A genuine International Driving Permit (IDP) is a certified translation of your existing national driver’s license. It does not grant new driving rights and it does not replace your license — it simply restates your credentials in multiple languages so officials abroad can read them. An IDP is only legitimate when it is tied to a valid national license and presented together with it. Any product that claims to let you drive without a national license, or to be a standalone “license,” is not a real IDP.
Legitimate International Driving Permits are based on United Nations road-traffic treaties: the 1949 Geneva Convention and the 1968 Vienna Convention. These agreements define what the document looks like, the categories it covers, and the fact that it works alongside your national license. International DL issues permits aligned with these conventions, which is why they are recognized across 150+ countries by rental agencies and authorities.
Because demand is high, there are sites selling documents that are not what they claim. Watch for these warning signs:
A real IDP — including the one from International DL — is always described accurately as a certified translation that supplements your national license.
International DL has helped thousands of travelers since 2015. Your documents are handled over an encrypted, SSL-secured connection; your permit is stored privately in your account; and every order is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. We are transparent about what the document is and how it must be used — there are no inflated claims, just a recognized IDP issued correctly.
You receive a properly formatted International Driving Permit translating your license details and driving categories, available digitally the same day with an optional printed booklet. It is ready to present at checkpoints and rental counters in 150+ countries — always carried together with your valid national driver’s license.
This is the simplest test of legitimacy: a real IDP is used with your national license, never instead of it. Keep both on you whenever you drive abroad. If your national license expires, the IDP’s validity ends too, because the permit exists only to translate a license that is itself valid.
Yes. A legitimate IDP is a certified translation of your valid national license, recognized in 150+ countries under the 1949 and 1968 UN conventions. It is carried together with your national license.
No. It is a translation that accompanies your national driver’s license — you must carry both when driving abroad.
International DL issues certified IDP translations, handles documents securely with SSL, is trusted by thousands of drivers, and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
A real IDP never claims to replace your license or to let you drive without one. Be wary of any service that promises a standalone “license” or issues a permit without a valid national license behind it.
The IDP’s validity ends with it. An International Driving Permit only translates a license that is itself valid, so you must keep your national license current.
Recognized in 150+ countries. 30-day money-back guarantee.
Start My Application