Countries that require an International Driving Permit

An International Driving Permit (IDP) is an official translation of your national license. Below, 14 countries where it's required and 139 where it's strongly recommended for foreign drivers.

Countries where an IDP is required

14 countries require foreign visitors to carry an IDP with their national license. Each one recognises the permit of the road-traffic treaty it has signed.

Recommended, and required in some situations

In these 20 countries an IDP is recommended, and the country's own rule makes it required in some cases, most often when your license is not in the Latin alphabet or not in the local language.

Where the IDP is not recognised

• China: China does NOT recognise International Driving Permits. Visitors must obtain a temporary Chinese driving permit to drive legally.

Recommended in every other country

In the other 119 countries we cover, an IDP is recommended for foreign drivers, as a translation that police and rental agencies can read: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Somalia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

For the driving side, minimum age and treaty status of all 154 countries in one table, see International driving license by country.

Which permit a country recognises

Of the 154 countries above, 66 are party to both the 1949 Geneva and the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, so a permit issued under either treaty is recognised there. 35 are party to the 1949 Geneva Convention only and 31 to the 1968 Vienna Convention only; there, a permit issued under the other treaty may not be accepted. 22 have signed neither, so an IDP carries no treaty status there, although rental agencies still commonly ask for one as a translation of your license.

Treaty status per the United Nations treaty depositary: 1949 Geneva Convention · 1968 Vienna Convention