International Driving Permit (IDP)

Use the table at the bottom of the page to check what kind of IDP your destination countries accept.

1. You will need:
   • a photo = passport photo: 1 pc, black and white or colour, up to 6 months old, maximum size 4 x 5 cm. We do not accept other images. No electronic images.
   • a photocopy of both sides of your valid driving licence
   • an application form (pdf)
2. Pay in AL-kauppa
3. Send the passport photo, the photocopies of the driving license and the completed application to Autoliitto:

Autoliitto
AUTOMATKAILU (CAR TRAVEL)
Hämeentie 105 A
00550 Helsinki

The IDP will be sent to the address you provided. If you want your IDP to be mailed to an address other than your regular street address, enter the delivery address in the ”Name and delivery address, if different from above” field of the application.

N.B. Letters posted as regular letters can take up to 1–2 weeks to arrive. We recommend that you send your application and attachments by express mail.

Neither Autoliitto nor Suomen Posti (Post of Finland) is responsible for the arrival of letters posted as ordinary letters.

You can handle the matter at the Autoliitto office in Helsinki (Hämeentie 105 A).
Another person can bring the application and pick up the completed IDP on your behalf without a power of attorney.

1. Use the table at the bottom of the page to check what kind of IDP your destination countries accept.
2. You will need:
   • a photo = passport photo: 1 pc, black and white or colour, up to 6 months old, maximum size 4 x 5 cm. We do not accept other images.
   • a photocopy of both sides of your valid driving licence (can be copied in the Autoliitto Hämeentie office if necessary)
   • an application form (pdf)
3. Pay: debit card, credit card and Mobile Pay are accepted at our office, you can also pay in advance in the AL-kauppa. We do not accept cash.
4. Pick up the completed IDP from the Autoliitto office during its opening hours. Please note that there will be no separate notification of completion. If necessary, we can also mail the completed IDP to the address you have provided.

Åland has its own driving licence register, from which the validity of Åland driving licenses is checked, and therefore IDPs can only be issued in Åland.

When applying for an international driving permit, you must bring with you:

• one passport photo
• a photocopy of both sides of a valid Åland driving licence, or an Åland driving licence
• an application to be filled in at the office: Axtours, Storagatan 14, Mariehamn

Delivery time

The processing time for an international driving permit is two weeks. The processing time starts when the application has been received at the office.

Price

The price of the 1949 model international driving permit is 56 € (includes the processing fee charged by the police 14 €, the Autoliitto contribution 17 € and the travel agency service fee 25 €).

The price of the 1968 model international driving permit is €66 (includes the processing fee charged by the police of 14 €, the Autoliitto contribution of 25.50 € and the travel agency’s service fee of 26.50 €).

Any postage costs are paid by the customer.

Fees are charged when submitting the application for an IDP.

Where to get an international driving permit in Åland?

Axtours.ax Ab
Storagatan 14
AX-22100 Mariehamn Åland

Phone: +358 18 51213
E-mail: info@axtours.ax

If you have any questions about the international driver’s license, please call:
09 7258 4400.

There are two models of international driving permits available in Finland. The models are defined in the international road traffic conventions: the Geneva 1949 and Vienna 1968 conventions.

1) The legislation of the destination determines which IDP is needed

Each country has defined in its legislation what kind of driving licences it accepts. Some countries restrict the validity of both national and international driving permits, especially when travelling abroad for non-tourist purposes. In the case of immigration, it is best to contact the local authorities and check with them what kind of licence will be valid for driving in your future home country.

2) Period of validity

An international driving permit model 1949 is valid for a maximum of one year from the date of issue/stamping.

An international driving permit according to the 1968 model is valid for a maximum of 3 years from the date of issue/stamping.

The validity period of the IDP starts from the date it is stamped, it is not possible to put a later date on the stamp.

3) Languages of the IDP

The language translations of the 1949 model IDP are: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and Thai.

