It’s suddenly dawned on me that I might want to do some driving while we’re travelling abroad. In the back of my mind I had thought that now that I have a valid British drivers licence, I’d be allowed to drive anywhere I pleased, with reckless abandon. Luckily I did some (typically last-minute) research and learnt about the International Driving Permit (IDP). So what is it, do you need one and how do you get it as quickly as possible?
I started thinking about driving while we’re travelling because I saw on the news that Singapore (one of the countries I’m most looking forward to visiting) has some of the safest roads in South East Asia. They have fewer collision deaths per capita than the United Kingdom. This is good news for tourists travelling with kids to Singapore.
So now that I’d figured out that I wasn’t going to be able to drive internationally on my UK driving licence, I made sure I found out everything I could on the International Driving Permit.
What is an International Driving Permit?
A lot of people (myself included) incorrectly confuse and conflate an International Driving Permit with an international drivers licence. This is wrong. There is actually no such thing as an internationally recognised driving licence, so avoid any websites claiming to sell them.
An International Driving Permit is the only internationally recognised document that will allow you to drive and rent vehicles around the world without any issues. If you’re looking to rent a car or do any driving while travelling, you’ll most likely need to get your hands on an IDP.
The International Driving Permit is available to UK full driving licence holders. If you’ve recently passed your driving test and haven’t received your full photo card licence, you are still able to apply for an IDP but will need to provide your provisional licence and test pass certificate when applying.
When your IDP is approved, it is valid for 12 months. If you are applying for your IDP well in advance (and not a few days before like I am), you are able to defer the start date of the IDP by up to three months, which is very helpful for people far more proactive and organised than myself.
How do I apply for my International Driving Permit?
There are a few ways you can apply from the UK. You can apply for your IDP through the UK post office for £5.50, which seemed pretty reasonable. You can also apply through the RAC or the AA, but both of them charged fees on top of the base £5.50, whereas the Post Office didn’t. I’m staunchly anti-fees. It’s a very brave position.
What documents do I need to apply for International Driving Permit?
If you’re applying at the Post Office, you’ll need:
- A recent passport photo (make sure it’s signed on the back or the won’t accept it).
- You full UK drivers licence (or your provisional and your test pass certificate if you have recently passed your test and haven’t received your full licence yet).
- Your proof of ID (such as a passport).
You’ll need to fill in an application at the Post Office and pay your £5.50 application fee. They issue you your IDP on the spot and the whole process takes about 5 minutes.
Which countries do I need an International Driving Permit for?
Most of them, in fact. The AA has a very comprehensive list of every country’s IDP requirements available on their website. For most countries that you’re likely to visit as a tourist, you’ll either be required to hold an IDP or having an IDP is highly recommended to avoid any issue.
Top Tips
- You have to be there in person to apply. You can’t have someone apply on your behalf.
- Make sure the Post Office branch offers the International Driving Permit as a service – not all of them do.
