Where is a Russian driver's license valid?

Anyone who decides to get the right to drive a vehicle just needs to get a driver's license. He can travel with it in his own country as long as the VU is valid. But can you use your national driver's license abroad? Are they valid there? You can understand these issues and find out in which countries Russian driver’s licenses are valid by reading this article.

Vienna and Geneva conventions

In 1968, the Convention on Road Traffic was signed in Vienna. It replaced the Geneva Convention of 1949, the main drawback of which was that, in addition to the national ID, an international certificate was also required for unhindered movement abroad.

The Vienna Convention was created to make traffic rules common to different countries around the world. Therefore, the result should have been road safety, since drivers took the driving test using the same rules. When moving from one country to another, they would not adapt to the new rules. General traffic signs were also developed around the same time.

The Convention was supported and signed by a large number of states, including the Russian Federation. Now, to travel abroad - to one of the countries that have signed and ratified the Vienna Convention - you do not need to change your national license or obtain an additional international driver's license (IDP). In 1971 and 2006, the agreement was finalized.

Which countries recognize Russian VU?

Many drivers are interested in the question of whether a Russian driving license is valid in Europe. The answer may surprise you, but Russian VU is valid not only in many European countries, but also in some countries in South America, Asia and even Africa.

On the map, countries that have signed the Vienna Convention are highlighted in dark color. But currently, not all of them accept Russian IDs. The fact is that the leadership of countries can change their decision and sign new agreements, canceling old ones.

You can see the list of countries where a Russian driver's license is valid in 2019 below:

Austria,
Albania,
Azerbaijan,
Armenia,
Bahrain,
Bahamas,
Belgium,
Belarus,
Bulgaria,
Brazil,
Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Ghana,
Greece,
Germany,
Georgia,
Democratic Republic of Congo,
Zimbabwe,
Denmark,
Romania,
Slovakia,

In accordance with the requirements of the convention, information on a driver's license must be duplicated in English, and the lines must be numbered. According to these requirements, new plastic Russian licenses have been issued.

But if you have a laminated ID issued before March 23, 2011, it must also be recognized until its expiration date.

For which countries do you also need an international VU?

In addition to the Vienna Convention, many countries have also signed the Geneva Convention, according to which you can also move freely on the territory of the signatory states. Moreover, in addition to the Russian license, you need to have an annex to it - an international driver's license (IDP).

There are slightly fewer of these countries, since many of them reconsidered the decision and signed the Vienna Convention.

To find out how many countries are parties to the Geneva Convention as of 2019, read the list below:

Australia,
Algeria,
New Guinea,
Andorra,
Nigeria,
Papua,
Argentina,
Paraguay,
The Republic of Korea,
Ghana,
Venezuela,
Haiti,
Dominican Republic,
Mali,
New Zealand,
Namibia,
Ireland,
Malaysia,
Malta,
Benin,
Iceland,
Singapore,
Bangladesh,
Syria,
USA,
Rwanda,
Sierra Leone,
Egypt,
India,
Botswana,
Burkina Faso,
Guatemala,
Vatican,
Jordan,
Barbados,
Great Britain,
Spain,
Cambodia,
Canada,
Cyprus,
Laos,
Ecuador,
Lebanon,
Madagascar,
Malawi,
Thailand,
Togo,
Trinidad and Tobago,
Uganda,
Fiji,
Chile,
Lesotho,
Sri Lanka,
Congo,
Jamaica,
Japan.

All of these states are supporters of the Geneva Convention and require drivers to have an international driving license.

What rights are needed in other countries?

Undoubtedly, there are many states that have given their preference to one or another agreement on road traffic, but there are also those that have decided to stay on the sidelines. In order to legally drive your own car in such countries, you will need to obtain a local driver's license.

There are many problems associated with the execution of the document, and they may refuse to replace the national license with a local one due to the discrepancy between the rights and accepted standards. Therefore, you need to find out what rights are needed for Russians abroad in specific countries in advance.

What do we end up with?

For motorists, the countries of the world are conventionally divided into three types: members of the Geneva Convention, the Vienna Convention, and those that have not signed either one. Before traveling abroad, it is worth knowing this information in advance. This way you will protect yourself from troubles and unnecessary problems.

Also, do not forget that the old-style Russian driver’s license is not recognized even in countries that have signed the Vienna Convention.

Practicing lawyer with 10 years of experience. Specializations: criminal law, insurance law, administrative offenses.

Which countries recognize Russian driver's licenses?

Cars, planes and trains are among the three most popular modes of transport for traveling abroad among Russians. But if a foreign passport and a visa are enough for air and rail transport, then traveling by car creates additional difficulties. Since not all countries in the world recognize Russian driver's licenses, we will find out in which countries Russian driver's licenses are valid and what can replace them.