The language translations of the 1968 model IDP are: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Hindi, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Swedish and Thai.

In addition to the international driving permit, you must always carry your own national driving licence when travelling.

International driving permit according to the Geneva 1949 model:

The 1949 model international driving permit is valid for one year from the date of issue/stamping.

The language translations of the IDP are: Swedish, English, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Hindi, Korean, Thai and French.

International driving permit according to the Vienna 1968 model:

The 1968 model international driving permit is valid for a maximum of 3 years from the date of issue/stamping.

The language translations of the IDP are: Swedish, English, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Serbian, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Thai and French.

A moped driving licence, like a tractor driving licence, is a national driving licence, which means it does not entitle you to drive abroad. An exception to this is the validity of a moped driving licence in EU or EEA countries, the relevant law was changed in Finland in 2000. You can only drive with a Finnish category “AM” moped driving licence in Finland or in other EU/EEA countries.

Thailand has ratified the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic on 1.5.2021. When Thailand ratified the 1968 Road Traffic Convention, it made a reservation that it considers all mopeds to be motorcycles. For this reason, a motorcycle licence is always required to drive a moped in Thailand, so for the smallest scooters at least a category A1 driving licence.

It is not possible to enter M or AM category driving rights on international driving permits according to the models of the Geneva or Vienna Road Traffic Conventions. The Vienna Convention on Road Traffic was revised in 2006, when both the national and international driving licence models were changed. However, even this revised model of IDP, in use since 29.3.2011, only includes the following categories: A, A1, B, B1, C, C1, D, D1, BE, CE, C1E, DE and D1E.

Read more about Thailand’s driving licence regulations.

Autoliitto cannot issue or stamp an international driving permit for vehicle categories AM (or M), T or LT.

The reason for this is there are no driving license categories for mopeds or tractors in national or international driving licenses according to the models of the Geneva or Vienna Road Traffic Conventions.

Moped category AM is a uniform driving licence category in all EU countries according to the EU driving licence directive (2006/126/EC). But only in EU countries – not elsewhere.

The holder of a tractor driving licence cannot get an International Driving Permit. Categories T and LT are purely national categories. The Finnish Driving Licence Act § 7 says: ”Categories T and LT are valid only in Finland”.

The Finnish Driving Licence Act (386/2011), which entered into force on 19.1.2013, provides an answer to the fact that an international driving permit cannot be issued to a person under the age of 18.

98 §

International driving permit

An international driving permit in accordance with the Vienna or Geneva Convention on Road Traffic referred to in section 60 subsection 1 of this law can be issued to a person:

1) who has a valid driving license issued in Finland or in another EU or EEA country;

2) who has reached the age of 18;

3) who has a permanent residence in Finland or, if he/she has a Finnish driving license, his/her permanent residence is abroad in a country other than an EU or EEA country.

The Autoliitto country-specific data are based on a short tourist trip, usually lasting less than 3 months. In case of immigration, contact the local authorities and check with them what kind of driving licence you can use for driving in that country. In many countries, you need to obtain a local driving license if you are staying longer than 3 or 6 months.

Since your permanent residence is not in Finland, we cannot issue you an international driving permit. Sweden does not issue an international driving permit for driving licenses issued in other countries, so the only way to get an international driving permit is to exchange your Finnish driving licence for a Swedish one and apply for an international driving permit in Sweden.

Yes, you can. The principle of recognizing driving licences issued in other EU countries is one of the basic principles of the EU driving licence directive.

The acceptance of a foreign driving licenses issued elsewhere is based on international road traffic conventions. However, there are certain restrictions to prevent so-called driving licence shopping and car tax evasion.

A person moving to Finland from a country that is part of the Geneva or Vienna Road Traffic Convention must exchange his/her driving licence for a Finnish driving licence within two years (Driving License Act § 60). Section 59 of the Driving License Act applies to driving licenses issued in EU or EEA countries and they do not need to be exchanged for a Finnish driving licence.
According to Section 31 of the Car Tax Act, a person permanently resident in Finland, regardless of nationality and driving licence, may not drive a passenger car registered abroad in Finland.

