What is an International Driving Document?

An International Driving Document is a multilingual translation of your domestic driver's licence. It lets you drive a private motor vehicle in any country that recognises the document. It must be carried alongside your valid domestic licence — it is not a standalone licence, and it does not replace your home one.

Do I need an International Driving Document?

You need one if your destination country requires it. Most countries outside North America require foreign drivers to carry one alongside their home licence. Japan, Italy, Spain, and France require it. Mexico recommends it. Canada does not require it for tourist stays under 90 days.

Does it override local driving rules?

No. You must still meet the minimum driving age, vehicle class rules, and insurance requirements of the country you are visiting. The permit proves your licence is valid; it does not grant you anything your home licence does not already cover.

Which type do I need — 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna?

The right type depends on your destination. The 1949 Geneva type is valid for 1 year and accepted in 109 countries. The 1968 Vienna type is valid for up to 3 years and accepted in 95 countries. Some destinations accept both, some only one.

How long is an International Driving Document valid?

A 1949 Geneva permit is valid for 1 year from issue. A 1968 Vienna permit is valid for up to 3 years, or until your domestic licence expires, whichever comes first. Neither can be renewed — you apply for a new one when it expires.

Which countries accept which type?

Most countries accept the 1949 Geneva type. Germany and Vietnam do not — they require the 1968 Vienna type, which the United States does not issue. Some countries accept both. Check your destination before you travel.

How much does an International Driving Document cost?

With Expedify, a printed permit starts at $49.99 for one year and a digital-only permit at $29.99. There is no government issuance fee for an International Driving Document, so that line reads $0. Applying directly through AAA costs about $20 plus photos and postage — cheaper, but you handle the research, forms, and shipping yourself.

You can start your application through Expedify fully online, with no branch visit. In the United States, AAA accepts mail-in applications but does not offer fully online processing. Always use an authorised issuer — avoid unofficial sellers of “international driver's licences”, which are not valid permits.

How long does processing take?

We show the official ETA as a fact, not a promise. We check your documents, confirm the correct convention type, route to the authorised issuer, and track delivery to your address. Delivery is set by the issuer and the courier, not by us — we keep you updated at every step.

What if something goes wrong?

If your application is rejected because of an error on our end, we re-check your documents and resubmit at no extra charge. We make it right when it's ours to fix.

What happens if I drive without one?

You can be fined, refused a rental car, or denied insurance coverage. Police at roadside checks may ask for it, and rental companies often require it before handing over a vehicle. Carry both your permit and your original domestic licence at all times.

Can I use it to drive in the country that issued my licence?

No. An International Driving Document is for driving abroad. It has no effect at home, where your domestic licence already covers you.

Drive legally in 150+ countries

International Driving Document

You're assigned a dedicated expert who confirms the right permit for your route and files it for you — no back-and-forth. An International Driving Document lets you drive legally in 150+ countries when you carry it alongside your home licence. Which type you need — 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna — depends on where your licence was issued and where you plan to drive; we work that out for you.

Start my application Not sure which type you need? Check first — free, no signup.

You're assigned a dedicated expert — one person to refer to.
If something goes wrong on our end, we make it right.
One clear charge — no hidden fees, no markup.

Recommended

An International Driving Document is recommended for the United Kingdom.

Type you need: 1949 Geneva
Validity: 1 year
Direct issuer: Your RTO

A real result from the checker below.

Convention types: 1949 Geneva · 1968 Vienna
Validity: 1–3 years
Coverage: 150+ countries
Support: A dedicated expert guides you

Why trust Expedify

Checked by people who do this every day

By Expedify Editorial Team · Fact-checked by Expedify Compliance Review on August 9, 2026. Verified against AAA, AATA, UN treaty records, and national issuing authorities.

20+ years combined experience across travel document services
190+ destinations covered
9 document types handled
A dedicated expert guides your application from start to finish
Verified against official issuing authorities and UN treaty records
Governed by Expedify editorial and compliance review

Key takeaways

Two active convention types: 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna.
Coverage in 150+ countries.
Always carry your permit with your valid domestic licence.
The right type depends on your licence country and destination — check before you travel.

