Are Russian driving licenses valid in Italy?

Driving in Italy

When planning a trip to Italy, you need to decide how you will travel around the country: public transport or a rented car. In some cases, it will be cheaper to use a bus to travel between cities, but if you prefer not to depend on the schedule and want to explore as many regions as possible, then it makes sense to think about renting a car, especially since there are no problems with this in Italy.

Russian driving license in Italy

In Italy, according to the Vienna Convention, Russian driver's licenses are valid for those who came to the country for tourism purposes and do not permanently reside here. Various sources talk about pitfalls and possible difficulties if you are stopped by the police or get into an accident, but, according to the majority of eyewitnesses who regularly use car rental services in Italy, this does not cause any problems. Some people additionally apply for an IDP (international identity card), but this may not be enough - you will most likely be asked to present your regular Russian driving license.

But Italian rental cars have every right to make their own demands, so before renting a car, it’s worth checking on the company’s website whether this can be done with a domestic license - in most cases the answer will be positive.

Obtaining a driving license in Italy

For those planning a long stay in Italy, for the first six months (maximum one year) you can travel with a Russian license, then you will have to change them to Italian ones (but this can only be done by residents of those countries that have signed a special agreement with Italy - Russia is not one of them ), or get a new Italian license.

Thus, a maximum of one year after receiving an Italian residence permit, you need to exchange your license for local ones, otherwise they will be taken away and a fine of 150 euros will be issued. True, living in very small towns, far from the central regions, you can drive for many years on your old license: whether you need such adrenaline is up to you to decide.

So, you decided to enroll in a driving school and get a new license. What awaits you? Three months of training, then a theory test, then a month later, a practical driving test - and, if you successfully pass all tests, you receive a license. The cost of all the fun is about 500 euros.

1. Before starting training, you must collect a package of documents, including 3 photos, an identity card, a residence permit, a tax code, a medical certificate, not more than 3 months old, a certificate from an ophthalmologist (usually available at the school) and paid receipts totaling approx. 40 euros.
2. Then you pay an initial fee for the theoretical part and receive textbooks. The exam can be taken in Italian, German and French. Our compatriots who have successfully completed this procedure advise you to first thoroughly study, practically memorize, a book with rules and a book with tests, understand the terminology and improve your knowledge of Italian in this particular area - this way you will have a greater chance of success. Classes on the theoretical part are usually held in the form of “question-answer”, and without knowledge of the basic terms there is nothing to do there.
3. After successfully passing the first part of the exam, you receive a certificate of completion and go to the traffic police station to sign up for a practical test, before which you must take driving lessons - about 300 euros for 18 hours. Sometimes it is possible to agree with a driving school that you take the exam as an external student without preliminary exams, and accordingly, in this case you will pay less.
4. The exam must be taken in a car with duplicate pedals.

In Italy, they use a point system when using a driver's license: for each violation a certain number of points are deducted; if you lose a large number of points, you will have to take the exam again. If no violations have been noticed against you for two years, you receive 10 plus points.

Features of traffic in Italy

In general, Italian traffic rules are very similar to Russian ones, although there are some nuances:

• on a roundabout, vehicles moving in a circle have priority, except when signs indicate otherwise;
• overtaking is allowed only on the left - adhere to this rule very strictly;
• there can be no more than 0.5 ppm of alcohol in the blood, for violation - a fine of 260 euros;
• Autobahns in the country are paid, keep the payment receipt until the end of the trip - failure to do so during a police check may result in a fine of at least 300 euros;
• in populated areas it is allowed to drive at a speed of no more than 50 km/h, outside the city - 110 km/h on main roads and 90 on secondary roads, on highways it is allowed to move at a speed of 130 km/h;

Each parking space in Italy is designated by a certain color: free - white, paid - blue, for public transport - yellow; if you see a green parking lot, you can park your car here on weekdays from 4 pm to 9 am, and a black and yellow sign indicates that parking in this place is prohibited.

And under no circumstances, if you are stopped by the police, do not try to “resolve the issue on the spot” - bribery is strictly punishable by law in this country.

Vehicle rental

As you can see, there are no particular difficulties with driving a car in Italy - you just need to be careful on the roads and follow traffic rules. So, feel free to rent a car.

You can rent a car either directly or via the Internet. The average cost is from 50 euros per day. To rent, you need to provide a driver's license, a plastic card with the amount required for rent and a deposit in the account. The deposit is blocked on average in the amount of 500 to 800 euros, which, if the car is returned in its original condition, is returned to your card within 2-4 weeks. It is better to rent a car from large companies - this gives more guarantees that there will be no unforeseen problems with the transport along the way.

