International Driving Permits/Licences

[esseeeayeenn]

Ha ha - that's funny coming from a lawyer .

Soorrrry - just couldn't resist... .

And yet I would resist making such a generalisation about someone based on their occupation.
Except real estate agents.

 

[Happy Trails]

Cost in Australia is 50% more than in the USA even accounting for the woeful exchange rate.

And 300% more than the UK.

 

[goldenhorn]

This is the online site we used to get an IDL when Avis at Rome Termini refused to hire us the car we had booked.

I’m pretty sure it’s not official, but its a pretty damn good fake and they accepted it! Saved our bacon and allowed us to get a car for our holiday.

https://www.e-ita.org

 

[DC3]

This is the online site we used to get an IDL when Avis at Rome Termini refused to hire us the car we had booked.

I’m pretty sure it’s not official, but its a pretty damn good fake and they accepted it! Saved our bacon and allowed us to get a car for our holiday.

https://www.e-ita.org

Would those prices be in $US? (i.e., $US44 for 3 years). The Oz price is $AU, and it's 12 months, only. I may need to take this up.

Edit: Obtain in Oz, $AU42 for 12 months, only

 

[Jacques Vert]

IME: it is a must have in Japan (the Japanese like to follow rules). You will not get the keys to the car without one in Japan.

France: In NOU and GVA airports (yes both are in France, technically), I had to produce my IDP. The French are an interesting lot: they prefer to ignore the rules most of the tme as the paperwork is too much trouble; but if you are the one person that day that they decide to check (to keep their job), then they cross every "t" and dot every "i", twice.

As much as I hate being ripped-off, I always take one with me.

 

[opusman]

Would those prices be in $US? (i.e., $US44 for 3 years). The Oz price is $AU, and it's 12 months, only. I may need to take this up.

Yes in Australia it's a rip-off. The convention allows for 3 year validity but they limit it to 1, and charge the earth for it.The motoring organisations have the monopoly unfortunately.

 

[oobi doobi]

T

Yes in Australia it's a rip-off. The convention allows for 3 year validity but they limit it to 1, and charge the earth for it.The motoring organisations have the monopoly unfortunately.

This thread has made me take notice of IDP’s again having not obtained one for over 20 years & was not required then. I have just finished a Danish car hire for the last week, with no mention of a IDP. The same last year at Geneva airport but that was for a Swiss here & not French.

I will definitely get one next year when travelling.

Cheers

 

[opusman]

I will definitely get one next year when travelling.

It just seems sensible to me. It's such a minimal cost compared to the overall trip. You wouldn't say "oh I never claim on travel insurance, I won't bother getting it".

 

[goldenhorn]

Would those prices be in $US? (i.e., $US44 for 3 years). The Oz price is $AU, and it's 12 months, only. I may need to take this up.

Edit: Obtain in Oz, $AU42 for 12 months, only

Yeah, we paid USD.

 

[Austman]

What I do it always check what's required from the car rental company in the country I am renting.

You should probably do that anyway, even if you have an IDP. The car rental firms tend to know the license requirements in their country.

But as many websites note, the actual need for an IDP can be a combination of both the country requirements and the car rental company requirements.

 

[Black Duck]

Definitely need IDP for South Korea. We get one from RAC (WA) before each trip even if we an not absolutely sure we are going to need it. Usually just get one for my husband as he likes driving most and he also gets it endorsed for both cars and motorbikes -just in case he wants to go for a ride. That is you can get it endorsed for any class you have a license for here in Australia.

 

[ontheaisle]

You definitely need one in South Korea (or Jeju, at least). When I was there in April, there was a big sign at the rental car counter that essentially said "No IDP = No car". The person at the counter also carefully checked my licence against the IDP (and my credit card).

I usually keep mine up to date and take it with me when I travel if I think I may want to rent a car. It may not be strictly necessary, but I like to have it anyway (even if just to avoid potential insurance issues). At $42 for 12 months, it's a negligible cost. That said, I've never been asked for one in the US. The last few times they haven't even asked to see my licence

 

[jg::]

We got asked for one in Bordeaux, Fr, 2 years ago, for car hire. And yes, I agree that the Oz prices are a rip-off!

 

[CtrlZ]

Some travel insurance will not cover you if you are involved in an accident and do not have an IDL. I know this because I inquired about whether I would be covered riding a hire motorcycle overseas (RAA travel insurance cover). They said yes, so long as I was licensed to ride a motorcycle (I am) and I had an IDL which included that category.

 

[theblank]

I thought USA states only wanted to see an IDP if the original license is not in English?

 

[ajd]

Yes in Australia it's a rip-off. The convention allows for 3 year validity but they limit it to 1, and charge the earth for it.The motoring organisations have the monopoly unfortunately.

Australia is only a party to the 1949 Convention, which specifies 1 year validity. You're thinking of the 1968 Convention, which allows for up to 3 years.

I'm curious why there hasn't been more of an effort to get the remaining 1949 and 1926 only countries onto the 1968 Convention. Though I think the 1968 Convention also imposes a bunch of requirements that some countries don't like so that might be tricky.

You'd also think that with all the concern around ID fraud these days, and the fact that almost every licence-issuing authority in the world, even in the developing world, has moved to issuing plastic card licences, that IDPs could become similar to EU licences using a more secure plastic photo card, with a standardised layout and numeric codes instead of pages of translations. Could still issue them separately from national licences as those will be impossible to ever unify. Though perhaps an IDP without all the translations and explanatory material is not quite as useful if you're dealing with a poorly-trained cop in a remote part of the world?

 

[Austman]

You'd think that with card technology in 2019 that most Driver's Licenses could have over 1,000 languages of translations very, very simply embedded into them. Eliminating the need for the dodgy IDPs all together.

If the police really need to translate it, they could, pretty easily. Swipe the card etc.

But no.

I blame the UN!

 

[ajd]

I'd like to know the background as to how the role of IDP issuing ended up being delegated to automobile associations in Australia and the US among other countries.

I'd rather either the British approach of contracting it to the Post Office (which has far more outlets around the place than the NRMA) or having it handled at the motor registry (they'll be slow about it, but it makes philosophical sense. Though in 2019, they'd probably let you order online and get your photo straight off your licence rather than having to worry about uploading a new one)

 

[Austman]

I'd like to know the background as to how the role of IDP issuing ended up being delegated to automobile associations in Australia and the US among other countries.

It's something to do with the UN. They allowed governments to nominate organisations within their country to issue IDPs.

Or something like that...

 

[ajd]

It's something to do with the UN. They allowed governments to nominate organisations within their country to issue IDPs.

Or something like that...

Well yes, obviously the treaty permits IDPs to be issued by an authorised association. I'm curious why the treaty negotiators decided on that, why Australia specifically chose to use that option, and whether there's any actual oversight of the AAA by the government or whether they can just do what they want.