Why do you need your foreign drivers licence translated?

If you have watched the movie, Back To The Future, you must remember the Doc saying, “where we’re going, we don’t need roads”

Some talk, some desire, some fantasy, no matter how much you wanted the cars to fly, you still have to look out for the roads, especially, when you are traveling abroad. Your driver’s license is something you’ll always need on the foreign roads, regardless of whether you are going as a student, on a business tour or just chilling at your uncle’s house. According to most travel agencies, it is in fact crucial that you must study the traffic rules of the country where you are intending to travel.

Your driver’s license is your permit to drive, but traffic rules and regulations are as important as the permit itself. It is also advisable to check the traffic rules beforehand so that you can check whether you can use your national permit in the country where you are traveling to or you need an international driver’s license. Moreover, different countries have different traffic and driving rules. For instance, eating, drinking, and using mobile phones and similar devices while driving is prohibited in most countries. Keeping the pace of your car to a certain speed limit is also written down there in the rules, so you should check them out as well. Unnecessary pulling over, riding a dirty vehicle and not wearing seat belt could also result in fine or other consequences, so it’s better to get all the necessary information before moving further with the driver’s license.

Now even if you have an international driver’s license, you’ll still need to translate it for immigration purposes. First of all, your local or national driver’s license will not be enough because it may lack the information necessary for verification and identification. This is why an international driving permit is issued to individuals so that they can use it abroad.

Which Kind Of Driver’s License Do I Need To Drive Abroad?

An unofficial international driver’s license is regarded to be essential for driving abroad. This document contains translation of the original permit in total six languages:

• French
• English
• Arabic
• Russian
• Spanish
• Chinese

All these languages are the official languages of the United Nations. The document is presented in the form of a grey booklet containing white pages with dimensions 105 x 148 mm. The first two pages have the information in the national language of the permit holder. The last two pages contain the same information in French. The inside pages repeat the information in the remaining four languages.

Another more compact form of unofficial license is a card containing the picture and the basic yet vital information. Depending on the country and the nature of use, either the card or the booklet might be required for verification.

What Information Does The Unofficial International Permit Include?

The document contains the basic information about the permit holder, including:
Name
Address
Place Of Birth
Picture
Details Of Vehicles for which the permit is issued
Expiration date
Exclusion (countries where the permit is not applicable)

Who Can Acquire The Permit?

Well, as a rule, anyone who is eligible to drive can have the permit but to be clearer about the requirements and qualifications, here are some important details:
The applicant must be 18 years of age
The applicant must possess a valid driver’s permit issued by the national authorities
The acquisition of this document doesn’t require any written tests
It doesn’t require the applicant to undergo any additional medical examination

Where Can I Get The International Permit?

A translation agency such as Certified Translations can help the immigrants to get the unofficial international driver’s license. At Certified Translations, we make sure that all the information is accurate. The details are correct and nothing is missed out. And the final delivery is only handed over after double checking it with the rules and standards of an unofficial international permit.

What If I Need A License For A Country Other Than The Ones Listed Above?

Well, if you have checked already that the unofficial permit doesn’t work for the country you are traveling to, the only way to solve the issue is, acquiring an international translation of the valid permit issued by the national authorities.

Make sure that you choose a reputable translation agency which not only offers driving license translations but are also familiar with the traffic laws of your destination country. If you are facing the dilemma of choosing the best, we are right here at your disposal.

Our driving license translators have spent many years working within and out the sphere and are very well aware of the rules and regulations of traffic, road safety and driving.

Where Do I Need To Submit The Translation Of My Permit?

If you have been asked by the immigration authorities to submit your international driver’s permit, you should submit it along other documents. But if you are supposed to submit them to your employer’s company or to your university administration, you should follow the instructions clearly. Here’s the place where reading the traffic rules might come in handy as in some countries, you are required to submit your international permit to car rental services if you intend to rent a car.