how to get international driving license in usa

The permit also certifies that you have a valid driver’s license in your country of residence ( i.e., you can legally drive). This makes it easier for law enforcement to read your license in the country you are visiting. What is an International Driving License/Permit?Īn international driving permit is a document that translates your current driver’s license into 12 different languages. The rental car agency in the United States that we were using told us that we could only use our Costa Rica license if we also had an international driving permit to go along with it. We needed to use our Costa Rica license, until we could get the US one renewed. Our driver’s licenses in the United States had expired, so we needed a way to rent a car in the States (to visit family). Though originally from the United States, we have permanent residency in Costa Rica and hold Costa Rica driver’s licenses. We recently had to apply for an international driving permit in Costa Rica. In this post, we’ll let you know what an international driving permit is and give details about how to apply for this special document. Likewise, people who normally use a Costa Rica driver’s license may find one necessary when traveling to other countries.

But visitors from some countries will need an international driving permit. Even if your domestic license is already in English, there might be slight discrepancies in the forms or driver subcategories which are resolved neatly by an IDP.įinally, if your domestic license has some text in a non-Latin script, as is the case with a Russian driving license, for example, you’ll definitely need an International Driving Permit.Most tourists traveling to Costa Rica can use their license from their home country to drive. If you’re not a European national, you’ll be on the safer side if you get yourself an IDP.

Whilst this currently applies to British nationals, the situation changes rapidly. Let’s narrow it down: do you need one if you want to use car-sharing in the Netherlands? If you’re from another EU/EEA country, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom, your domestic driver’s license conforms to a European standard, and no extras are required. Getting yourself an IDP is generally a very good idea if you plan to drive in another country.

How to get international driving license in usa