Start my application

Methodology: Convention status, acceptance by country, fees, and processing times were verified on August 9, 2026 against official issuer databases and UN treaty records.

Which permit type does my destination take?

Look up a destination

Pick where you're driving and we'll name the convention type that country recognises, straight from the treaty tables. 142 countries covered.

Where are you driving?

This is what the destination accepts. Whether you can get that type at home depends on your licence country — check your full route to see both halves.

Source: UN conventions on road traffic — 1949 Geneva (XI-B-1) and 1968 Vienna (XI-B-19). Last verified 2026-08-13.

The lookup needs JavaScript. You can still compare both convention types below, or have a specialist confirm your destination when you apply.

What to expect

What happens after you apply

Delivery depends on the issuer, not us. Here's what's a fact, and what we actually do.

Official processing time

AAA and AATA typically issue a US-sourced permit within 2–3 weeks by mail, or same-day in person at a branch — per the issuer.

Source: AAA

We track every step

Expedify tracks your application on your dashboard, with email and SMS updates from submission until your permit is in your hands.

Reviewed by a dedicated expert

No AI verification claims here — a real person checks your documents before anything is filed with the issuer.

Start my application

Convention types

Which type do you need?

The right type depends on your destination. Some countries accept only one. Hold the wrong type and you cannot drive legally.

1949 Geneva Convention

Valid for 1 year from the date of issue. The United States issues this type only, through AAA and AATA.

Validity: 1 year from issue
Countries accepted: 109 countries
Licence classes: 5 licence classes
US issuance: Yes — AAA / AATA
Key destinations: JapanCanadaAustralia

Full guide

1968 Vienna Convention

Valid for up to 3 years from issue, or until your domestic licence expires — whichever comes first. The UK issues both types; the US does not issue this one.

Validity: Up to 3 years
Countries accepted: 95 countries
Licence classes: 13+ licence classes
US issuance: No
Key destinations: VietnamGermanyBrazil

Full guide

Not sure which applies to you? Check your route — we pick the type for you when you apply.

Where can you drive?

Rules by destination and by licence

Requirements change by country. Start with where you're going, or with where your licence came from.

By licence country

What your licence entitles you to, and which type you can be issued.

Pricing

What it costs

One clear charge. Shown in full before you enter any details.

Printed permit

Most chosen

The physical booklet, posted to you. This is what rental desks and roadside checks ask for.

1 year$69
2 years$109
3 years$79

Digital only

A digital copy, no booklet. Cheaper, but not every authority accepts it — check your destination first.

1 year$49
2 years$55
3 years$59

Where the money goes

Processing fee: Checking your documents, confirming the correct convention type, preparing and filing the application, and shipping.
Government fee: An International Driving Document carries no government issuance fee. This line reads $0 rather than disappearing.

No hidden charges. No courier surcharge. No markup on anything we pass through. Applying direct through AAA costs about $20 plus photos and postage — cheaper, and you handle the research, the forms, and the shipping yourself.

Start my application

A dedicated expert reviews your application. If something goes wrong on our end, we make it right.

How to apply

Two ways to get one

You can do this yourself. Here's what each route actually involves.

With Expedify

We prepare and file it — you skip the issuer line

Tell us your destinationYour destination country and where your licence was issued. About 30 seconds.
We confirm what you needA 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna permit — picked for you, so you don't have to decide.
We handle the paperworkYour dedicated expert checks your documents, prepares the application, and files it correctly with the authorised issuer.
Review by a real personA dedicated expert reviews your submission before it goes anywhere — not a bot.
Track every stepLive dashboard plus email and SMS updates, from submission until the permit is in your hands.

What to expect, not a promise: the issuer sets the delivery timeframe. We show the official ETA as a fact and track every step for you.

Start my application

Apply direct

Straight through the issuer

Cheaper. You handle the branch visit or mail-in, the photos, the forms, and the shipping.