Diesel fuel is cheaper, but renting a diesel-powered vehicle is slightly more expensive, so in the end the costs will be about the same. The cost of gasoline is about 2 euros per liter. Gas stations located only on major highways are open 24 hours a day. In all other places, you will be faced with the fact that gas stations may be closed on weekends and at night, and those that are open mainly accept payments through machines and only with local cards. In this case, cash will come in handy.

Traveling around Italy by car is pleasant and convenient, follow the traffic rules, be polite on the roads and you are guaranteed a great experience.

Mutual conversion of driver's licenses in Russia and Italy

Mutual conversion of driver's licenses in Russia and Italy has been preliminarily approved

There has been a real prospect of signing a bilateral agreement on the mutual recognition of driver's licenses in Italy and Russia.

The resolution obliging the Italian government to begin work on preparing an agreement with Russia on the joint recognition of driver's licenses received unanimous approval by the International Affairs Commission of the lower house of the Italian Parliament. The goal of the initiative is to simplify the lives of Italians who live and work in Russia, as well as Russians in Italy.

Thus, there is every reason to believe that in the near future, the automatic conversion procedure based on the application principle, which is currently in effect in a number of countries, including Moldova and Ukraine, will be applied to holders of Russian driver’s licenses.

As a result, recognition of Russian driving licenses will be possible upon application without passing an exam in Italy.

Italian parliamentarians conducted a preliminary assessment of the traffic rules in force in Russia, as well as the mechanism for training drivers in compliance with Italian principles. The initiators of the resolution emphasize that theoretical and practical driving tests in the Russian Federation have unprincipled differences, and Russian road signs and markings are similar to Italian ones.

Thus, it turned out that there are no particular difficulties for the mutual recognition and conversion of Italian and Russian driving licenses.

If the Italian government quickly begins work on preparing an agreement, it will be great news for more than 2,000 Italians in Russia and for almost 40,000 Russians in Italy.

The unanimity in the adoption of the resolution by Italian parliamentarians emphasizes that the interests of society and individual citizens prevail over political misunderstandings.

How can a foreigner drive a car in Italy?

Let's find out whether Russian rights are valid in Italy at the moment. Immigrants from countries that are not members of the European Union can freely drive a car while in Italy for 1 year. A domestic license accompanied by a full official translation or an international driving license in Italy gives the right to drive the relevant vehicle.

No later than 1 year from the date of registration in Italy, a foreigner must take care of converting a driver’s license or obtaining a new one. Otherwise, significant fines are provided.

In addition to fines, when an insured event occurs, insurance companies have the right to refuse to pay compensation, since a resident driver with a foreign license is treated like a driver with an expired license.

Recognition of a driver's license in Italy occurs in two ways:

• automatic conversion of a driver's license issued by a state with which Italy has a bilateral agreement on mutual conversion.
• Conversion through passing a driving test applies to foreigners with non-convertible licenses.

Driving licenses of foreigners who have legally lived in Italy for more than 4 years, as well as driving licenses obtained in the country of origin after acquiring a residence permit in Italy, are not subject to automatic conversion.

Important! When automatically converting a license upon application without passing an exam, a foreign driver's license is exchanged for a similar Italian license. In this case, the foreigner parts with the driver’s license obtained in his home country. Whereas confirmation of rights by passing an exam implies maintaining the original driver's license. Only successfully passing the exam gives the right to legally exercise your rights in Italy.

We help our clients undergo driver's license conversion

Note! To register a vehicle in Italy, a foreigner must have a residence permit or documentary evidence (Ricevuta) of sending a request for the provision/extension of a residence permit, as well as Italian registration.

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Are Russian driving licenses valid in Italy?

Italy-Russia, resolution approved for mutual recognition of driving licenses.

Deputies Simone Billi and Vito Comencini (League): “The unanimous approval of this resolution shows that valid proposals can always find more common ground among our institutions”

On March 26, 2019, the resolution was unanimously approved in the Foreign Affairs Committee, which was presented by the deputy Vito Comencini (Premier League Salvini) and the secretary of the Foreign Affairs Committee, for the mutual recognition of Russian and Italian driving licenses, in order to make life easier for Italians living in Russia. also Russians in Italy. The Italian government has in fact already concluded similar agreements with some countries of the former Soviet Union, for example with Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia.

The theory and driving tests in the Russian Federation are very similar to those held in Italy, the vertical and horizontal road signs of the Russian Federation are almost identical to the Italian road code exams. Comencini - therefore, there are no particular difficulties in implementing the mutual recognition of Italian and Russian rights.

