IDP validity rules
How long an International Driving Permit is valid
An IDP does not expire when you cross a border or rent a car — it expires on the date stamped at issue. The 1949 Geneva Convention (Article 24) sets that date exactly one year out. The 1968 Vienna Convention (Article 41) sets it three years out. Which treaty applies depends on where the IDP was issued, not where you are driving — and the destination country's acceptance of your treaty version is the part most travellers only find out at the rental counter.
Quick answer — the three durations that actually exist
Three different documents use the words "International Driving Permit" or close variants. Each has a different validity cap. Pick yours by where the document was issued, not by the destination.
The 1949 Geneva Convention — 1-year cap
Annex 10 of the 1949 Convention on Road Traffic prescribes the IDP format, and Article 24 fixes its validity at one year from the date of issue (or until the underlying home driver licence expires, whichever happens first). The cap exists in the treaty text itself — no national issuer can change it.
- Issued in countries that signed the 1949 Convention (full list at the UN Treaty Collection — currently 102 contracting states including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Japan, and most Commonwealth nations).
- Validity: maximum one year from the issue date stamped on the permit booklet.
- Not valid in the country that issued it — IDPs are only for foreign use.
- Vehicle categories you may drive are limited to whatever your home licence already authorises. The IDP grants no new privileges.
- Several common destinations (notably Japan, China, Vietnam, India) only recognise the 1949 Geneva form and reject 1968 Vienna IDPs.
A renewed home licence does not extend an existing IDP — the 1-year cap is dated to the IDP issue, not to the underlying licence.
The 1968 Vienna Convention — 3-year cap
The 1968 Convention on Road Traffic modernised the IDP format and lengthened the validity cap. Article 41 and Annex 7 set the maximum at three years from issue, or until the home licence expires — whichever falls first.
- Issued in countries that signed the 1968 Convention (currently 88 contracting states including Russia, Germany, France, Brazil, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and most of the EU).
- Validity: maximum three years from issue. Still cannot exceed the home licence expiry.
- Recognised by most countries that ratified 1968 — and accepted in many that only signed 1949 as a courtesy, but not legally guaranteed there.
- A small number of destinations refuse 1968 Vienna IDPs even when their drivers come from 1968 signatory countries — Japan being the most prominent example.
- The booklet layout is different from the 1949 form and is not interchangeable — a destination that only accepts 1949 will reject 1968 outright.
The 3-year validity does not automatically apply just because you bought a "new" IDP from a 1968 country. A 1949-only destination will still reject it on the spot.
Which treaty version does the destination accept?
The most common surprise at rental counters is that "I have an IDP" is not a complete answer — the destination cares about which treaty form it follows.
1949 Geneva only
Japan, India, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong — countries that ratified the 1949 Convention but never acceded to the 1968 one.
Travellers carrying a 1968 Vienna IDP (issued in Russia, Germany, most of the EU) routinely have it rejected here because the destination only recognises the 1949 form.
1968 Vienna — recognised in some destinations as the only valid form
Vietnam (acceded to 1968 in 2014, never ratified 1949) is the cleanest example. Most other 1968 signatories also accept 1949 in practice.
A US- or UK-issued 1949 Geneva IDP is, strictly by treaty, not recognised in Vietnam — although in practice many rental chains accept it. Safer to carry an additional form of identification.
Both forms accepted — or neither (requires national-licence conversion)
Most of the EU, Russia, Switzerland, Norway, the UAE, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico accept either treaty form. Mainland China recognises neither and requires a temporary Chinese licence; the same applies to long-term residency in several US states and Gulf countries.
An IDP — under either treaty — is never a substitute for a local licence in any country. Long-term stays trigger national driving-licence rules everywhere.
What "validity" means for IDP Companion specifically
IDP Companion is a multilingual translation companion document — not a government IDP under either Convention. The validity model is therefore entirely different and the words "1-year" or "3-year" on the homepage refer to the plan duration you bought, not to a treaty cap.
Is
- A privately produced PDF that presents your home-country driver licence data alongside translations into eleven languages drawn from the Geneva 1949 standard set.
- Useful at rental desks, hotel front desks, and informal police verifications where staff want to read the licence in a familiar script — particularly the English block, which is universally readable.
- Re-downloadable any time during the plan period from the link in your original purchase confirmation email. If your home licence changes (renewal, name change, address update), email support from the address you used at checkout (that's how we locate your order) and attach the new licence photo — regeneration is free.
