Let's figure out how an international driver's license differs from a regular one and how to get one

There are two types of rights: national ID and international. The main difference between them lies in the name itself - some allow you to move freely throughout the territory of the Russian Federation, others - in all countries of the world. International or national driver's license - what to choose for traveling abroad, in Russia and the CIS countries?

It is very important to remember that the procedures for obtaining, the cost, and the arrangement of points for the two types of this document are different. Moreover, there are differences in the obtaining procedure. All drivers who have a national license but want to travel abroad should know what an international standard license looks like and what procedures must be followed to obtain it.

National ID and regular driving license

A few words about national rights. Firstly, they operate exclusively on the territory of our country. Secondly, there are never any difficulties in obtaining them, because they are issued in almost all traffic police departments of all more or less large cities. Sometimes the interaction between a citizen and an authority is complicated by the fact that the rights were seized in one city, and he declares their return in another.

Standard licenses include the following information about the driver:

• last name, first name and patronymic;
• serial number and series;
• photo;
• place, date of birth and address;
• acceptable transport categories;
• date of issue.

All specified data is in Russian in two forms: Cyrillic characters and Latin letters (transliteration).

A standard license is awarded only after he passes all the necessary exams and pays the state fee. The fee is 500 rubles if the driver wants a license in paper form and 2000 rubles if in plastic.

Intelligence

What is a national driving license? This is a document made on a plastic card. It contains certain information. Which?

On a local license, a citizen can see:

• Driver's full name;
• photograph of the driver;
• date and place of residence of the person;
• information about driving skills;
• registration date;
• Document Number;
• a series of driver's licenses;
• driver's birthplace.

There is no further information in the rights. They help prove and confirm the right to drive a car of one category or another. Such documentation is no longer used for any purpose. Rights do not apply as a personal identifier.

Features of the visual appearance of the national driver's license

The main purpose of this document is to serve as proof that the owner of the document has the legal right to drive transport on the territory of the Russian Federation.
If we are talking about international rights, then this document has a slightly different meaning and method of application. If in the Russian Federation it is allowed to drive with only one license - a national one, resembling a bank card in shape, then abroad, in addition to the usual license, you must present an international one.

International and national rights cannot be mutually exclusive! Driving around Russia with an international license is prohibited if the driver does not have a regular, national one. The standard document is more significant; it is the one that certifies the right to drive transport.

Therefore, the driver does not have a choice: which driver’s license is better, national or international, since one is impossible without the other.

There are three documents that fully describe the required format of rights in Russia and regulate their application:

1. Government Decree No. 1097 of June 24, 2014.
2. Traffic rules
3. Orders of various institutions, in particular the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

To understand what a national driver's license looks like, what an international ID card looks like, and why this is so, you should turn to an older type of document. The visual appearance implies approximately the same standards as the standard document allowing drivers to move on the roads 20-30 years ago. There are, of course, some changes and additions, but the main essence remains the same. The changes affected the color of the ID, the location of security signs, points, etc.

To date, the country has approved a new generation of national IDs, which are approved internationally by the Vienna Convention.

The national driver's license has the following features:

• the document is a hard plastic product;
• on the left side of the card there is a red oval-shaped “RUS” emblem, symbolizing the state in which these rights are an identification document;
• a list of items that discloses information about the owner of the document;
• on the back there is a barcode and a table with categories allowed for driving, their opening and closing dates;
• ID series and number;
• abbreviations and notes (located below the category table);
• signature and photograph.

The rights also contain information printed in Latin letters. In international law everything is very similar, however, there is also a translation into French.

What is a driver's license

Citizens who are going to study at a specialized institution to obtain a driver's license are interested in whether a driver's license is an identity document. Despite the effect of a number of regulatory legal acts and the clarification of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation from 2021, which states that the license contains all the details required to confirm the identity of a Russian, in most cases a driver’s license cannot serve as proof of identity. The license certifies that the Russian (their owner) has been given the legal opportunity to drive the vehicle.

