Can you legally drive in a foreign country with just a passport and American driver license?
A large number of travelers believe that all they need to drive in a foreign country is a passport and their state issued drivers license. In some countries they would be right, this is all that’s required. There are some countries that have additional requirements. Today we are going to talk about what it takes to legally drive in Europe.
Most European countries only require a passport and state issued driver license for U.S. travelers to drive legally within their borders. However in Austria, Bosnia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Spain travelers will be required to have an International Driving Permit. Also, many Car Rental companies in Europe require the permit to rent a car. Fines for driving without the permit in a country that requires it can be costly, and lead to unwanted hassles and delays.
An International Driving Permit is a translated document that supplements your state issued drivers license. This document has the same information translated into 10 different languages including English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, German, Arabic, Italian, Swedish, and Portuguese. Having the permit in multiple languages helps if you have to interact with foreign law enforcement while driving. The permit also has the added benefit of being recognized as a proper form of identification in 175 countries as well as by most major Car Rental companies.
Even though the countries we listed requiring the International Driving Permit are few, we highly recommend obtaining the permit for any driving outside of the United States. Proper preparation is a must to traveling well. And of course you should always be aware of the requirements for any country you plan on visiting before you go.
An International Driving Permit can be obtained through AAA or from the American Automobile Touring Alliance. They cost around $20 and are good for between one and three years.
