In the know: How to get an international driving permit

While the driver's license issued by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is honored and valid here in the Philippines, presenting your LTO-issued driver’s license card when you’re in another country may not suffice.

That said, Filipinos who want to sit behind the wheel while abroad may apply for an international driving permit.

An international driving permit, or an international driver’s license, acts as an extension of one’s locally issued driver’s license, allowing the holder to drive vehicles and enjoy the privilege of driving on the roads of foreign countries.

Here’s how you can apply for one.

According to the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP), the only organization in the Philippines authorized to issue a Philippine International Driving Permit (PIDP), new applicants must have an original and valid (that means not expired) Philippine driver’s license.

Along with the original and photocopied valid driver’s license, an applicant must submit two 2x2-inch colored ID pictures with white background and must prepare a processing fee of P4,144.

Similarly, those renewing their PIDPs must submit the original and photocopied valid driver’s license, two 2x2-inch colored ID pictures, and pay the P4,144 processing fee.

Applicants can visit any of AAP’s offices including their headquarters in Quezon City, as well as other branches in Makati, Alabang, Pampanga, Lipa, Cebu, and Davao.

Upon arrival at the AAP office, one must fill out a PIDP application form, submit the abovementioned requirements, and pay the said processing fee. An AAP personnel will inform the applicant when the PIDP is ready.

Those who prefer to take the digital route can fill out the PIDP form available on AAP’s website. An email will be sent back with instructions on how one can go about the process of application.

Aside from the aforementioned AAP branches, the organization said one can apply for an international driving permit at various AAP-accredited travel agencies.

The PIDP one can get from AAP is valid in numerous countries, here’s a list of the countries honoring IDPs, per the AAP.

Albania Algeria Andorra Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Benin Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Cabo Verde Cambodia Central African Republic Chile China Colombia Congo Cote d'Ivoire, (Ivory Coast) Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Dominican Republic Ecuador Estonia Fiji France Georgia Germany Ghana Greece

Guyana Haiti Hong Kong Holy See Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Korea (South) Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Mali Malta Mauritius Mexico Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Netherlands New Zealand Niger Nigeria

North Macedonia Norway Pakistan Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Russia Russian Federation Rwanda San Marino Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Sweden Switzerland Syria Syrian Arab Republic Tajikistan Thailand Togo Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Venezuela Zimbabwe

In countries such as Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Egypt, El Salvador, Finland, Nicaragua, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, and Romania, PIDPs are valid and accepted only for a limited period of time. Even if your PIDP is valid for a year, it will only be honored either for 30, 90, or 180 days, depending on the country.

The AAP also issues two types of PIDPs: one in the Vienna Convention Format and the other in the Geneva Convention Format. The former is valid in almost all countries that are signatories to the 1949 and 1968 United Nations Convention on Road Traffic while the latter is mainly issued for those visiting Japan where they do not allow continued use of IDP for more than a year.

According to the AAP, when renewing an IDP to be used in Japan, the AAP member must be out of Japan for at least three months to be allowed to use a renewed license.

Images from AAP

Also read: 

In the know: How to secure a driver’s license

In the know: Traffic violations that merit a license suspension