TripBuddy Guide
You’re renting a car abroad. The rental site says nothing about extra documents, a friend says you need an “international license,” and a forum thread insists nobody ever checks. So which is it — essential paperwork or travel-forum folklore?
It’s essential paperwork, at least in enough places to matter. An International Driving Permit (IDP) is a small, cheap document that prevents an outsized set of problems: refused rentals, roadside fines, and insurance headaches. The catch is that nobody tells you about it at booking — you find out at the rental counter, which is exactly the wrong place to learn.
This guide covers what an IDP actually is, where it’s required versus merely recommended, and how to get one before you fly — because “before you fly” is the part most people get wrong.
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The short answer: driving in Europe, Japan, or anywhere non-English-speaking? Yes, get one
If your trip involves driving in continental Europe, Japan, or any country where your license isn’t in the local language, get an International Driving Permit before you leave. It’s inexpensive, quick to obtain, and the downside of skipping it — a refused rental car or a fine at a traffic stop — dwarfs the minor hassle of getting one. If you’re only driving in countries that share your license’s language and have no IDP requirement, you can skip it. When in doubt, get it: it’s the cheapest insurance on your itinerary.
What an IDP actually is (and isn’t)
An International Driving Permit is an official translation of your driver’s license into multiple languages, issued under United Nations road-traffic conventions. Police officers and rental agents abroad use it to read your credentials in a language they understand — that’s the entire job it does.
What it is not: a standalone license. An IDP means nothing on its own. It is only valid alongside your actual, valid driver’s license, and you should carry both together whenever you drive abroad. Think of it as the translation layer, not the credential itself.
It also doesn’t replace anything else the destination requires — it’s one document in the stack, not a magic pass. If a country requires additional paperwork for drivers, the IDP doesn’t cover for it.
Where it’s required vs. recommended
The honest answer to “which countries?” is that requirements shift, so treat any fixed list — including this article — as a starting point, not gospel. That said, the shape of the rules is stable: a meaningful share of European countries require an IDP for non-EU drivers (research puts it at 13 requiring, with 8 more recommending), Italy is the classic enforcement example where fines for driving without one are real, and rental counters in countries like Morocco have refused to hand over cars to drivers who showed up without one.
Two rules of thumb cover most itineraries:
Required or strongly expected: much of continental Europe for non-EU license holders, Japan, and many countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America where your license isn’t in the local language.
Recommended as a precaution: anywhere you’re unsure. An IDP has never made a rental counter interaction worse.
Because rules change, do two things before every driving trip abroad: check the destination’s official guidance (the embassy or consulate site for your nationality) and ask your rental company directly what documents they’ll want at pickup. The rental company’s answer is the one that determines whether you drive away with a car.
One nuance worth knowing: even when your license is in English and perfectly readable, some countries still require the permit on paper. “They can read my license” is not the same as “they accept my license” — the requirement is about the document, not about legibility. Don’t talk yourself out of the IDP on the theory that your license is self-explanatory.
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The surprise: it’s the rental counter, not the traffic stop
Here’s the part that catches people. Most travelers imagine the IDP scenario as a police officer at a roadside check — dramatic, rare, and easy to dismiss. The real scenario is far more mundane: the rental agent behind the counter asks for your IDP, you don’t have one, and they won’t release the car.
That’s the burn that ruins trips. Not a fine in a country you’ll never visit again — a refused rental at the start of a road trip you’ve been planning for months, with no way to fix it on the spot. The counter is where the requirement bites, which is why confirming the rental company’s document requirements when you book — not when you land — is the move.
This also matters for insurance. If you’re in an accident without a document the country required you to carry, you’re handing the rental company’s insurer a reason to argue about your coverage. The IDP costs little; the argument costs a lot.
How to get one (do it before you travel)
In the United States, IDPs are issued by AAA — apply at a local branch or by mail before your trip. The process is simple: a valid driver’s license, passport-style photos, and a short application. In-person applications are typically handled on the spot; mail takes longer, so don’t leave it to the last week.
The critical timing detail: an IDP cannot be issued after you’ve left the country. This is the mistake people make — they learn about the requirement at the airport or at the rental counter, when it’s already too late. If there’s any chance you’ll drive abroad in the next year, get the permit before you go.
Once you have it, carry it with your license as a pair — the permit on its own proves nothing — and keep a photo of both on your phone as backup. The phone copy won’t satisfy a rental agent, but it’s useful if a document goes missing mid-trip and you need to prove what you had.
The 1949 vs. 1968 convention note, kept simple
You’ll see references to two UN road-traffic conventions — 1949 and 1968 — and wonder which permit you need. The simple version: US drivers get their IDP through AAA under the 1949 convention, and that permit is what’s accepted for tourist driving essentially everywhere an IDP is recognized. You don’t need to study treaty law; you just need the AAA permit.
The permits are typically valid for about a year from issue, so time it sensibly: get it in the weeks before a big driving trip, not a year early, and check the expiry date if you’re planning back-to-back trips across calendar years.
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Driving abroad starts with the right car, so explore rental car options on TripBuddy once your dates are set — and confirm the rental company’s IDP requirements while you’re booking, not when you land. For the other common rental-car surprise, read our guide to rental car toll fees and transponders before you hit a toll road unprepared.
Get the permit, carry it with your license, and drive without the paperwork anxiety. For one practical, money-saving travel guide like this each month, get the TripBuddy newsletter.
Last reviewed: October 12, 2026