives you the requested document on the same day. On average, the time you will spend to obtain an IDP is no more than one hour.

Place an order for a tachograph card.

Finally, I would like to urge travelers to be careful when driving in a foreign country, especially on their first trip. Even if you have an IDP and experience driving a vehicle in Russia, you should not forget that there may be discrepancies in the rules of the road. Therefore, before you go on the road, you should carefully study the local traffic regulations.

Do you still have questions?

Call right now 8-909-642-03-40 or write to us back to contents

How much does it cost to get an international license?

On the State Services website, the state duty costs 1,600 rubles. Until January 1, 2021, you can get a discount, then the cost will drop to 1,120 rubles.

The application for state duty must be submitted electronically through the State Services website. Payment is made cashless via a bank card, e-wallet or phone account. Under such payment conditions a 30% discount is provided.

Where can you get an international license in St. Petersburg

Addresses of MREO St. Petersburg:

- st. Novgorodskaya, 13, tel. for inquiries: 605-00-72, tel. for registration: 605-00-72, opening hours: Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun, 8:00–19:30. — line 4th V.O., no. 61, tel.: 323-57-72, opening hours: daily, 8:00–20:00, break 13:00–14:00. — People's Militia Avenue, 2A, tel: 372-31-65, opening hours: daily, 9:00–20:00. — Moskovskoe sh., 16, building 1, tel: 364-75-93, opening hours: Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun, 8:00–19:30. - st. Krasny Tekstilshchik, 10-12V, opening hours: daily, 9:00-21:00. - Shushary village, ter. Moskovskaya Slavyanka, 17A, tel: 459-50-13, opening hours: daily, 8:00–17:30. — embankment Reki Moiki, 110, tel: 710-85-37, opening hours: Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun, 8:00–19:30. - st. Sedova, 13, tel: 412-08-49; 676-00-84, opening hours: daily, 9:00–21:00, break 13:00–14:00. — Tramway Ave., 18A, tel: 376-61-32, opening hours: Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun, 08:00–19:30. — Marshal Zhukov Ave., 21A, tel: 635-50-37. — Kolpino, Zavodskoy pr-kt, no. 56, tel. for inquiries: 482-16-11, tel. for registration: 482-16-11, opening hours: Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun, 08:00–19 :thirty. — Obukhovskaya Oborony Ave., 137, tel: 412-61-74, opening hours: daily, 08:00–19:30. - w. Revolutions, no. 85, tel: 573-27-34; 573-27-52, opening hours: daily, 08:00-19:30 (Lunch 13:00-14:00). — Strelna village, st. Frontovaya, 7, tel: 421-32-40, opening hours: Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun, 8:00–19:30. - st. Optikov, 4, building 2A tel: 313–71-81, opening hours: daily, 08:30–21:00. — 3rd Verkhniy lane, 5T, tel: 598-93-93, opening hours: daily, 09:00–18:00. - st. Chernigovskaya, 14, tel: 337-12-75, opening hours: daily, 09:00-21:00. — Laboratory Ave., 24A, tel: 545-03-44, opening hours: daily, 08:00–20:00, break 13:00–14:00. — Severny Ave., 7A (2nd floor), tel: 456-22-62; 318-12-92; 318-12-94, opening hours: daily, 09:00–21:00. — Marshal Blucher Ave., 60B, tel: 225-04-28, opening hours: daily, 08:00–20:00, break 13:00–14:00. - st. Kubinskaya, 77A, tel: 740-30-02, opening hours: daily, 9:00-21:00. - st. Rustaveli, 46, building 1, tel: 590-36-12, opening hours: daily, 09:00-21:00. - st. Furniture, 21, building 1, tel: 573-29-97. — Shkipersky Protok, 14, building 1, tel: 456-22-98, opening hours: daily, 9:00-21:00. — Far Eastern Avenue, 41B, tel. 589-37-37. Opening hours: daily 09:00-20:3, break 13:00-14:00.

Practical advice on obtaining an international driving license

1. Before choosing the traffic police department, you should find out whether they issue licenses.
2. Traffic rules abroad may differ from local ones; ignorance will not protect the driver from fines.
3. The replacement of the card is carried out after 3 years, in the same order as registration. It is recommended to change your international license after the expiration date or in advance. It is prohibited to use an expired document.
4. If a driver, driving a car in Russia, was able to provide only an IDP, without a main driver’s license, he will be fined 500 rubles.
5. Persons who received the 2021 XIV may not order its translation into foreign languages. A DDP allows you to move freely in most countries and rent a car.
6. Registration of a document at the MFC takes the longest – from 3 to 9 days. At the traffic police, the period is reduced to a few minutes, provided that the application was submitted on the State Services website.

You can obtain an international license in a short period of time without leaving your own home. Having spent a small amount and 1 day of personal time, the user receives the legal right to travel in a personal car anywhere in the world.

When do you need an international driving license?

Having your own car gives a person many opportunities, especially freedom and convenience when traveling. And if you have to travel abroad, what do you need to take care of? In what cases is an international driving license required? When planning a trip abroad, you should first of all check the date when you were issued your Russian driver's license. If you received it in March 2011 or later, then there is no need to complete any additional documents to travel to countries that have ratified the Vienna Convention on the International Movement of Motorists. The governments of the countries where Russian tourists most often travel have signed this convention, including Estonia, France, Finland, and Germany. If you received your license before March 2011, it must be translated into the language of the country where you are going to travel. This document must also be certified by a notary. If you are planning to travel to different countries, you should obtain an international license that will give you the opportunity to freely travel in your car within the territory of states whose governments have only signed the Geneva Convention.

Note! Auto courses on our website:

• Category “B” vehicle driver training program
• Group start schedule and training costs

An international driver's license (IDP) is a paper document (A6 format) that contains information about the driver's identity, his Russian license, as well as the date of issue.

To obtain an international license, you must prepare the following documents:

passport with registration mark; domestic driver's license; a receipt for payment of the state duty, the amount of which is currently 1,600 rubles; ​​​​​​​​ 35x45 mm photograph (the photo must be printed on matte paper).

Attention! Starting from 2021, a medical certificate and a foreign passport are no longer required to obtain an international driving license.

Which organization issues an IDP?

1. If all the documents are in order, the traffic police will issue you this certificate 30 minutes after you fill out the application and pay the fee of 1,600 rubles. 2. If you pre-register on the government services portal, you will be issued a document even faster. Moreover, if you choose this option, you receive a 30% discount, that is, you pay not 1600 rubles, but 1120. 3. From 2021, an IDP can be obtained at the Multifunctional Center at the place of registration. Here you can also write an application and submit documents, the list of which is listed above. This option takes longer, since you will have to come to the MFC a second time when the certificate is ready. A center employee will inform you about this by phone. Attention! If you have chosen the MFC to obtain your license, you should bring not one, but two photographs.

Replacement of international rights

The replacement of the IDP is carried out in the same way as the initial receipt. You need to fill out an application again at the traffic police department or at the MFC and submit a package of documents: Russian driver’s license, passport, application, photograph (or two for a multifunctional center). We remind you that the IDP is valid for three years after issue, provided that you have a valid Russian license.

What happens if you go abroad without an international license? ​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​You may not be allowed to cross the border at customs. You will have to pay a fine of around €400. If you get into an accident abroad without a license, you will not receive insurance payments. Attention! If you are going to visit a country whose government has not signed either the Geneva or Vienna Conventions, you will need to pass a local driving test for that country. Find out all the nuances and details from the tour operator or the embassy.