Many drivers, faced with the need to rent a car abroad, are surprised to discover that domestic licenses are not suitable for this purpose. Not many people know what an international driving license looks like. In Russia, a document of a completely different type is valid, and, unfortunately, not all countries accept it as confirmation of your driving skills. Those who like to travel in comfort will need to get extra crusts. What kind of document is this, where to get it and many other nuances we will clarify further in the article.
What does an international driver's license look like in Russia?
Why do you need an international driver's license and what kind of document is it?
The driver can prove his right to drive a car by presenting the appropriate certificate. In our country, it is issued by a structure such as the traffic police. Every citizen who has passed the following exams can immediately obtain a Russian driver's license:
- theoretical test on knowledge of traffic rules;
- an exam at a race track, proving that a novice driver can perform such basic actions as starting to drive uphill, parallel parking, driving along a complex trajectory, etc.
Personal transport has become commonplace for those who want independence when moving. Losing your driver's license creates a lot of inconvenience. And driving without them is risky. This threatens serious problems with the law. We will tell you in detail about how to restore lost rights in a special article.
Today there are two main types of driver's licenses:
- national;
- international.
Domestic licenses are not suitable for renting a car abroad; instead, you need to obtain a document in a different format containing information about the driver in several foreign languages
According to the rules in force in this area, in Russia you can move on the roadway on the basis of a national type certificate. It not only certifies that you have knowledge in the required area, but also confirms that you have successfully completed training at a driving school and passed both internal and state exams.
However, in some cases, having a national ID is not enough to travel outside our country. In these cases, you will need to obtain an international license.
In fact, an international license is an official document that is a translation of your driver's license, since it contains the following data:
- Driver's full name;
- date of issue of the document and duration of its validity;
- name of the authority that issued the issuance;
- series and document number;
- categories of vehicles that, according to the law, you have the right to drive
Since the rules under which driver training is carried out in our country and in other countries are significantly different, there was a need to create a single certificate that could remain valid throughout the world.
International rights do not give the right to travel on Russian roads; only national ones are suitable for this.
What is needed to obtain an international certificate
The procedure for obtaining international rights does not differ from the preparation of a national document.
The driver should contact the traffic police department, providing:
- Written statement;
- Identity document;
- National driving license;
- Receipt for payment of state duty;
- Photograph 35x45 mm, black and white or color on matte paper
Providing a certificate of passing a medical examination is not required. A passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation, a military ID or a valid international passport will be suitable as an identity document. Re-taking the exams is also not required, provided you have a valid national driving license.
Not every traffic police department deals with registration and issuance of international licenses. Therefore, you should check the information at the organization’s office in advance. It is possible that you will need to travel to another locality.
What does an international driving license look like?
You can see the international driver's license in the photo presented in this section of the article. They are a book printed on A6 format, which, in addition to data in Russian, also contains translations into the following seven languages:
- German;
- French;
- Chinese;
- Japanese;
- Spanish;
- Portuguese;
- Arab.
This international license cannot be called an independent document, since it is valid only if you have a domestic driver’s license.
In addition, in Russia it is in principle prohibited to use this paper separately. For legal travel on domestic roads, only a national license is suitable.
International driving licenses differ from national ones in appearance, but their content is one hundred percent the same.
Why get an international license?
There is only one reason for obtaining an international license - unhindered travel while driving a car on foreign roads. However, considering the nuances of the emergence of such a need in more detail, we can identify several grounds for obtaining rights.
Table 1. Reasons for obtaining an international driving license
| Cause | Description |
| Car rental | Most often, the need to obtain a license arises in cases where you plan to go on a trip and rent a car locally for greater mobility. With Russian rights this cannot be done almost anywhere, but with international rights – anywhere. |
| Simplification of bureaucratic procedures | In addition, having an international license deprives you of the need to prove every time that you know how to drive and know the rules of the road when arriving in a new state. It is necessary to prove the required competencies, for example, if you often go on business trips, or go abroad for permanent residence. |
The difference between international rights and domestic identification also lies in the rules for obtaining the required papers. So, in order to obtain a driver’s license valid all over the world, there is no need to take repeated exams, however, its validity period will be much shorter than that of a domestic license.
Obtaining an international driving license is a rational solution for those who want to travel in comfort, or those who often go on business trips abroad. Those who are planning to go to another country for permanent residence will also need these rights.
What is international law
The driver's certificate is an addition to the national documents of Russia. It is not subject to withdrawal, since it is not considered an independent document.
