Is an International Driving Permit a translation?

Updated 21 Jun 2026

Direct answer

Yes. An International Driving Permit (IDP) is essentially an official translation of your existing national driving licence into multiple languages, issued in booklet form under a UN road-traffic convention. It carries no driving rights of its own and is only valid alongside your original licence — it simply lets foreign officials and rental desks read your details.

At a glance

What an IDP is: An official translation booklet of your national licence
Valid on its own?: No — only with your original licence
Languages: Translated into the convention's official languages (≈10)
Who issues it: An authorised body in your licence country (before you travel)
Alternative: A certified translation companion, where one is accepted

Trip decision path

Turn this guide into a clean travel plan

Use the guide as context, then confirm your exact license, destination, dates, and vehicle before buying anything.

2 authority sources

1 · Verify the rule

Choose your license country, destination, dates, and vehicle type.

2 · Use an authorized IDP route

If the checker says an IDP is required, get it from your license country's authorized issuer. We do not sell IDPs.

3 · Add a translation companion

Use the translation pack when rental desks, insurers, or checkpoints need to read your license. It is not a permit.

What the IDP actually translates

An IDP reproduces the key fields of your national licence — name, licence number, categories/classes, issue and expiry dates — into the official languages of the 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna Convention. It is not a test, not a permit to drive in its own right, and grants no new privileges. Its single job is comprehension: making a licence printed in one language and script legible to police and rental staff abroad.

IDP vs a certified translation companion

Because an IDP is a translation, a certified translation of your licence performs the same comprehension function. Many countries — and most car-rental companies — accept a clear certified translation carried with your original licence, and some EU rules explicitly accept 'a certified translation OR an IDP'. The difference is format and issuer: an IDP is a standardised booklet from an authorised national body, while a certified translation is an instant document you carry alongside the original. Neither replaces the licence itself.

When the IDP booklet is specifically required

A few countries require the physical IDP booklet itself (rental desks in Japan and Thailand, for example, check for it). Where that is the case, get the IDP from the authorised issuer in your own country before travelling — it cannot be issued to you abroad. Everywhere else, the translation it contains is the point, and a certified translation companion covers the same need.

What to prepare

Your original national driving licence (the IDP is never valid without it)
An IDP from your country's authorised issuer where the booklet is required
A certified translation companion where a translation is accepted in its place
Your passport with entry stamp or visa
Proof of insurance valid at your destination

Check your exact route

License country × destination × vehicle — free, 1 minute.

Need your license translated?

Clearly-labeled translation companion — never a fake permit.

Frequently asked questions

Does an IDP let me drive on its own?

No. An IDP is only a translation of your national licence and is invalid without the original card. If your licence expires or is suspended, the IDP becomes void too.

Can a certified translation do the same job as an IDP?

In many places, yes — a certified translation carried with your original licence covers the same comprehension need, and some countries accept 'a certified translation or an IDP'. A few countries demand the physical IDP booklet specifically; check your destination's rule first.

What languages is an IDP translated into?

Into the official languages of the convention it's issued under — typically around ten, including English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Chinese for the 1949 Geneva Convention.

Government and authority sources

Also see our authorized issuer guidance for where to get a real IDP when your trip requires one.

Requirements vary by country. Carry your translation together with your original driving licence and passport; some countries require an official IDP issued by an authorised body in your country of licence. Information provided is general guidance. Always check local regulations for your destination.