Which countries require an international driver's license?

Are Russian rights recognized abroad?

Whether Russian rights are recognized abroad depends on the country. There are two conventions on road traffic: Vienna (1968) and Geneva (1949). Signatory countries to the Vienna Convention, including Russia, mutually recognize national driving licenses issued in member countries, provided that these licenses comply with the requirements of the convention.

Countries that have signed the Geneva Convention require foreigners to have an international driver's license.

The traffic police in Russia issues both types of these rights. National rights of the new type, issued in Russia since 2011, are recognized by all members of the Vienna Convention, and therefore do not require the execution of other documents. To visit the territory of countries signatory to the Geneva Convention by car, you will need an international driver's license (IDP). The procedure for its issuance is described in Section III of the Rules approved by Government Decree No. 1097 of October 24, 2014.

What licenses are needed to rent a car in Europe?

We have already considered the question of whether an international driver's license is needed in Europe. But to what extent do private rental cars adhere to these requirements? After all, such companies often have their own regulations aimed at increasing their own security. In connection with this, you can rent a car abroad only if you have the following documents:

• Credit card (with its help, the car rental company freezes funds in the owner’s account in order to compensate for damage in the event of force majeure on the road);
• Russian-style diploma (only 2021 certificates that meet the requirements of the European format are accepted);
• International ID (required in all states except parties to the Vienna Convention);
• Visa or foreign passport (sometimes may be needed to verify the client’s initials).

In addition to these certificates, the citizen also needs to provide a receipt for payment of a single state fee amounting to 1,700 rubles. Without it, no one will rent a car, and from the point of view of the law, the private company will be right.

You found out which countries require an international driver's license and for how long they are usually issued. Having this information, drivers will not have any problems when crossing the border in their own transport.

Countries where national Russian laws apply

Russian drivers should be glad that most countries in the world are members of the Vienna Convention. In Europe, for example, only a few countries have not signed or ratified this document, so traveling within the EU with a Russian license is not a problem. The list of countries that recognize Russian driving licenses is much wider – below are all the states where Russians with a national driver’s license can drive a car.

It is worth noting that only those Russians who have received a new type of certificate issued after March 1, 2011 have the opportunity to use Russian national rights. The old-style rights, although valid, are not recognized in foreign countries due to the lack of transliteration in Latin.

National licenses allow you to drive a car only for short-term visits - within a period of 3 to 12 months from the date of entry into a particular country.

Local requirements then require obtaining a local license, since such drivers are considered by the state to be local temporary or permanent residents.

In addition, even in a country party to the Vienna Convention, an IDP may be required, for example, when renting a car. Let's take a closer look at what an international driver's license is.

Restrictions on the use of Russian rights in Europe

In neighboring countries, you can travel freely with a national driver's license for a long time. However, in a number of countries, restrictions have been introduced; after a certain period, drivers must obtain a local standard license. The list of such countries includes:

At the same time, rights under local rules can be obtained only if the conditions approved by a specific state for obtaining rights are met. For example, documents can be obtained six months after receiving a residence permit or other conditions. This question is most relevant for citizens who are going to change their place of residence or are going to stay for a longer time for work or study.

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IDP for car rental

International rights may be required not only in the countries of the Geneva Convention, but also in the Vienna Convention. In particular, when renting vehicles. Thus, many vehicle rental companies put forward conditions such as mandatory length of service, the age of the driver, payment of a deposit, and the presence of an IDP. This is not a violation of the law: the landlord makes such demands on tenants as he considers necessary. But as a rule, such an order is established only by large rental networks. Small firms, although they have a smaller fleet of vehicles, do not require an international driver's license.

For example, in Switzerland, Norway and Belgium, it is extremely difficult to find rental services without IDP requirements.

Moreover, some countries where national rights are recognized oblige car renters to have an IDP even at the legislative level. A striking example is Greece, where the new transport law 4530/2018, which came into force in March 2021, allows drivers without an IDP to be fined 200 euros if they rented a car. In practice, local police interpret the rule in such a way that the fine increases to 1 thousand euros and doubles for a repeated violation. And although tourists from the Russian Federation claim that the conditions for renting a car in Greece have not changed in 2021, the local police may have a different opinion.

