What Does It Take to Drive a Vehicle While Abroad?

The best way to visit a foreign country is to do it in your own car or to rent a vehicle you can use on your own schedule. It’s more comfortable that way and it allows you to make a stop whenever you need to, which is especially important if you’re driving for a long time.

There are a few things you’ll need to do before the trip, to prepare and to make sure all of your documents are in order so that you can travel without having to worry about local authorities.

An international Driving Permit

The most important document you’ll need in order to drive while abroad is an international driving license. It’s a document issued by the same authority that issues national driving licenses and it’s best on it.

The permit doesn’t require you to take any other tests or pass any medical exams. It’s valid for a year and you can only use it if you have a national driving permit with you as well, and if it’s valid too. There’s a small fee to cover for producing the permit.

Car Insurance

Car insurance isn’t covered by an international driving permit and you’ll need to have additional proof that you’ve got it. It’s important to choose a good insurance policy for your travel abroad in case something happens and you need to cover damages that come up if you crash.

If you’re getting car insurance from a rental car agency you may end up paying a bit more based on your age or based on how far you plan to drive the car. Most of these agencies charge more for long drives and young drivers.

ID documents

A driving permit isn’t a document you can use as proof of identification. If you’re stopped abroad and the only document you have with you is the driving permit, you’ll probably end up paying a fine. Foreigners are required to carry a passport or in some countries an ID from their country of origin.

Driving permits aren’t valid if you don’t have another document proving your identity and that goes for proof of insurance as well. So, make sure to have a valid ID with you at all times, and to check when your passport expires before taking a trip. A national driving license, for instance, can’t be renewed while abroad.

Local Traffic Rules

Local traffic regulations apply to foreign drivers even if they have an international permit. The best course of action is to familiarize yourself with those regulations and especially so as they are different from those that you’re used to. That’s something that you should do before the trip itself.

It’s also useful to observe and learn about the local traffic culture. Those aren’t rules per se, but they will help you understand other drivers and anticipate their behaviour to at least to some degree. Learning how to do so often takes more time than learning about actual traffic rules and regulations, but it’s equally useful.

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