You’ve got your drivers’ license from home. You’ve made a reservation for a rental car. What more do you need? Well, depending on what country you’re heading to, you may need an International Driving Permit.
Basically, there were a series of international diplomatic conventions from the 1920s to 1960s that standardized the format and information provided on a license and translated it into a number of languages. The idea is that assuming you’re licensed in your home country, you’ll be able to drive in a foreign country when your license is coupled with an IDP.
Your rental car company may require that you have an IDP in hand before they release a vehicle to you.
In the United States and Canada, the easiest place to get one is AAA or CAA.
Step One: Find a Local AAA or CAA Office
American Automobile Association (AAA) Office Locator
Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) Office Locator
Step Two: Have a Passport Photo Taken
You can do this at a drugstore like CVS or Walgreens or just have it done at the AAA/CAA office. Remember to take your glasses off if you wear them and use a white background.
Step Three: Fill Out the Paperwork and Pay the Fee
You’ll need a copy of your current driver’s license. Whatever your home privileges are, will be indicated on the IDP (e.g. Passenger Auto, Motorcycle, High Gross Weight Vehicle, etc.)
The fee at our local AAA office at the time of this writing is $20 (an extra $10 if you need to have passport photos taken, but it is less if you’re a AAA member).
The permit is valid for one year from the date of issue. Ask if they’ll issue it starting on your date of travel because it isn’t valid at home in the US or Canada. If your travel doesn’t start for a month or two, it just means you paid for a year and are only getting 8 or 10 months of use out of it.
So there you go – that’s how to get your international driving permit in 3 easy steps.
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