Are you dreaming of a road trip in Australia, the United States or elsewhere in the world? To be able to drive abroad, an international license is often required. What is it for? How to obtain the international license? How much does it cost? We take stock for you of the procedures and everything you need to know about the international license.
What is the international license?
As its name suggests, the international license is a specific driving title which allows you to validate your French license abroad. So he gives you the right to drive outside France. By translating the French information in your document, it makes it accessible not only to foreign authorities likely to stop you for a roadside inspection but also to car rental agencies.
So how to obtain the international license? Simply make a request to a prefecture or sub-prefecture. The procedures are completely free. To make things easier for you, you can download the form online and fill it out at home before going there.
In terms of documents to provide, you will need:
- a photocopy of your French driving license,
- an identity photograph in two copies,
- a copy of an identity document (passport or identity card),
- proof of address.
If you cannot travel to the prefecture, please note that it is sometimes possible to send your international permit application by post with acknowledgment of receipt.
Concerning deadlines, obtaining an international license is often faster than a traditional license. Depending on the prefectures, it is not uncommon toobtain your international license directly on site. In other cases, obtaining it may require two to three weeks of delay. Find out beforehand about the time required and plan the procedures well before your departure for Bali or any other exotic destinationin order to leave in complete peace of mind.
In France, the international driving license can also be issued to foreigners holding a European driving license and residing in the country for at least six months. However, holders of a driving license obtained in Cyprus, Spain, Ireland, Iceland, Malta, Liechtenstein and the United Kingdom are excluded from this agreement.
Let us also point out that obtaining an international license logically requires first obtaining a French driving license, under the conditions provided for by the exam. If your French license has been suspended, validated or withdrawn, you will need to recover it first before being able to claim its international version. In other words, the right to drive abroad cannot replace the right to drive in France.
What are the validity conditions of the international driving license?
The international license is valid for three years. Only extending the validity of your French license geographically, it therefore only gives you the right to drive the same categories of vehicles provided for by your document in France. After the three-year validity period, you can renew your international driving license process, by attaching the same documents as during your first application as well as your expired international driving license. In the specific case of loss or theft, you will need to add a sworn declaration of loss or theft to your file.
Which countries require an international driving license?
Driving abroad does not always require obtaining an international license. The payment of the document is based on reciprocal agreements between France and the foreign country. Thus, the French license is valid and recognized in the twenty-seven countries of the European Union but also in Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein which constitute the European Economic Area. No need to apply for an international license to drive in these countriesregardless of the length of your stay.
In other countries, an international driving license is not required only for extended stays of more than three months. This is particularly the case for Canada and the United States. If you are planning to rent a car to visit California or the east coast for a few weeks, you can take off with just your passport and French driving license for documents. Provided, however, that you have held the permit for at least one year. In Canada, Quebec is an exception, due to cultural ties with France, and you can therefore drive for up to six months with your French license. As the United States does not recognize the international license, for any stay of three months or more, you must exchange your precious national license for a local license or submit to the country's tests. Still other countries give you access to their road infrastructure as a driver upon presentation of your certified French driving license and accompanied by an English translation produced by the consulate. This is the option favored by New Zealand for a maximum duration of one year on site and for South Africa, with no planned time limit.
So you will have understood, international driving license rules vary from country to country. From Eastern Europe to Thailand via North America, to know the formalities of the country to which you intend to go, we recommend that you either obtain information from the consular services of the country in question or to consult the information provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in their country files.
You are now knowledgeable about the terms and subtleties of the international driving license. Simple transcription of your French driving license for abroadthe international license offers you the gateway to mobility in complete independence in many regions of the world. In any case, always have your French license with you: you will need to present it alongside its international version in case of verification. Conversely, the international license has no validity in France: in the event of an inspection, it is therefore the French license and only this one that prevails!
