If you’ve moved out of your country but still have your driver’s licence, you have three months to apply for a licence in your new state or territory.
If you are a resident of foreign country and will be visiting another territory or state for less than three months, you may drive there with your valid driver’s licence.
The Perils of Driving Abroad
An international driving permit (IDP) or a record of your licence may be required if you want to apply for a licence to operate a motor vehicle in a country other than your own.
Those who hold an International Driving Permit do not need to take any further driving exams or submit any other documents. They are typically required in many nations if you plan to rent a vehicle and serve as proof that you have a valid driver’s licence from your home country.
Valid in more than one country driving licences:
- Only valid for a year from the date of issue.
- To drive legally in any state, you must have a valid driver’s licence at all times.
- A completed application must be submitted prior to departure from your country.
- A request for a licence that can be used in more than one country
Permission applications must include the following information:
Bring a copy of your current driver’s licence and a passport-sized photo of yourself to any RAA office, and they will process your application.
Please submit your application and payment.
- It is important to note that if you already have a licence from another nation, the RAA will not be able to issue you an IDP. Prior to visiting other country, licence holders are advised to apply for an IDP in their home country.
- If you are a foreign national planning to enter the United States, when do you need to apply for an IDP, and what does it entail?
- Identity documents known as Individual Documents of Presence (IDPs) are accepted in many different nations. It translates your identification into ten other languages and allows you to lawfully drive in a foreign nation.
- In order to obtain an IDP, you must submit an application well in advance of your intended travel date. Foreign nationals entering the United States are not issued IDPs.
- In order to get an IDP, you’ll need to get in touch with the DMV of the country that originally issued your international drivers license.
It is possible that you will need both your driver’s licence and your IDP in order to rent a car in the United States. Before committing to a rental, it’s crucial that you learn as much as possible about the organization’s guidelines and other requirements.
Keep an eye out for fake international driver’s licences being offered for sale. A con artist can try to provide you a fake ID (IDP). You can get into some serious trouble with the law and waste time and money by using a fake IDP in the United States. Reports of fraud using international driver’s licences can be made to the Federal Trade Commission by members of the public (FTC).
Noncitizen inhabitants of the United States must provide one of the following types of identification in order to operate a motor vehicle within the country’s borders.
A valid driver’s licence issued by the state in which you now reside is required before you may submit an application for a licence in that state.
In the United States, getting a driver’s licence is governed by a different set of rules in each individual state.
You can learn more about the requirements and the application procedure by contacting your state’s department of motor vehicles.