It is allowed to drive in Sweden with a Finnish driving licence or a driving licence issued in another EU/EEA country, provided that:

• the driving licence is valid in the issuing country, and
• the driving licence has not been exchanged for a Swedish driving licence.

Source: Transportstyrelsen

Sweden does not have a car tax like Finland. In Sweden, even a car temporarily imported from another EU country may be temporarily or occasionally driven or lent by a person who has his permanent residence in Sweden, but driving may not be regular or continuous. On the other hand, no person resident in Sweden is allowed to drive a car temporarily imported into Sweden from outside the EU (unless the owner of the car is in the car or it is an emergency situation).

Driving licences issued in EU countries are valid in other EU countries based on the Driving Licence Directive. However, car rental companies can set their own rules, so please check the necessity of an IDP directly with the car rental company.

The USA supplement is written only for the United States and it is a proof of a Finnish driving licence in English. There is no photo in the USA supplement. In the international driving permit, the vehicle categories are verbally translated into several languages and the IDP also includes a photograph. Car rental companies may require an international driving permit.
We recommend either document for the USA

We will not notify you when the IDP to be picked up is ready.

You can inquire about the completion of the IDP by sending an email to matkailu@autoliitto.fi or by calling the Autoliitto on 09 7258 4458

Yes, postage costs start at three euros. Please take into account the time required by the mail.

If you want delivery by registered letter or courier, please contact Autoliitto at 09-7258 4458. Registration and courier service fees are paid by the customer.

You cannot get a copy of the international driving permit. If the IDP has been lost, a new application, a copy of the driving licence and a photo must be sent to the Autoliitto and the payment must be made again.

Yes, you can. You do not need a power of attorney to submit an IDP application or to pick up a completed international driving permit.

No, because the validity of the international driving permit expires on the same day as the validity of the Finnish driving licence.

Once the name has changed on the actual driving licence, you can order a duplicate from Traficom. An international driving permit is made from the driving licence you present, i.e. if the name has changed, the name change must first be made to the actual driving licence and only after that should an international driving permit be applied for.

The driving category of the national driving licence changed from ABC to AB. On the international driving permit it is still ABC. Should I get a new international driving permit?

Yes. The international driving permit and Finnish driving licence should match each other, i.e. you should apply for a new international driving permit with a new Finnish driving licence.

The driving category of the national driving licence changed from AB to C. Can you add category C to the international driving permit?

You can visit us or send your international driving permit and a copy of your new Finnish driving licence to the office of Autoliitto, and we will then add a new category to your international driving permit.

A translation made by a person with a degree in certified translation is considered to be an official translation. If this is necessary, you can search for translators through the Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters, you can search by topic (e.g. certificates) or languages, see more here.

If such an official translation is not needed, an international driving permit from Autoliitto could be a cheaper solution.

An international driving permit is a multilingual translation of a national driving licence under either the Geneva or Vienna Road Traffic Convention. According to Road Traffic Conventions, the international driving permit must contain the driving licence information in at least the following languages: French, English, Russian and Spanish. In addition to these, the State of Finland has chosen Arabic, Chinese, Swedish, Portuguese, Hindi, Korean and Thai for the IDP. In addition, the 1949 model has the Japanese language and the 1968 model has the Serbian language. So, for 35 or 45 euros, you can get a translation into thirteen languages. Compared to this, translation agencies charge more than 100 euros for certificates and similar documents.

The right of automobile associations to issue international driving permits (IDPs) is based on international Road Traffic Conventions.

The world’s first International Convention on Automobile Traffic was signed in Paris on 11.10.1909. The agreement defined, among other things, the first four traffic signs. The signatories to the first agreement were: Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, France, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Romania, Sweden, Serbia and the USA. On the initiative of the Finnish Automobile Club, Finland acceded to the 1909 Convention on 27.3.1922. The Road Traffic Convention of 1909 was supplemented in Paris in 1926.