You can obtain a license of this type without passing qualifying exams. This is the usual translation of Russian rights into a foreign language of the state where the person is sent. A license abroad is invalid if a person is deprived of a Russian driver's document.
When receiving a certificate to drive this type of vehicle, the type of vehicle allowed to be driven is clearly stated on the paper.
Rights are issued in the form of a gray book in A6 format.
Attention! An international driving license is valid only upon presentation of a national license and is valid in countries that have signed the Convention on Road Traffic.
When driving a vehicle in Russia, it is not necessary to present an international license to traffic police officers.
Is it necessary to obtain an IDP in 2021?
Since 2011, residents of our country have received national rights in a new format, in the form of a card that is well protected from damage. It contains an exhaustive amount of information, which, upon verification, will be sufficient for representatives of foreign transport services.
Therefore, today the need for obtaining international rights has actually disappeared, but not completely, since practice shows that today various misunderstandings still arise in many countries.
Therefore, when answering the question regarding the need to obtain international rights for traveling abroad, you need to keep in mind which country you are traveling to, since each foreign country has different requirements on this issue.
- Thus, countries that have signed the relevant Geneva Convention require the presentation of not only international, but also national rights in order to be able to drive a car on roads running on their territory.
- Countries party to the Vienna Convention will calmly provide you with transport based on the presentation of national rights issued directly in the country at the place of citizenship.
- Those states that have not taken any of the agreements described above into account can allow you to drive a car only on the basis of a license obtained in their country.
Despite the fact that the format of national rights has been somewhat updated, they are still not enough for unimpeded movement on the roads of most countries
How to get an IDP
You can get an international driving license in Russia at the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate. Not necessarily at the place of registration; the document can also be drawn up at the location.
We would like to remind you that in all cases, by the time you receive an international license, you must already have a national one. Only then does the preparation of the paper we are interested in become possible.
In addition, you can order an international driver's license through:
- official electronic resource of the traffic police;
- website "Public Services";
- multifunctional
Another method, which is rarely used, is to submit an application to the International Automobile Alliance, which is recognized by countries around the world. She is engaged in the translation of driver's licenses, so if there is a certified intermediary in your city, you can ask him to help you obtain the desired document.
You can obtain an IDP remotely or through a personal visit to the traffic police or MFC
The procedure for obtaining international rights will be as follows:
- you prepare the necessary documents;
- choose the method of obtaining rights;
- fill out an application.
What documents are needed to obtain an IDP?
Today, to obtain an IDP you do not need:
- retake exams;
- undergo a medical examination.
Therefore, all you need to become an “international driver” is:
- national ID;
- passport;
- several photographs in 3.5 by 4.5 centimeters format.
Prepare your passport and driver's license
How to get an international driving license?
To obtain an international driver's license 2021, you will not have to take any exams. Such rights are made on the basis of domestic rights. Many people are interested in the question: how long do such rights last?
The validity of an international driver's license is three years. It cannot have a longer period of validity than domestic rights. Those. If a Russian ID is valid for a year, then the validity period of international rights will be similar.
You can get a license in different ways: at the traffic police department and online.
In the first case, an international driver's license is obtained at the place of registration.
Here are the documents that will be required:
- Identity document (if a person lives in another country but is temporarily staying in the Russian Federation, he can provide a foreign passport);
- Rights;
- Statement;
- Registration information;
- Photo.
The photo can be of any color. Only those people whose religious customs do not allow them to walk without covering their heads can be photographed wearing hats. People who drive with glasses need to be photographed wearing glasses.
A doctor’s certificate has been recognized since 2021 as an optional document for obtaining international rights.
Obtaining an international driving license is a fairly quick procedure. It takes no more than an hour. The motorist will only need to provide the necessary documents to the traffic police and pay a state fee of 1,600 rubles. The motorist changing them will have to follow the same steps as the driver receiving them. As you can see, such rights will cost no more than a foreign passport. So it’s better to play it safe and still draw up this document.
How long does the IDP last?
The validity period of international rights is three years from the date of their receipt. However, it should be noted that according to the rules, they cannot be valid longer than the national license.
It turns out that if you issued an IDP for three years, and the domestic certificate ceases to be valid next year, along with it the international certificate will become invalid.
You can renew your IDP only after your domestic driver’s license is reissued. At the same time, you again will not need to collect documents according to any specific list; all the same ones that we announced earlier will be enough.
The validity period of international rights is three years from the date of their receipt
