Everyone who wants to drive a car must get a driver’s license. They contain information about the driver, as well as data on which cars he can drive. There are several types of licenses, so citizens often need to obtain an international driving license. They allow you to drive a car in different foreign countries.
The concept of international law
An international driving license is presented by a license allowing you to drive a car outside of Russia. On the basis of the Vienna Convention, a single-form document was approved. It contains a translation of the national driver's license.
What does an international driving license look like? They are represented by a small paper book. An important requirement for this document is that all information must be translated into the language of the country where it is planned to use the rights. Therefore, information is duplicated in 8 languages.
Every driver who wants to drive a car in a foreign country needs to know what an international driver's license looks like. They have several pages that contain the same information, but in different languages.
What information is included?
An international driving license contains numerous information on the rules for using the document. These include:
- indicates the category of cars that the driver can drive, and these include cars, trucks or motorcycles;
- Requirements for equipment of cars used for movement on the roads of other countries are prescribed;
- car codes of different states are given;
- the period of validity of the document is prescribed;
- it is indicated by whom and when the certificates were issued;
- date of issue of rights is given;
- information about the series and number of the certificate is entered;
- some of the road signs are unified.
Foreigners in Russia can use their national IDs if Russian rights are recognized in their state. All information is entered in Cyrillic or Latin letters. If there is no translation, then the foreigner must have with him the rights translated into Russian.
Owner Information
In addition to general information, an internationally recognized driver’s license contains information about the direct owner. This information includes:
- F. I. O. citizen;
- photo of the owner of the document;
- Date and place of birth;
- registration address;
- medical restrictions related to driving a car.
In addition, it is indicated in which countries you can use this certificate.
What rights are international?
If a Russian citizen needs to visit a foreign country with different goals, then he has a question about what rights he needs to take with him in order to be able to drive cars. International rights are:
- Russian driver's license of international standard. They began to be issued back in 2011 on the basis of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Order No. 365. They are valid in foreign states that have signed the Vienna Convention. Information on such a document is numbered in a special way, therefore, the police of a foreign state can obtain the necessary information without translation from this number.
- Certificate in a special form. Citizens will have to receive such a document if it becomes necessary to visit a state that has not signed the Vienna Convention.
Issuing any certificate is not difficult.
Distinction of international rights from ordinary identification
An international driving license has many differences from a standard license valid only in Russia. The main differences include:
- an international document is valid only if there is a national certificate, since it acts only as a notarized translation;
- the maximum term of its validity is three years, but ordinary Russian rights are valid for 10 years;
- they are issued only on the basis of a Russian certificate, so you do not need to spend time and effort on additional training, pass exams or undergo a medical examination;
- documents differ significantly in appearance, since the Russian certificate is represented by a plastic card, and the international one is a book with the A6 format;
- the national document is filled out in Russian and English, and in the international version there is a translation into 8 world languages.
The above documents are not interchangeable, therefore it is not allowed to use exclusively international documents on the territory of Russia. Abroad, you must have both certificates with you.
The purpose of international law
The need for such a certificate arises in different situations. A driver planning to visit other states in a private car must know general information about an internationally recognized driver’s license. This document is usually executed in the following situations:
- you need to get a visa to visit a foreign country in your own car;
- a document is presented to the traffic police inspector at the time of crossing the border between the two countries;
- in another state, a car is rented out;
- if in a foreign country a citizen gets into an accident, then a certificate is required to receive the insurance payment.
International documents are required for countries that have signed the Geneva Convention. In countries that have signed the Vienna Convention, such a certificate is not considered mandatory, but it is recommended that you obtain it in advance to be safe.
A sample of the international driver's license of the Russian Federation can be seen in the photo below.
The consequences of the lack of a document
If a Russian citizen drives a car in a foreign country without an international certificate, this will lead to numerous negative consequences:
- a ban will be imposed on entry into the territory of a given country;
- you will have to pay a fine for driving a car without a certificate, and its size depends on the immediate country;
- a citizen will face a refusal to rent a car;
- if a person gets into an accident, then he will not be able to receive compensation for the insurance policy.
