Driving licence & IDP requirements by country
Do you need an International Driving Permit (IDP) or a translated licence to drive abroad? This is a sourced, country-by-country reference. Each entry links to the official government source and shows when an IDP is required, recommended, depends on your licence, or usually not required. An IDP is always carried with your original national licence — it never replaces it.
| Country | IDP requirement | Translation helpful? | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇦🇱 Albania | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇩🇿 Algeria | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇦🇩 Andorra | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇦🇴 Angola | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇦🇷 Argentina | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇦🇲 Armenia | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇧🇭 Bahrain | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇧🇾 Belarus | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇧🇿 Belize | IDP usually not required | Limited | View |
| 🇧🇹 Bhutan | Depends on your licence | Limited | View |
| 🇧🇴 Bolivia | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇧🇼 Botswana | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇧🇳 Brunei | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇰🇭 Cambodia | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇨🇲 Cameroon | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇹🇩 Chad | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇨🇱 Chile | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇨🇳 China | IDP usually not required | Yes | View |
| 🇨🇴 Colombia | IDP usually not required | Yes | View |
| 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | IDP usually not required | Yes | View |
| 🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇨🇺 Cuba | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇨🇾 Cyprus | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇨🇩 DR Congo | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇪🇨 Ecuador | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇪🇬 Egypt | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇸🇻 El Salvador | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇪🇪 Estonia | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇸🇿 Eswatini | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇫🇯 Fiji | IDP usually not required | Yes | View |
| 🇫🇮 Finland | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇫🇷 France | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇬🇦 Gabon | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇬🇪 Georgia | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇬🇭 Ghana | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇬🇷 Greece | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇬🇹 Guatemala | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇬🇾 Guyana | IDP usually not required | Limited | View |
| 🇭🇳 Honduras | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇮🇸 Iceland | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇮🇳 India | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇮🇷 Iran | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇮🇶 Iraq | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇮🇱 Israel | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇯🇲 Jamaica | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇯🇴 Jordan | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇰🇪 Kenya | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇰🇼 Kuwait | IDP required | Limited | View |
| 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇱🇦 Laos | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇱🇻 Latvia | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇱🇧 Lebanon | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇱🇾 Libya | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | Depends on your licence | Limited | View |
| 🇱🇹 Lithuania | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇲🇬 Madagascar | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇲🇼 Malawi | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇲🇱 Mali | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇲🇹 Malta | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇲🇺 Mauritius | IDP usually not required | Yes | View |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇲🇩 Moldova | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇲🇨 Monaco | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇲🇳 Mongolia | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇲🇪 Montenegro | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇲🇦 Morocco | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇲🇿 Mozambique | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇲🇲 Myanmar | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇳🇦 Namibia | IDP usually not required | Yes | View |
| 🇳🇵 Nepal | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇳🇪 Niger | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇳🇬 Nigeria | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇳🇴 Norway | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇴🇲 Oman | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇵🇰 Pakistan | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇵🇦 Panama | IDP usually not required | Yes | View |
| 🇵🇾 Paraguay | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇵🇪 Peru | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇶🇦 Qatar | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇷🇺 Russia | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇷🇼 Rwanda | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇸🇳 Senegal | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇷🇸 Serbia | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇸🇨 Seychelles | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇸🇴 Somalia | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇸🇩 Sudan | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇸🇷 Suriname | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇸🇾 Syria | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇹🇿 Tanzania | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇹🇬 Togo | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇹🇳 Tunisia | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇹🇷 Türkiye | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇺🇬 Uganda | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇺🇦 Ukraine | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Depends on your licence | Limited | View |
| 🇺🇸 United States | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇺🇾 Uruguay | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇻🇪 Venezuela | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | IDP required | Yes | View |
| 🇾🇪 Yemen | Depends on your licence | Yes | View |
| 🇿🇲 Zambia | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
| 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | IDP recommended | Yes | View |
Don't see your country, or want an answer tailored to your licence and dates? Use the free requirement checker. Or start from your country of licence: driving licence translation by country.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries require an International Driving Permit (IDP)?
Many do — including popular destinations such as Japan, Italy, Spain, Thailand, Austria and Greece — while others accept a foreign national licence for short visits, and some only require one for certain licence countries. The rule is set destination by destination. Use the list below to check the IDP requirement for any of 150+ countries, each with its official source.
How do I get an International Driving Permit?
You get an IDP from your own country's authorised issuer before you travel — for example AAA or AATA in the United States, the Post Office or the AA in the UK, and the national automobile association elsewhere. It cannot be bought from a random website, and World Driving Permit does not issue IDPs — we provide a certified translation companion. See our official-issuer guidance for where to apply in your country.
What is an International Driving Permit (IDP)?
An International Driving Permit is an officially recognised translation of your national driving licence, issued only by your own country's authorised body (for example AAA/AATA in the United States). It is always carried together with your original licence and never replaces it.
Does a translated driving licence replace an IDP?
No. A certified translation companion helps police and car-rental desks read your licence and can smooth checks, but where the law requires an IDP, only a real IDP from an authorised issuer satisfies it. World Driving Permit provides a translation companion, not an IDP.
How current is this requirements data?
Each country page shows a 'last reviewed' date and links to the official government or road-authority source it is based on. Requirements can change, so always confirm with the official source and your car-rental company before you travel.
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.