Apply
Apply for an international driving permit
About four minutes online. Checked by a person. Digital copy the same day.
To apply for an International Driving Permit you need a valid full driving licence, a photograph of the front and back of it, and one plain portrait photograph. The online application takes about four minutes, a person checks it against your documents, and the digital permit is issued the same day.
What you need before you start
- A driving licence that is already valid
- Full, current, and issued by the country you live in. A permit does not replace it and is not valid without it — the two travel together, and a licence that expires during your trip takes the permit down with it.
- A photo of the front and back of it
- Taken with a phone is fine. All four corners visible, in focus, no flash across the text. This is what a person on our team checks your typed details against.
- A plain portrait photograph
- Face forward, plain background, no sunglasses or hat. The same shot a passport wants. We straighten and crop it for the booklet, so it does not need to be a studio print — and you do not need to have printed photographs made, which is what the counter route requires.
- Where you are going
- So we can tell you what that country actually expects. Some need a 1949 permit, some a 1968 one, and some need nothing from you at all — in which case we will say so.
The five steps
- 1
Check the country you are driving in
Look up your destination first. We publish what each country currently expects, including the ones that require nothing — we would rather lose the sale than have you turned away at a rental counter abroad.
- 2
Fill in your details
Name, date of birth, and the details from your licence. About four minutes. Everything is saved as you type, so you can stop and come back on another device.
- 3
Upload your licence and portrait
Front and back of the licence, plus a plain head-and-shoulders photograph. Phone photos are fine; we handle the cropping and straightening.
- 4
A person checks it
Someone on our team compares what you typed against the licence you uploaded. A misread digit in a licence number is caught here rather than at a police stop, which is the entire reason this step is not automated.
- 5
Receive the permit
The digital copy is issued the same day — about two hours as standard, or eight minutes with express processing. If you ordered the printed booklet it ships worldwide by tracked courier.
Ready when you are
From 49. Check what your destination expects first — if it does not require a permit, that page will tell you so, and this one compares every route to getting one if you would rather not do it online.
Questions about applying
How do I apply for an international driving permit?
Check that your destination requires one, complete the application with your licence details, upload a photo of the front and back of your licence and a plain portrait, and pay. A person checks the application against your documents before anything is issued. The digital copy arrives the same day. The whole form takes about four minutes.
What documents are required for an international driving permit?
A valid full driving licence issued by the country you live in, a photograph of the front and back of it, and one plain portrait photograph of yourself. That is all. You do not need your passport, and you do not need to have printed passport photographs made — a phone photo of your face against a plain wall is enough.
What is the minimum age for an international driving permit?
Eighteen, and you must already hold a full licence — a provisional or learner permit cannot be translated because there is nothing yet to translate. Some countries additionally set their own minimum age for renting a car, which is usually 21 or 25 and is separate from the permit.
Can I apply for an international driving permit online?
Yes, that is what this service does. The application, the document checks and the payment all happen online, and the digital permit is issued the same day. What cannot be done online anywhere is obtaining a national driving licence — an IDP only ever accompanies a licence you already hold.
How long does the application take?
The form itself is about four minutes. Issuing is the same day: roughly two hours as standard, or about eight minutes if you add express processing. Printed booklets are dispatched after the digital copy is issued and ship worldwide by tracked courier.
Do I need an international driving permit application form?
Not a paper one. The counter and postal routes use a printed form; this is the online equivalent, and it asks for the same information. Nothing needs to be downloaded, printed or signed.
What if my application is wrong after I have submitted it?
Tell us before it is issued and we will correct it. If we made the error, we reissue at no cost. The human check exists specifically to catch this before it reaches print.