This agreement will also benefit the approximately 2,500 Italians registered with AIRE in the Russian Federation, says MP Simone Billy, elected to Salvini's Premier League in the Circoscrizione Europa, which includes Russia, and a member of the same commission, “so I strongly supported my colleague Comencini.”

“The unanimous approval of this resolution shows that good policies and valid proposals can always find much in common among the institutions and structures of our countries, despite differences of a political nature,” conclude two League deputies.

To date, there is no information yet on how to convert Russian rights into Italian ones; following the example with Ukrainian ones, it will probably take at least half a year before the amendments come into force. For Russian tourists there should now be fewer problems when renting a car in Italy and for those who travel in their own cars, because asked to show international driving license. Regarding the exchange of rights, everything remains according to the old scheme.

Foreign rights in Italy

EU driving licenses

If you have a driving license issued by an EU member state, there is no problem, your license is in order and you don't have to convect it, even if you live in Italy for more than a year. However, even for EU driving licenses, if you plan to reside permanently in Italy, it is advisable to convert to Italian ones in order to speed up procedures related to renewals or duplicates due to loss, theft, etc. In the conversion procedure, the license is changed to Italian, and the old one remains in the hands of the driver; a sticker is simply applied to them, allowing her to be identified in the national register of registered drivers.

Non-EU driving licenses

Foreigners with a non-EU driving license can drive in Italy for a maximum of 1 year, provided that they are international or have a full and official translation. For foreigners living in Italy for more than a year from the date of obtaining a residence permit (residenza e carta d'identità), you need to convert your license to Italian. Not all rights can be converted, much depends on the existence of mutual agreements between Italy and the country concerned.

Currently, conversion is allowed to citizens of the following countries:

• Albania (valid until December 25, 2019)
• Algeria
• Argentina
• Brazil (valid until January 13, 2023)
• El Salvador (valid until August 4, 2021)
• Philippines
• Japan
• Israel (valid until November 10, 2018)
• Lebanon
• Macedonia
• Morocco
• Moldova
• Principality of Monaco
• Korea
• Republic of San Marino
• Sri Lanka (valid until 4 March 2022)
• Switzerland (valid until 11 June 2021)
• Taiwan
• Tunisia
• Türkiye
• Ukraine (valid until May 29, 2021)
• Uruguay (valid until May 17, 2020)

Holders of a non-convertible driving license, if they wish to reside in Italy for more than a year, have no alternative: they must pass theory and driving tests to obtain an Italian driving license. Non-EU citizens who wish to register a vehicle in Italy must have an Italian residence permit or a letter from the post office to request or renew a residence permit, as well as a residence permit in Italy.

Do you need an international driver's license in Italy?

The question of whether an international driver's license is needed in Italy in 2019 is asked by Russian lovers of independent travel in Europe. Accustomed to driving through the vast expanses of Russia, they are happy to travel around Europe in their cars.

And when planning a trip, they should know what documents they should stock up on. Everything is clear with insurance: you need to purchase a green card policy, but what about your rights?

The Vienna Convention on Road Traffic will answer this question. Italy has joined it, but what does this mean?

The proposed article will tell.

Vienna Convention on Road Traffic in Italy

Most European countries, including Russia and Italy, have signed the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. It is this international act that regulates the possibility of moving foreign citizens by private vehicle between the countries participating in the agreement.

Attention! Since both Russia and Italy have ratified the Vienna Convention, Russians can travel around Italy with a national license.

In accordance with the convention, drivers can move freely and use national peahens on the territory of participating countries. At the same time, the format of the certificate is unified.

It must indicate:

1. surname, first name and patronymic of the driver,
2. date and place of birth of the motorist
3. name "driver's license" with or without translation,
4. period of validity of the document,
5. categories of vehicles that the driver can drive.

Russian national licenses issued in 2019 fully meet these requirements.

What licenses can you drive a car in Italy?

Since Italy has ratified the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, a Russian national driver's license is sufficient for traveling around the country in your own vehicle. The main thing is that it should be of a new type. Such documents began to be issued after March 2011. In 2014, their appearance changed somewhat. Now it is a one-time blue plastic card measuring 85.6 by 54 mm.

The card says "Driver's License" in Russian. And it is marked “rus”. It states:

• Last name, first name and patronymic of the owner,
• Date and place of birth of the owner,
• Day of issue
• Expiration date,
• Series and document number,
• Name of the issuing authority,
• List of categories of vehicles that the driver can drive.