Before we talk about the new driver’s license, which is valid in 2021, let’s clarify which documents are valid. The license to drive a car or other type of vehicle in our country was issued in different models. And since licenses are issued for 10 years, today you can find the following types of certificates:

• rights of the old edition in paper format;
• old driver's license in plastic;
• rights of updated format, but outdated edition;
• version of the certificate changed in 2014.

Future drivers are interested in what kind of driver's licenses are currently issued. The current version of the document was agreed upon in 2014. Let's take a closer look at what this document is.

What rights look like

The new VU has a format that is convenient for use. What do the new rights look like? This is a pale pink plastic card measuring 85 by 55 mm with a thin protective grid pattern. The safety net contains an encrypted barcode, which can be read by a traffic inspector using a special device. A changing color hologram is one of the types of document protection.

The front side of the certificate contains a photo of the owner of the rights and his signature. All personal information about the driver is also entered there. Each item on the certificate is numbered. Under paragraph 9 you can see letter designations - this is a category of rights. The reverse side of the card is a table with special icons, letters, and marks.

Explanation of the symbols on the ID

Studying the new sample driver's license, it is easy to see that the category is indicated not only on the main side of the card, but also on the back. The category indicates a specific type of vehicle that the holder of the document is allowed to drive. The adopted new classification of categories in rights consists of seven main points, which are designated by letters.

There are also four subcategories, the designation of which is expressed not only by letters, but also by numbers. The appearance of subcategories in rights is associated with the separation into separate groups of a lightweight version of a vehicle of the same type, with a lower load capacity and power. For such groups of vehicles, a simplified training scheme for the future driver is allowed.

In addition to categories and subcategories, other special marks are also placed on the license. Decoding a driver's license also includes knowledge about special marks. Sometimes you can see the stamp “Medical certificate required” on your license. He says that the driver must have a medical certificate with him, and this is due to the fact that health restrictions were established during the medical examination.

If the driver has visual impairments, this must be recorded on the driver’s license using the GCL label. It is indicated in paragraph 14 of the certificate. This is a sign for the traffic inspector that the driver must wear glasses or contact lenses while driving. There are restrictions established in the license for driving a vehicle of one category or another. This is recorded by a combination of letters ML placed opposite the category for which restrictions are set.

What is an international driving license?

International law (IDL) is a document that performs different functions, looks different and requires different procedures. The goal is to meet the international standard. Let's take a closer look.

The difference between the two certificates lies, first of all, in convenience - traffic inspectors abroad are trained to recognize special types of documents.

The outer side contains:

1. Name of authority and date of issue.
2. Validity.
3. Number and series.
4. A state in which the owner of the rights is a citizen.

The reverse side contains a list of states in whose territory the document will have legal force.

International rights are an addition, a license that expands the capabilities of the main document. The IDP does not even contain the driver’s name, and is linked to national ones only by the series and number of the document.

Not all countries require exactly the international standard of rights from Russian citizens. There are countries (mainly the CIS) where the usual standard is suitable. For example, the legislation of Armenia and Georgia allows you to travel within the state using regular IDs. Very often, in some countries, employees require an IDP. This may mean that the employee is either poorly versed in the law or is demanding a bribe.

When receiving an IDP, you must pay a state fee of 1,600 rubles. The dimensions of international rights are slightly larger than those of standard ones.

IDPs are printed in two languages: Russian and French. The document contains special oval-shaped seals. Photos of the international ID are also larger in size and are marked with special stamps.

The appearance of this document provides the following features:

• rights are issued in the form of a book, not a card;
• at the top of the document the name of the state in which the certificate was issued is marked in golden colors;
• four sheets inside the brochure have a translation from French and transliteration of Russian words;
• the “RUS” emblem is indicated under the golden name of the state;
• the name of the certificate, series and number are indicated in the center;
• Near the marks with the names of acceptable categories there is a matte photograph of the driver.

International rights are printed in two languages: Russian and French. The document contains special oval-shaped seals. This way the categories of vehicles that the driver has the right to drive are marked. Photos of the international ID are also larger in size, and here they are marked with special stamps.