Is not
- Not an IDP issued under the 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna Convention. It carries no treaty privileges.
- Not a substitute for the physical home-country driver licence — IDP Companion must always be carried alongside the original.
- Not legally binding on any destination authority. Whether a foreign officer or rental agent accepts it depends on local practice, not treaty law.
IDP Companion plan durations
Pick the plan that matches how long you actually need the document. The PDF carries a 1-, 3-, or 5-year validity stamp dated from the purchase — when that period ends, a fresh purchase generates an updated PDF in the same two-minute flow.
What to do when your IDP expires (treaty IDP or IDP Companion)
The expiry handling is different for a treaty-form IDP and for IDP Companion. Knowing which document you carry decides which path to take.
- 01
If your government IDP (1949 or 1968) has expired
Apply for a fresh one through the same national issuer route used originally — the previous expiry date carries no extension rights, and the new permit starts a fresh 1- or 3-year clock from its own issue date. The old booklet can be discarded.
- 02
If your IDP Companion plan ends
The PDF file you previously downloaded stays technically readable, but the validity date stamped on it has passed — a rental agent or officer who checks the document will see an expired stamp. To get a freshly dated PDF, make a new IDP Companion purchase; the new plan generates the updated document in the same two minutes. We do not offer in-account renewal — each plan is a standalone one-off purchase.
- 03
If your home-country driver licence expired
Both treaty IDPs and IDP Companion are invalid the moment the underlying physical licence expires — the IDP is a translation overlay, not an independent permit. Renew the home licence first, then renew or reissue the IDP.
- 04
If you are not sure which document you have
A treaty IDP is a small grey or beige booklet with the words "International Driving Permit" and a treaty year (1949 or 1968) printed on the cover. IDP Companion is a multilingual PDF you downloaded — there is no booklet. The two are not interchangeable.
IDP validity — frequently asked questions
A 1949 Geneva Convention IDP is valid for one year from issue. A 1968 Vienna Convention IDP is valid for three years from issue. Either expires sooner if the home driver licence expires first. The validity cap is set by the treaty text and cannot be extended by the issuer.
No. An IDP cannot be extended or renewed in place. When it expires, the only path is to apply for a brand-new IDP from a national issuer — the new one starts a fresh 1- or 3-year clock from its own issue date.
No. The IDP's validity is dated to the IDP issue date, not to the underlying licence. Renewing the home licence has no effect on an existing IDP's expiry. You can, however, apply for a fresh IDP that will reflect the renewed home licence.
No. An IDP is a translation companion to your home-country driver licence and is not valid on its own. Police, rental agents, and border officers may ask for both — failing to present the physical home licence makes the IDP useless.
Generally no — most issuers will only produce the treaty form that matches your home country's convention membership. A few countries have signed both treaties and may offer both forms; check the local national issuer's rules directly.
IDP Companion is a privately produced multilingual PDF that helps foreign officers and rental staff read your licence — it is not issued under the 1949 or 1968 Conventions and carries no treaty privileges. The "plan duration" (1, 3, or 5 years) is the validity period stamped on the document itself — the date a rental agent or officer will read off the PDF — not a legal validity period under either Convention.
Acceptance depends on which treaty version the destination signed and how rental chains and police on the ground interpret the rules. Japan, China, India and Vietnam only accept the 1949 Geneva form. Most EU countries accept either. Some destinations require an IDP for foreign drivers; others do not require but rental agents demand one anyway.
Depending on the destination, an expired IDP can be treated as driving without a recognised licence — fines range from small infractions to vehicle impound, depending on the country and the officer. Insurance claims are typically void if the IDP was expired at the time of the incident.
Sources
- United Nations Treaty Collection — Convention on Road Traffic (1949) — full treaty text including Article 24
- United Nations Treaty Collection — Convention on Road Traffic (1968) — full treaty text including Article 41
- UNECE Sustainable Transport Division — Contracting States to the 1949 and 1968 Conventions — current ratification lists
- US Department of State, UK Government, foreign travel advisories — Driving abroad with an International Driving Permit — country-by-country acceptance notes
IDP Companion is a privately produced multilingual translation companion document and is not affiliated with any government authority. IDP Companion is not an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention or the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. Authorised issuers of US-origin Geneva 1949 IDPs are AAA and AATA; UK-origin AA and the Post Office (via PayPoint); Russia-origin РОСАВТОКЛУБ; Germany-origin ADAC; and the equivalent national motoring associations in other signatory countries. IDP Companion must be carried alongside an original valid home-country driver licence.