Are Russian rights recognized abroad?

Whether Russian rights are recognized abroad depends on the country. There are two conventions on road traffic: Vienna (1968) and Geneva (1949). Signatory countries to the Vienna Convention, including Russia, mutually recognize national driving licenses issued in member countries, provided that these licenses comply with the requirements of the convention.

Countries that have signed the Geneva Convention require foreigners to have an international driver's license.

The traffic police in Russia issues both types of these rights. National rights of the new type, issued in Russia since 2011, are recognized by all members of the Vienna Convention, and therefore do not require the execution of other documents. To visit the territory of countries signatory to the Geneva Convention by car, you will need an international driver's license (IDP). The procedure for its issuance is described in Section III of the Rules approved by Government Decree No. 1097 of October 24, 2014.

Countries where national Russian laws apply

Russian drivers should be glad that most countries in the world are members of the Vienna Convention. In Europe, for example, only a few countries have not signed or ratified this document, so traveling within the EU with a Russian license is not a problem. The list of countries that recognize Russian driving licenses is much wider – below are all the states where Russians with a national driver’s license can drive a car.

It is worth noting that only those Russians who have received a new type of certificate issued after March 1, 2011 have the opportunity to use Russian national rights. The old-style rights, although valid, are not recognized in foreign countries due to the lack of transliteration in Latin.

National licenses allow you to drive a car only for short-term visits - within a period of 3 to 12 months from the date of entry into a particular country.

Local requirements then require obtaining a local license, since such drivers are considered by the state to be local temporary or permanent residents.

In addition, even in a country party to the Vienna Convention, an IDP may be required, for example, when renting a car. Let's take a closer look at what an international driver's license is.

IDP: what is it and where is it required?

An international driver's license is a document issued by the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate as an addition to your national license. Therefore, in the countries of the Geneva Convention, an IDP will be invalid without national rights - they are presented together. There are no problems with obtaining an international license: they are issued to the driver on the day of application without an additional exam. You only need to pay a state fee of 1.6 thousand rubles, provide the employee with your national license, application, photo and passport. The form of the certificate is approved by Appendix No. 1 to Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 206 of 04/18/2011. A sample IDP can be found below.

Front page of the second sheet

Front page of the third sheet

Inner page of the first sheet

Inner page of the second sheet

Inner page of the third sheet

The need for an IDP arises when moving across the territory of the countries of the Geneva Convention. An International Driver's Permit is not required to travel abroad, but you will need one when traveling in Australia, Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Mali, Malta and many other countries that have not signed or ratified the Vienna Convention.

As practice shows, IDPs will not always be mandatory. According to tourists and according to information from the Consular Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, many countries of the Geneva Convention are very loyal to national rights. The main condition is the presence of Latin transliteration. However, it is not recommended to take risks and travel to these countries without an international license - this can lead to fines and other troubles being imposed on the driver.

IDP for car rental

International rights may be required not only in the countries of the Geneva Convention, but also in the Vienna Convention. In particular, when renting vehicles. Thus, many vehicle rental companies put forward conditions such as mandatory length of service, the age of the driver, payment of a deposit, and the presence of an IDP. This is not a violation of the law: the landlord makes such demands on tenants as he considers necessary. But as a rule, such an order is established only by large rental networks. Small firms, although they have a smaller fleet of vehicles, do not require an international driver's license.

For example, in Switzerland, Norway and Belgium, it is extremely difficult to find rental services without IDP requirements.

Moreover, some countries where national rights are recognized oblige car renters to have an IDP even at the legislative level. A striking example is Greece, where the new transport law 4530/2018, which came into force in March 2019, allows drivers without an IDP to be fined 200 euros if they rented a car. In practice, local police interpret the rule in such a way that the fine increases to 1 thousand euros and doubles for a repeated violation. And although tourists from the Russian Federation claim that the conditions for renting a car in Greece have not changed in 2019, the local police may have a different opinion.

Recommendations and reviews from experienced travelers

Even if you plan to visit a Vienna Convention country, it is advisable to obtain an IDP. And it’s not just about the rental: in the event of an accident, in which the police will be involved, you shouldn’t count on insurance compensation without an international certificate. These are, as a rule, the conditions of the insurance company itself, specified in the insurance contract, according to which, without an IDP, insurance is considered invalid, regardless of the country and its affiliation with any of the conventions.

If you plan to rent a car, make sure to obtain an IDP long before your trip. Especially if you travel abroad often. The fact is that recently an incident occurred to me at the GoldCar rental company in Italy: an employee refused to give me a car due to the fact that IDPs were issued immediately before departure. The rental conditions included the following clause: “The client is required to have a valid driver’s license, issued at least one year before concluding the rental agreement.” I had to look for another rental company.