International rights

A national driver's license can be issued without much difficulty by a citizen of a particular state. There are also international laws. How do they differ from national ones?

Firstly, such a document is used to manage transport outside the home country. That is, abroad. Secondly, international licenses are issued only on the basis of national ones.

Thirdly, the appearance of these documents is very different. An international driver's license in Russia looks like a small book with several spreads. It contains not only information about the driver, but also about his citizenship.

National and international driving licenses: important differences

As we have seen, the differences between the two different types of driver's licenses are quite significant.
Let us note seven criteria by which differences between documents should be assessed:

1. Typical differences.
2. Passing a medical commission.
3. A set of necessary documents.
4. Receipt procedure.
5. Education.
6. Amount of penalties for violations.
7. Price.

Let's take a closer look at each of the criteria.

We will present typical differences between certificates in the form of a special table:

Thanks to new changes in legislation, from 1.01.18 to 1.01.19 it is possible to receive a 30% discount on registration of state fees. To do this, you should apply for a driver’s license through the State Services website.

The discount applies to registration of both national and international rights.

New national driver's license

The legislator has introduced new types of categories and subcategories into the national driver's license since 2013. They cover a larger number of vehicles.

To manage them, additional training is required at a specialized educational institution.

The national license indicates the type of category or subcategory of the vehicle that the driver can drive.

What are the conditions?

An applicant for a driver's license must present documents indicating that he has completed training at a driving school.

The same applies to a medical certificate obtained in a region other than the one where the exam is taken.

The main goal of the measures taken is to eliminate fake documents used by individuals.

A new document is issued based on the following documents:

• general civil passport of a citizen of the Russian state;
• medical certificate of health;
• a personal driver card issued by a driving school based on the material covered and the results of exams passed;
• receipts for payment of state duty.

With the entry into force of the instructions of the Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation No. 365, changes occurred in the procedure for passing exams.

The document is issued to Russian citizens by the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate based on the exam results.

It includes theoretical and practical parts of the material covered during training.

Typically, to pass Part 1, a student must answer 20 questions in 20 minutes.

For each incorrect answer, he is asked 5 additional questions about the completed educational material.

As for the second part, during the exam, the examinee in practice must demonstrate his skills and abilities under certain conditions.

These include driving:

As a rule, the practical exam requires a number of exercises, such as “entering a parking area, “Snake”, “Overall corridor and semi-circle”.

The procedure for their execution and the assignment of penalty points for inappropriate performance is explained in the educational institution’s methodological recommendations.

You can find out what a new type of tractor driver’s driver’s license looks like in the article: new type of tractor driver’s driver’s license. If you are interested in the question of what the fine for overloading a car is for individuals, read here.

Features of receiving

Persons with abnormalities in their body and mental state are not allowed to drive a vehicle. The norm is provided for by the instructions of Federal Law No. 196-FZ.

The circumstance forces drivers to undergo mandatory examination at a medical institution.

A medical certificate of form 083/u-89 is required in cases where the driver must:

The issuance of a national license is carried out on the basis of the results of a driver qualification exam by the inspection of the state road safety authority.

It is considered valid for 10 years, after which it is subject to mandatory replacement. The legislator allows replacement before the expiration date based on the driver’s application.

It is not excluded that he may be sent for additional training if the person being examined receives an unsatisfactory grade. Theoretical classes are provided free of charge.

If practical lessons lasting more than 56 hours are to be conducted, the student must pay a fee in accordance with the driving school tariff.

State duty for document

The driver must pay the state fee for issuing a driving license before contacting the traffic police department.

The responsibility is imposed by the standards of Federal Law No. 210-FZ and the instructions of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.

It is paid for services provided by government agencies to the population of the country. The fact of payment of the state duty is confirmed by a receipt or payment order.

Payment of the state duty can be made in cash or non-cash form:

In accordance with the instructions of Article 333.33 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation, the size of the state duty is determined by the type of media from which it is made.