AIACR (Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus), the predecessor of the FIA, was founded on 20.6.1904. The founding organisations of the AIACR were: the German Automobile Association, the French Automobile Association, and the Automobile Associations of Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, the USA, Russia, Denmark and Portugal. The AIACR had the right to issue international documents.

Suomen Automobiili Klubi (AK) became a member of the AIACR on 20.6.1920. Membership gave the AK the right to issue international permits and certificates. In Finland, the State Council granted AK the right to issue international driving permits on 29.4.1922. AK issued the first international driving permit on 1.5.1922.

Automobile associations thus had a strong influence on the content of the first road traffic agreements and laws.

In Finland, the first national decree on automobile traffic was issued on 14.10.1922 (available in pdf format on the Internet at: http://porvoonliikenne.net/historia/liitteet/A_aml1922.PDF).
The decree entered into force at the beginning of 1923. The following decrees are from 1926, 1929, 1937 and 1941. From the year 1926 there is an Act on Motor Vehicle Traffic (156/1926). The first Road Traffic Act was passed in 1957 (143/1957).

After the devastation of the World War II, the United Nations (UN) was founded in 1945. UNECE, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, was established in 1947. UNECE comprises 56 countries (current EU countries, other European countries, plus the USA and Canada). In 1949, the first UN Convention on Road Traffic was drawn up in Geneva. The Road Traffic Convention of 1949 was ratified in Finland on 20.2.1959.

In Chapter V of the 1949 convention under the title ”Drivers of motor vehicles in international traffic” in Article 24, paragraph 3, it is said: ”The international driving permit shall, after the driver has given proof of his competence, be delivered by the competent authority of a Contracting State or subdivision thereof, or by a duly authorized Association, and sealed or stamped by such authority or Association…”.

UNECE drew up the next Road Traffic Convention in Vienna in 1968. Finland ratified the 1968 Convention on Road Traffic in 1986. The English version, article 41 (applied until 28.4.2011), reads: ”Driving permits”.

“2. Contracting Parties shall recognize:

1. c) Any international permit conforming to the provisions of Annex 7 to this Convention;
   as valid for driving in their territories a vehicle coming within the categories covered by the permit, provided that the permit is still valid and that it was issued by another Contracting Party or subdivision thereof or by an association duly empowered thereto by such other Contracting Party.”

According to Article 41 of the Vienna Convention, the most recent, as amended in 2006 (applicable from 29.3.2011), the above paragraph reads as follows:

”2. (a) Contracting Parties shall recognize:

(i) Any domestic permit conforming to the provisions of Annex 6 to this Convention;

(ii) Any international permit conforming to the provisions of Annex 7 to this Convention, on condition that it is presented with the corresponding domestic driving permit, as valid for driving in their territories a vehicle coming within the categories covered by the permits, provided that the permits are still valid and that they were issued by another Contracting Party or subdivision thereof or by an association duly empowered thereto by such other Contracting Party or one of its subdivisions.”

In Finland, the council of state has given the right to issue international driving permits to the automobile association, i.e. the current Autoliitto.
The price of an international driving permit issued by Autoliitto decreased and the application process became smoother from the beginning of 2016, when Autoliitto started cooperation with the Finnish Transport Safety Agency Traficom. Traficom validates the international driving permits at the request of the Autoliitto.

In short, according to the international road traffic conventions coordinated by the UN, automobile associations still have the right to issue international driving permits. Issuing is a broader concept than writing, and for this reason, in many countries, automobile associations are able to issue international driving licenses without any official verification measures.

In 2022, 20 different automobile associations in European countries were be able to issue international driving permits based on the legitimacy given by their countries, without any official confirmation stamps, and in 16 states an authority issued international driving permits.