If you or your family are planning on moving abroad, working away or simply going for a holiday, you may have been considering the viability of taking your vehicle with you. It can be frustrating having to go back to relying on public transport after years of having on your own car, but even if you know of a car shipping company to get your vehicle there, but how do you overcome the obstacle of not having the proper licensing when visiting countries outside of the EU? Well help is at hand in the form of the International Driving Permit (IDP)
The IDP is a document that is recognised by many countries all over the world, and allows the holder of that permit to drive a vehicle in one of those nations. However, please note that the IDP is not a license to drive in a foreign country on its own, and it must be accompanied by a full driving license from your home nation.How to Apply
When applying for an International Driving Permit in the UK it will be issued by either the AA or the RAC, however you can also apply for your IDP via the Post Office.
Your permit will be valid for a full year from the date of its issue and costs just £5.50, which represents fantastic value for money, however there are various criteria you must fulfil to be eligible:
• You must be a GB resident;
• You must hold a full UK driving license;
• You must be OVER 18 years of age.
If you’ve moving abroad permanently you can still use the IDP for the first year, however you will need to check with the driving license authorities in that country for information on how to secure a permanent license if you want to continue driving.
Visiting EU Member States
If you are visiting a member of the European Community/European Economic Area then you can use your GB license to drive, without the need for an IDP. However, bear in mind that although the driving age is 17 in the UK it may differ in the country you’re visiting, so make sure you swot up on all of the local driving rules and regulations before you go to avoid any nasty surprises.
If you’d like to find out more about international driving regulations and how you can transport your car abroad, get in touch with the vehicle shipping experts we have here at Auto Shippers UK for a quote.
This guest blog was written by John Rooney on behalf
of Autoshippers,
providers of professional and reliable car shipping worldwide.