Do not forget that international licenses are valid for only three years from the date of issue. One day, having forgotten about this and gone on a long business trip to India for eight months, I suddenly discovered that the IDP was expiring in just 30 days. No matter how inconvenient it may be, throughout the entire business trip I had to forget about renting a car and use the “excellent” Indian public transport. Don't repeat my mistakes!

Conclusion

A few key takeaways that readers should always keep in mind:

most countries in Europe and neighboring countries are members of the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, therefore they recognize national driving licenses, including those issued in Russia;
International driving license may still be required - to rent a car or in case of an accident to receive insurance payments;
countries that are not members of the Vienna Convention require an IDP even when driving your own car;
In any case, no matter what country you go to by car, we recommend that you obtain an international driving license and always carry it with you.

Which driver's license is valid abroad: Russian or international?

Today it has become popular to travel abroad by car. But what kind of driver’s license is valid abroad needs to be clarified. After all, there are a number of countries where you can drive with a national license, but there are also those where only foreign licenses are valid.

There are three types of countries on the planet:

those who signed the Vienna Convention;

those who signed the Geneva Convention;

those who have not signed any of them.

Those states that signed the Geneva Convention in 1949 agreed that on their territory they would only recognize foreign driving licenses. Countries that have signed the Vienna Convention recognize national rights. The rest of the states recognize on their territory the license for driving a car abroad only of their national type.

In which countries are Russian driving licenses valid?

Article 41(1) of the 1968 Vienna Convention states that all parties who have signed the agreement may freely accept foreign driving licenses as a legally binding document. Thus, the national rights of the Russian Federation abroad are valid in those countries that have acceded to this convention.

From Article 41 “Driving licenses” of the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic 1968:

2. a) The Contracting Parties will recognize:

i) any national driving license complying with the requirements of Annex 6 to this Convention;
(ii) any international driving license complying with the requirements of Annex 7 to this Convention, provided that it is presented together with a corresponding national driving license valid in its territory to drive a vehicle corresponding to the category or categories of vehicles for which the license is issued, provided that the said certificates are valid and that they were issued by the other Contracting Party or one of its territorial subdivisions or an association authorized to do so by that Contracting Party.

Vienna Convention on Road Traffic 1968

International driver's license: what is it for and where is it valid?

This time we’ll talk about international driver’s licenses: what they are, what they are needed for, and in which countries they are valid. There are many nuances, as well as discrepancies between theory and practice, so be careful and arm yourself with a pen and notepad.

Content

What is an international driving license

You have already received a Russian driver's license, purchased a car after checking its history in advance, and now you want to acquire an international license. What is the document? This is an A6 booklet approved by international law in Russian and English with a photograph, indicating the driver’s data, as well as the categories of vehicles that he can drive.

Why do you need an international driving license?

An international license will come in handy if you are going to drive a car abroad or rent it there. In addition, with an international ID it is easy to book a hotel room and buy air tickets. This is the same document as a passport.

Also, you won’t have to argue with the foreign police once again about who is right and who is wrong. Since national rights do not apply everywhere in practice, it is easier to have international ones.

Which countries require international law?

First, let’s figure out what document and when the sample of international rights was approved.

Back in 1949, 96 countries signed the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic. The paper was created for the purpose of ease of movement within the territories of countries that signed the convention. The document approved a unified form of the card, the minimum age of the driver - 18 years, categories of vehicles, as well as the validity period of the international license.

Today international law is recognized in:

A complete list of countries can be found on the United Nations website.

At the same time, if you decide to drive with an international license, take Russian ones as well. Without them, an international certificate is considered invalid.

19 years after the signing of the convention in Geneva, 75 states have signed the new Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. This document was intended to make life even easier for motorists, as it allowed the use of national rights in the territory of the countries that signed the document.

For example, the Convention allowed Russians to drive a car in a number of countries with a Russian license. The list of those who signed includes countries of the former Soviet Union, for example: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, as well as countries of the Arabian Peninsula, Latin America, Africa and Western Europe. For a complete list of states, also see the UN website.

IMPORTANT! Countries that have not signed any conventions, by default, accept only documents approved by their own laws and regulations. But, fortunately, there are few such states.

International laws and popular holiday destinations

International laws apply in Thailand. Popular transport there is scooters or scooters. Many tourists say that it is easier to get a Thai license by spending a couple of days and 555 baht (including state duty, medical certificate and resident certificate) for category A/A1 - a little more than a thousand rubles. Although even at such prices, some people drive without a license at all...

You can drive on Turkish roads for six months with a national license, although the traffic police will ask for an international or local license. Moreover, rental offices may not ask for identification at all, considering all possible outcomes to be problems of the insurance company. Please note that after 6 months without the necessary rights, you will not receive an insurance payment.