Features of the Geneva and Vienna Conventions

The Vienna Convention is an international agreement drawn up by Russia and some European states. Its main goal is to standardize traffic rules to improve road safety. It regulates the following provisions:

• Operating conditions for vehicles, including those equipped with trailers;
• Rules for traveling on public roads;
• Regulations on the use of identification stickers and signs;
• A single form of driving license recognized in countries party to the Vienna Convention.

In accordance with this document, residents of the Russian Federation have the opportunity to cross the borders of neighboring countries (Europe and Asia) in their own transport, using only a domestic driver’s license. But this does not apply to territorial units from the list of the Geneva Treaty, since its regulations only accept rights of an international type.

Recommendations and reviews from experienced travelers

Even if you plan to visit a Vienna Convention country, it is advisable to obtain an IDP.
And it’s not just about the rental: in the event of an accident, in which the police will be involved, you shouldn’t count on insurance compensation without an international certificate. These are, as a rule, the conditions of the insurance company itself, specified in the insurance contract, according to which, without an IDP, insurance is considered invalid, regardless of the country and its affiliation with any of the conventions. Sergey K.

If you plan to rent a car, make sure to obtain an IDP long before your trip. Especially if you travel abroad often. The fact is that recently an incident happened to me at a rental car in Italy: an employee refused to give me a car due to the fact that IDPs were issued immediately before leaving. The rental conditions included the following clause: “The client is required to have a valid driver’s license, issued at least one year before concluding the rental agreement.” I had to look for another rental company.

Andrey Ch.

Do not forget that international licenses are valid for only three years from the date of issue. One day, having forgotten about this and gone on a long business trip to India for eight months, I suddenly discovered that the IDP was expiring in just 30 days. No matter how inconvenient it may be, throughout the entire business trip I had to forget about renting a car and use the “excellent” Indian public transport. Don't repeat my mistakes!

Alexander K.

Which countries require which rights?

So, all countries can be divided into three categories:

• Countries that have signed the Vienna Convention, in which you can drive a car on the basis of the national license of any country, do not need an IDP.
• Countries that have signed the Geneva Convention require an IDP to drive (complete with a national driver's license).
• Countries that have not signed any of the conventions require their local license to drive a vehicle, which is issued directly on the spot.

Countries that accept national rights

In 1968, the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic was created, according to which participating countries are required to accept, as a document allowing for driving vehicles on their territory, the national rights of any country that are valid. Let us remind you that our country is also a party to the Vienna Convention, therefore our national driver’s license in countries party to the Vienna Convention should be quoted without problems; an IDP is not required in this case.

List of countries where you can drive with a Russian license:

Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Great Britain, Hungary, Venezuela, Guyana, Ghana, Germany, Greece, Georgia, Denmark, Zaire, Zimbabwe, Israel, Indonesia, Iran, Spain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Costa Rica, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Morocco, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Niger, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Russia, Romania, San Marino, Seychelles, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Uruguay, Philippines, Finland, France, Croatia, Central African Republic, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Chile, Switzerland, Sweden, Ecuador, Estonia, SOUTH AFRICA.

Countries where an IDP is required

There is another convention, the Geneva Convention of 1949, according to which you can drive in the countries that have signed it only with an international driver's license; the national rights of other countries are not accepted here as a separate document. We remind you that in order for the IDP to be valid in these countries, you must have both the IDP and national rights, which are only valid as a set.

List of countries where an international driver's license is required:

Australia, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Vatican City, Haiti, Gambia, Guatemala, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Grenada, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Western Samoa, India, Jordan, Ireland, Iceland, Cambodia, Canada, Cyprus, Kyrgyzstan, China, Congo, Laos, Lesotho, Lebanon, Mauritania, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Rwanda, Swaziland , Singapore, Syria, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Lucia, USA, Sierra Leone, Taiwan, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Fiji, French Polynesia, Jamaica, Japan.