Will you be travelling outside of Canada this year? From Italy to France, to Japan and beyond if you are doing some travelling and will be driving, it’s smart to get an International Drivers License. The International Drivers License, or IDP, is recommended for drivers in more than 150 countries.
Now this isn’t really a “license”. You already have one of those issued by your province or state – this is instead a permit, a small, passport-like booklet that is used in conjunction with your existing drivers license and offers you all kinds of peace of mind. Although not all countries outside of Canada require an International Drivers License – if you were to be pulled over by the police it my help you to have that little piece of paper as it is universally recognized. It may also make renting a car outside of the country easier.
Here’s everything you need to know.
How do you get an International Drivers License in Canada?
If you are 18 or older and already have a Canadian driver’s license it’s actually very straight forward.
- Print out the application and fill it out. in full.
- Take it into your local CAA office
- You will also need to take a photocopy of the front and back of your Canadian driver’s license and two (2) approved passport type photos. (Some CAA offices do these photos right on site, otherwise places like Costco do them quickly and efficently.)
- Pay the $25 fee.
- Your international drivers license should be ready in as little as 20 minutes.
Details:
The license is good from one year from the time it is printed.
The International Drivers Licence allows travellers to drive in over 150 different countries without further tests or applications. Be sure to brush up on the local laws before you drive!
The International Drivers Permit is only valid when used in conjunction with a valid Canadian provincial driver’s license.
An IDP also provides you with an extra piece of photo identification for international travel.
Plus, it’s kind of cool.
Could there be a better way to really feel like a local then hopping in your very own car and heading out on the road? Be safe, have fun and happy travels!
I never knew this!!!! Thank you for this! I’ve printed this to keep for reference in my travel folder
You’re welcome, every little bit of information helps
Thanks for the info. A friend recently received her license.
This is great!! Thanks!
Did not know about the International drivers license. Thanks
This is really great information and something I never thought about obtaining. It sounds very easy to do also and that a plus because I hate lots of paperwork and red tape. Thanks so much for sharing this and wishing you Happy Travels.
I didn’t know there was such a thing. Good to know though.
Nice that the process is easy & quick! I’ve never even thought about an International drivers licence before!
If heading to Europe I think the International license is a must even if the country you are visiting does not require it. When we visited we ended up traveling to some countries which were not planned and these did require it.
Did not know you needed an international drivers license. My daughter rented a car in France and Ireland on our vacation last year without one. Got a speeding ticket in the mail from France when she got home.
I did not know about the international drivers licence Thank you for the information
One should also remember the travel health insurance if travelling out of the province or abroad. I was lucky when I fell down a set of concrete stairs whilst in Australia and landed in hospital (since I did have insurance), my very first ambulance ride! That was expensive but not cripplingly so – I shudder to think of the cost had it been the States.
Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry to hear about your fall. Thank goodness you had travel insurance and completely agree – I won’t travel without it!
I thought I was being sensible when I got my international driver’s license since I was hiring cars in England and Germany. Not one firm wanted to see it, my Canadian license was all they wanted, strange eh?
That is strange! I’ve been told even the rental agency in Italy will want to see it. Oh well, better to be safe than sorry, right ?
Yes, better to be safe than sorry. I do wonder if my British accent had anything to do with it. It was expensive renting a car though as I had to have an automatic (couldn’t cope with being on the wrong side of the car and road any more!). In England and Germany automatics only came as huge SUVs, not good on the small country lanes (which are often only a single lane with passing zones) in the south of England that’s for sure.