United States: AAA or AATA — 1949 Geneva only. About $20.
United Kingdom: Post Office or RAC — both types. About £5.50.
Canada: CAA — 1949 Geneva only. About CA$25.
Elsewhere: Your national automobile association.

If you have the time and the confidence, you should do it this way.

Before you travel

Why permits get refused

Five things that turn a valid permit into a useless one. All of them are avoidable.

Check your route

Wrong convention type: Your destination accepts one type or the other. Check which before you buy — a 1968 permit will not work in Japan, and a 1949 will not work in Germany.
No valid domestic licence carried: The permit is a translation. It works only alongside your original home licence. Carry both, always.
Expired passport or licence: Both must stay valid for your whole trip. Renew before you travel, not after you land.
An unofficial online “international driver's licence”: Only an authorised issuer's permit is valid. Use the issuer directly, or use us — never a grey-market seller.
Details that don't match your licence: Your permit details must match your home licence exactly. A middle name dropped here is a refusal there.

Compare

Doing it yourself vs. Expedify

Two lines are identical on purpose. We don't mark up what we don't control.

Research

Apply yourself: You check each destination's convention type yourself
With Expedify: We confirm the right type for your route

Document check

Apply yourself: Common errors cause refusals
With Expedify: Pre-reviewed by a dedicated expert before submission

Issuer coordination

Apply yourself: You navigate the branch visit or the mail-in
With Expedify: We prepare, verify, and file it

Status tracking

Apply yourself: You check the portal
With Expedify: We track and notify you at every step

Government fee

Apply yourself: Same
With Expedify: Same — passed through at cost, no markup

Delivery

Apply yourself: Same
With Expedify: Same — the issuer and courier set it, not us

	Apply yourself	With Expedify
Research	You check each destination's convention type yourself	We confirm the right type for your route
Document check	Common errors cause refusals	Pre-reviewed by a dedicated expert before submission
Issuer coordination	You navigate the branch visit or the mail-in	We prepare, verify, and file it
Status tracking	You check the portal	We track and notify you at every step
Government fee	Same	Same — passed through at cost, no markup
Delivery	Same	Same — the issuer and courier set it, not us

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

The answers people actually search for — including the ones that cost money to get wrong.

General

Types and validity

Application and cost

Driving abroad

Sources

Where this comes from

Last updated August 9, 2026. Next review February 9, 2027. Fact-checked by Expedify Compliance Review.

Requirements, convention acceptance, fees, and processing times change. Verify current rules with the embassy of your destination and your authorised issuing authority before travelling.

Expedify Limited provides document assistance services. Permit issuance is handled by our authorised processing partner. Using our services does not guarantee faster agency processing. Service fees charged by Expedify Limited are separate from any official issuance fees. We are not a government agency and are not affiliated with the UN.

Ready to get your permit?

A dedicated expert prepares, verifies, and files it — the right type for your destination, picked for you. No hidden fees. Track every step from submission to your door.

Start my application Check if you need a visa too

You're assigned a dedicated expert — one person to refer to.
The government fee (if any) is shown next to ours — one clear charge.

International Driving Document

Checked by people who do this every day

Key takeaways

Look up a destination

What happens after you apply

Official processing time

We track every step

Reviewed by a dedicated expert

Which type do you need?

1949 Geneva Convention

1968 Vienna Convention

Rules by destination and by licence

By destination

By licence country

What it costs

Printed permit

Digital only

Where the money goes

Two ways to get one

We prepare and file it — you skip the issuer line

Straight through the issuer

Why permits get refused

Doing it yourself vs. Expedify

Research

Document check

Issuer coordination

Status tracking

Government fee

Delivery

Frequently asked questions

General

What is an International Driving Document?

Do I need an International Driving Document?

Does it override local driving rules?

Types and validity

Which type do I need — 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna?

How long is an International Driving Document valid?

Which countries accept which type?

Application and cost

How much does an International Driving Document cost?

Can I apply online?

How long does processing take?

What if something goes wrong?

Driving abroad

What happens if I drive without one?

Can I use it to drive in the country that issued my licence?

Where this comes from

Ready to get your permit?