For a paper document you pay 500 rubles, for a plastic document – ​​2,000 rubles.

It can be paid both in cash and non-cash through a terminal located at the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate, at any bank and online on the official website of the single portal of State Services.

Is it possible to travel abroad?

The Vienna Convention established a uniform standard for driving licenses, according to which the national document is prepared.

But not all European countries recognize it, so Russian citizens must present an international ID when traveling abroad.

It contains translations of the national driver's license text into 8 major foreign languages.

These include:

• English;
• Portuguese;
• German;
• French;
• Spanish;
• Chinese;
• Japanese;
• Arab.

You must carry the Ministry of Internal Affairs with you when traveling abroad, and present it along with your national ID when checking documents by the police.

How to replace

The obligation to replace a driver's license is imposed by the instructions of Federal Law No. 195-FZ.

They are binding on all citizens of the country, regardless of their legal status.

They note that vehicle drivers are obliged to replace it on the grounds provided by the legislator.

These include:

1. Expiration date.
2. Change of personal data.
3. Damage to a driver's license with partial loss of its operational properties, caused by mechanical influence of external factors.

Otherwise, it goes into the category of invalid documents. When exchanging it, you will not have to retake the qualification exam on traffic rules and vehicle driving skills.

If a driver's license is lost, a duplicate is issued, and the old document is declared invalid by the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate. Its provision is accompanied by re-taking the traffic rules.

Video: replacing a driver's license

Passing a medical examination

There are many situations in which a driver should change his license: its validity period has expired, a replacement or exchange for a newer one is required, the license was returned after an arrest, etc. (there are many reasons why a driver’s license can be revoked and all of them are prescribed by Russian legislation and the theory of the state and TGP rights). Each time the driver needs to follow one procedure - undergo a medical examination.

In this matter there are also significant differences between the two types of documents. When receiving, restoring or returning a RF TDP, the need to submit a medical form is mandatory. When receiving an addition to your license in the form of an IDP, a certificate is not required.

When receiving a standard type document, a medical certificate must be provided if we are talking about changing the driver’s personal data, for example, first or last name.

This procedure is also mandatory if:

• the driver opens another category;
• there is a loss of identification;
• the driver needs a duplicate.

The IDP, being rather an addition to an existing document, is created on the basis of data already noted in national rights.
Thus, the very presence of an IDP implies passing a medical commission. If a driver wishes to open another driving category, but his medical certificate is still valid, he should not obtain a new one. All medical certificates are valid for 1 year. They can be extended by passing a second commission.

Set of necessary documents

To obtain a DDP and an IDP, sets of documentation are required, which differ from each other.

For standard rights you need:

1. Citizen's passport and birth certificate.
2. Previous DDPs, if any.
3. Medical certificate, if you have one and it has not expired.
4. Certificate of passing examinations (if required).
5. Photo.

In order to receive the long-awaited certificate, you need to prepare a set of relevant documents. After the traffic police officer has checked all the documents, he checks the relationship between their contents and the driver’s statement. After this, if everything is normal, the process of creating a document and entering information into the database begins. A process that in one way or another precedes the receipt of a document.

The IDP provides for:

1. NVU.
2. Citizen's passport.
3. International passport.
4. Photo.

As for obtaining a visa, in the case of a standard ID, it is required, but not with an international one.

Grounds for extradition

A national driving license is a document that can be issued by almost every citizen. Only for this there must be certain grounds.

According to the law, to obtain a national license, a person must:

• reach a certain age;
• take driving lessons;
• successfully pass exams in transport management of one type or another.

Only after this a person will be able to order a national driving license. They will allow you to get behind the wheel of a vehicle of one category or another without any problems. Next, we will consider the procedure for preparing the relevant paper in more detail.

Receipt procedure

The procedure for obtaining both types of rights is quite similar, but there are differences.
A striking example is fines: if fines are not paid, then there is no chance of getting new rights, regardless of their type. There are differences in the procedure for obtaining them, primarily in matters of relationship with visas.