Attention!" Paper IDs stopped being issued in Russia in 2014. They are not much different from current plastic cards and can be freely presented in Italy if issued between March 2011 and 2014.

The nuances of driving a car for foreigners in Italy

So, when traveling around Italy, from the point of view of the law, your national rights are enough. However, in practice everything is not so simple.

Everything is simple if the tourist enters with his own transport. No one will force him to obtain an IDP or prohibit him from driving a car. However, vigilant traffic police officers check all national driving licenses very carefully. But after a thorough check, all the potential problems of the car owner will end; the main thing is not to break the rules and have a green card policy.

The issue with rental transport is more complicated. A large number of companies actually refuse to conclude a contract for clients without an international ID. They often require a preliminary translation of Russian rights into Italian. This is not difficult to do; usually, the translator sits next to you, but you will have to pay for his services separately.

Often, insurance for a rental car with a national license will cost more.

Therefore, if you are going to Italy with plans for car sharing, it is still worth spending time on obtaining an international driver’s license.

So, Russians have the right to enter Italian territory with their national license and drive a car on their own. In practice, the situation is somewhat more complicated, and if you plan to rent a vehicle, you should still first visit the traffic police department and obtain an international driver’s license.

Road traffic in Italy

Everyone who comes to Italy knows that a car is really not a luxury here. Italy is known for its unique, small streets and alleys, where there is no place for public transport. Getting behind the wheel of a rented or own car, a person becomes free to move wherever and whenever he wants. Another argument in favor of this is the constant strikes of public transport drivers. This is especially noticeable in the provinces, where the narrow streets of the Middle Ages can only be driven by car.

Is a driver's license valid in Italy?

Russian rights are valid in Italy, but with some peculiarities. The driver must have a valid driver's license and insurance. In Italy, its absence may cause the car to be confiscated. Technical passport and international insurance policy. In Italy it is called the “green card”.

The concept of “power of attorney” for driving a car in Italy has been abolished. To borrow, for example, a car from a friend or relative, it is enough to have the above documents. This is actually very convenient, especially in emergencies.

A few words need to be said about the driver’s license itself. Is a driver's license issued in Russia international? The question is not idle because it lacks inscriptions in Latin, and at first glance this may cause mistrust.

Russia is on the list of countries that signed the 1968 Vienna Convention. about traffic. It assumes uniform international standards of traffic rules and road signs for all participants in this agreement. Since 2006, changes were introduced - each line in the license became numbered and drivers were given 5 years to change their documents. True, not all police officers in Italy are informed about the validity of Russian driver's licenses and therefore it is advisable to have the Vienna Convention with you, printed in Italian.

Russians can use a driver's license in Italy for up to one year after registering their place of residence. In this case, you need to notarize the translation of the certificate into Italian. Then obtain an international license from the State Road Safety Inspectorate. After one year, citizens of the Russian Federation need to pass exams in theory and practice of driving and receive an Italian driving license.

Features of traffic in Italy

In Italian cities the maximum speed limit is 50 kilometers per hour. Outside the city from 90 to 130 kilometers per hour. All passengers must wear seat belts. Children under twelve years of age are transported in a special child seat, which must be installed in the back seat of the car.

When driving on a multi-lane highway, you should stay in the right lane, even after overtaking. Drivers are allowed to stop only in special places. If an unforeseen situation or breakdown occurs, you need to wear a reflective vest while stopping.

If the traffic police detect a driver talking on a mobile phone, he faces a fine of 322 to 1,294 euros and confiscation of his driving license from one to three months.

At a road intersection where there is a roundabout, those drivers who are moving on the circle have priority.

Car parking

Finding a parking spot in Italy is not easy. Usually they are located near large shopping centers and places where people gather - stadiums, theaters, etc. There is a color difference between parking spaces. Paid parking lots will be marked in blue , and you will have to pay from one to three euros for parking.

Free parking spaces are marked in white . By the way, many shopping centers in Italy have their own free parking, where you just need to bring your car to the parking lot and take the elevator or escalator to the shopping area. Such, for example, is Auchan. The parking area is divided into sectors A, B, C, etc. The main thing then is not to forget where you parked your car, as when going out with shopping. You may find cars parked like Tetris and spend a long time searching for your car.

Prohibited parking areas are marked with black and yellow markings .

Traveling along the roads of Italy is interesting, but you need to be careful. Be prepared that there may be traffic jams, especially in large cities, including the capital Rome. You should be patient and look carefully in both directions, because drivers of all types of motorcycles, both light and heavy, overtake like ants and create emergency situations. In general, you can enjoy the trip, since Italy has very friendly people and loyal police officers.