Not Sure How to do Your International Driver’s License Application? Now It’s Easier Than Ever
Are you about to go out of the country? If you plan on driving, you’ll need to get an international driver’s license first. Here’s how.
Planning your first overseas trip? You’re probably excited and rushing to get everything together in time for your trip. Going to another country can be quite the affair. You need to find a way to manage your belongings back home while you’re gone, apply for your Visa, update your passport, and more.
In all of this rush, it can be easy to forget one of the most important documents of all- your international driver’s license. This document will allow you to drive in a foreign country and will serve as a form of identification when you’re traveling.
What is an International Driver’s License?
Your international driver’s license is essentially your U.S. driver’s license translated into one of over 29 languages. Conversely, if you’re from another country, you can translate your language into English or one of the same 29 other languages. You will use it mostly for driving purposes, but it can also serve as a useful form of identification as well.
You have to remember that you current driver’s license, while legal, is printed in the language where it was first given to you. Most of the time, the officials who you’ll encounter in foreign countries will know little if any English, and reading fine print on a driver’s license is even harder.
If you have an international driver’s license, your time in a foreign country will be much smoother. You’ll be able to easily rent a vehicle, drive in peace, show your license to officials, and get into the nightclubs that you want to without having to carry around your passport around everywhere with you.
How to do Your International Driver’s License Application
Sounds pretty official doesn’t it? Thankfully, doing your international driver’s license application is easier than ever. You don’t have to meet with anybody or set up special appointments. All you need to do is have copies of your existing documents.
The first step, however, is to fill out the application form on the official International Driving Authority’s website. This shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes and just asks you to fill out some basic information about yourself and your living situation.
After you fill out the form, you’ll need to provide photocopies or scans of the following documents:
- Existing driver’s license
- A passport-sized photo
- Your passport
- Driver information
- A scanned copy of your signature
The final step is payment. The payment scale is pretty simple and goes as follows:
- 1 year: $39.99
- 2 years: $54.99
- 3 years: $69.99
Payments can be made through Visa, Mastercard, or Paypal.
After your application has been received, all that you need to do is choose your shipping options. If you opt for standard free shipping, then you can expect your international driver’s license application to be approved and mailed to your home between 5 and 15 business days. However, if you’re in a rush you can FedEx the shipment which will guarantee a 2 to 4 day approval.
Now You’re Certified and Ready to Drive!
Once you get your international driver’s license, you’re ready to drive in a foreign country! Don’t forget that you will still need to carry a copy of your national driver’s license, but having your international driver’s license will allow officials to easily read your credentials in their own language.