International laws do not apply in China. But you can travel with Russians for 1-2 months. If you stay there longer, you will have to get a local driver's license.

On Indian soil, on the contrary, only international and local rights are recognized. You can't travel with Russians at all. Some manage to negotiate with traffic police for a few hundred rupees or even make their licenses in Photoshop... But we do not recommend going this route. This is illegal and unsafe.

On the roads of Eastern European countries, you will also be asked for international licenses. Moreover, in Belarus, for example, you can travel with a Russian ID for 3 months after receiving a Belarusian passport or residence permit. In Poland - six months. And in Bulgaria, national rights are valid for a year from the moment of entry into the country. After these deadlines, you need to take exams and obtain a local license.

What you might encounter in practice

If you have an old Russian license issued before 2011, foreign inspectors will not accept it. In 2006, an addition to the Vienna Convention was issued, according to which rights must be indicated in numbers, and there must be a barcode on the card itself. The old ID does not have this. It can, of course, “take a ride,” but it’s better not to risk it.

Even if you have a new Russian driver's license, they may require international licenses abroad. They are often asked when you need a rental car or when it comes to paying out insurance.

It often happens that in states where only international certificates must be accepted, they agree to check national ones and, vice versa. For example, a traffic policeman from the USA will ask for your Russian license, although the States have signed the Geneva Convention, which allows only international ones.

An interesting situation in Italy. The country has signed both conventions, which means any rights are accepted there. But rental shops ask for international ones. Therefore, you need to be ready to defend your case or simply have an international ID.

Experts and experienced drivers suggest doing 3 things before driving abroad:

Search the forums and find out where problems with rights arose and how the matter ended.
Apply for an international driver's card if your Russian license is an old model.
If the country you are visiting has not signed the Vienna Convention, this does not mean that it has signed the Geneva Convention. You need to check both lists of countries on the UN website.

The main thing is to try not to take risks. It’s easier to make the necessary document and not worry than to wait for it to work out.

How and where to apply for an international certificate

To register your rights, you need only five documents:

Russian passport;
international passport;
Russian driver's license;
receipt of payment of duty - 1600 rubles;
photo.

Take the papers to the central department of the road inspection or find out which departments can issue licenses, or contact the MFC. Another way to obtain a certificate is through the State Services portal.

It is important to remember that international rights, according to the terms of the Convention, are valid only for 3 years. If you drive a car abroad often, during the 10 years of validity of your Russian license, change your international license 3-4 times.

What happens if you don’t make international law?

When checking your documents, you risk being punished for driving without a license. This happens when foreign police officers, for example, do not accept their national rights.

One of the possible measures is an administrative fine. So, on Italian soil you will have to pay 300 euros if a policeman simply stops you and discovers that you do not have an international license. It will be worse if you get into an accident without a license. Then formally you do not have the right to drive a car at all, which means that after legal proceedings you risk going to jail.

So it’s still worth getting an international license. It is easy and will take from 20 to 40 minutes.

Where, besides Russia, can you drive with a Russian driver's license?

When planning a trip abroad, it is important not only to take a responsible approach to packing your suitcase, but also to the execution and correctness of documents. Many drivers traveling to near or far abroad countries have a question about where, besides Russia, they can drive with a Russian driver’s license.

Do Russian rights apply abroad?

To travel abroad by personal transport or rent a car there, there is no need to obtain a new license. According to the Vienna and Geneva Conventions, countries that have signed these documents have a truly national VU.

To recognize the rights of the Russian Federation as valid, the state must not only sign the international provision, but ratify it!

If the main rule is followed, you can safely go on a trip with a Russian ID. In the Republics that have not acceded to the above conventions, a Russian Federation document confirming the legality of driving is invalid.

The terms of the Geneva and Vienna agreements do not apply to old-style driver's licenses issued before 03/01/2011!

Which countries will definitely accept a Russian university?

Before traveling abroad, you need to know which conventions have been signed and ratified, and whether they have been signed at all. So,

Since the Russian Federation has not ratified any of the conventions, and traffic rules in Russia comply with the Vienna Document, when traveling to a country that has signed the Geneva Resolution, you must obtain an international driver's license . So, a Russian holder of permission will be invalid in:

Why international law never hurts

An international driver's license is useful for:

Booking and renting a hotel room;
Registration of car rental;
Air ticket purchases;
Expedited resolution of issues with foreign police. So, in a country that accepts only an international driving license, they can check a national document confirming the legality of driving, and vice versa.

International licenses are only valid in conjunction with a national driving license!

In order not to spoil your trip with problems with documents and to avoid punishment for driving without a license, before departure you need to make sure that your documents are legal abroad.