For example, to obtain an international document you need:

• visa application;
• foreign passport;
• certificate of good conduct (not always);
• other documentary details required for traveling to another state.

Standard licenses do not require this, because they allow you to move around the Russian Federation. However, the exception, of course, is when the driver plans to visit countries that are present in the Geneva Convention.

Passing exams is a time-consuming procedure that is sometimes very tedious for drivers; it is not required at all to obtain an IDP.

National licenses take about 30 days to produce, and international licenses in less than one hour.

Learning differences

Training is the basis of driving, an integral process through which, one way or another, all drivers who either obtain a license for the first time or open a new category must go through.
When it comes to training, the difference is also great. When obtaining a standard license, a driving school is of great importance and is a necessary requirement if:

1. This is the first time a certificate has been issued.
2. A new category is opening.
3. The arrest has come to an end.

In the case of an IDP, training is not required, nor is passing the relevant exams. The document will be issued on the basis of fundamental rights.

What is the procedure for receiving them?

Becoming the owner of a document to drive a car in Russia is more difficult.
Motorists applying for a document for the first time or for a new category are required to complete a full training course and examination at a medical organization. It is issued by the traffic police upon presentation of the following documents:

• statements;
• passport or other identification document;
• certificates from medical institutions;
• confirmation of completion of training and passing the exam;
• receipt of payment of state duty;
• photograph (usually taken right in the department).

The fee for gaining the opportunity to drive a car in Russia today is 2 thousand rubles.

When applying for a license through the government services portal, you can receive a 30 percent discount. As a result, the future driver will have to pay only 1,400 rubles. True, you will still have to obtain the papers from the relevant department of the State Traffic Inspectorate.

Since a foreign sample is issued on the basis of a national one, the procedure for obtaining it is simpler. Car enthusiasts will not need to pass any exams or see doctors. To receive it you need to present to the traffic police:

• statement;
• passport or other similar document;
• Russian driver's license;
• receipt of state duty;
• photo.

The fee for obtaining a document is 1,600 rubles and can be paid in cash or through online banking. If you submit papers through government services, you will only need to pay 1,120 rubles. A car license is issued to the driver at the traffic police department.

Punishment for violation

All types of punishments, in particular for traffic violations, are always clearly established in accordance with the legislation of the country in which the law was violated.

It could be:

• non-compliance with the rules on the road;
• ignorance of blood alcohol standards (each country has its own standard);
• ignorance of the reasons for arrest (in the USA, for example, the reason for arrest is often something that in Russia is punishable by a fine).

Drivers should remember that before visiting other countries, it is very important to understand foreign traffic rules, since the degree of punishment for their violations in another state is very different from Russian ones. Most problems on the road occur precisely because of ignorance of the laws.

The position of the steering wheel is also important. You should be especially careful in countries with right-hand drive traffic, for example, in Britain or Japan. Statistics show that most of the violating tourists and migrants come from “left-hand drive” countries. Good legal knowledge can mean a lot even for tourists who are in the country for just a few days.

There are many examples of problems due to ignorance of the laws of other countries, starting with a man who did not turn on his turn signal when approaching a car and paid more than 500 euros in fine and a woman who was arrested because her child was not wearing a seat belt and was not in child car seat.

How long does it cost to issue

We found out what a national driver's license looks like. At what age do they issue the appropriate paper?

There is no definite answer to this question and there cannot be. The thing is that in Russia citizens can obtain rights of different categories at different ages.

Here are the guidelines you can rely on:

• transport categories M and A1 - from 16 years old;
• motorcycles, passenger cars, category C - from 18 years of age;
• vehicles of categories D, Tb, Tm - from 21 years of age;
• category E - if you have at least 12 months of experience driving category B, C or D vehicles;
• agricultural transport - after adulthood.

Accordingly, in most cases, a national driver's license can be issued after 18 years of age. The main thing is to adhere to a certain algorithm of actions and complete training in a timely manner. Without this, it will be impossible to cope with the task at hand.