Therefore, before visiting another state where a person plans to use the car for personal purposes or at work, it is important to take care in advance of obtaining the necessary documentation.
Where to get the document?
If you plan to travel to another country by car, then you should deal with the registration of a driver's license of international standard. What do you need to do for this? The procedure is performed in various ways:
- appeal directly to the traffic police unit;
- sending an application and other documentation to the MFC, and this center acts only as an intermediary;
- the formation of an electronic application on the website of the State Services.
Each method has both pros and cons. In any case, you must pre-engage in obtaining an international driving license. Information on the rules for the implementation of this process can be obtained from the traffic police.
What documents are required?
International rights are granted exclusively to citizens holding a Russian certificate.Therefore, the applicant must have the necessary skills to drive a car, and also well versed in traffic rules. Only under such conditions can you obtain an international driver's license. What do you need to get a document? For this, the following papers are prepared:
- correctly prepared application in a special form;
- Russian certificate;
- passport of a citizen;
- receipt confirming the payment of a fee in the amount of 1.6 thousand rubles.
To obtain an international certificate, it is not necessary to undergo an additional medical examination, therefore a certificate is not attached to the documents.
If you use the Gosuslug portal, you can get a 30% discount when paying state fees. Using the portal is not only profitable, but also convenient. The application is filled out directly on the website in electronic form, after which the citizen is recorded for admission to a specific traffic police unit. On the appointed day, you must come to the organization with the necessary documents. The documentation is reviewed within an hour, after which new international rights are issued.
If a decision has been made to obtain an international driver's license through the MFC, then you can pick up the finished documents 3 days after the application.
Document Validity
International rights are issued exclusively for a period of three years. But at the same time they cannot be valid longer than the Russian certificate.
If the national rights expire in a year, an international document is issued exclusively for that period. Therefore, in a year, both documents will have to be replaced.
When are rights invalid?
There are various reasons why an international certificate is invalidated. These include:
- national certificate expires;
- personal information about the driver changes;
- the certificate is damaged in different ways, so there is no way to read exactly what information it contains;
- a new national license is issued to the driver;
- it is discovered that the document contains false information;
- it is revealed that the citizen has medical contraindications to using the machine for its intended purpose;
- the driver loses his Russian license.
The procedure for obtaining and using MVU is regulated by PP No. 1097.
Photo Requirements
When applying for an IDP, a photo is certainly provided by the applicant. An international driving license must contain a photograph with the following features:
- size 3.5 x 4.5 cm;
- done on matte paper;
- photo is provided in duplicate;
- exclusively color printing is used.
If you transfer to the traffic police all the necessary documents, which include the correctly taken photo, then the MVU is created within 20 minutes. The procedure takes more than an hour in time only if there are any difficulties, for example, if the applicant does not have any important documents.
Do I need to take exams?
Many people planning a trip to a foreign country are thinking about how to get an international driving license, which allows them to freely travel by car in another country.
The procedure for obtaining the IDP is considered simple, and it is not required to pass exams for this. This is due to the fact that testing is carried out upon receipt of a national certificate. When preparing the document, the existing national rights are transferred to the employees of the IFC or the traffic police, which confirm that the citizen has the necessary skills to drive a car.
Is a medical certificate required?
In 2017, amendments were introduced to the legislation, on the basis of which, upon receipt of the IDP, it is not necessary to transmit a medical certificate to the traffic police. It is done only when applying for a national certificate.
But a certificate will be needed if the extension of the validity period of Russian rights is carried out.
Process cost
The procedure for obtaining the IDP is a free service, so the work of the traffic police or the MFC is not paid. Even the Gosuslug portal provides the opportunity to use the public service for free. But due to the fact that an official document is being formed, you will have to pay a state tax. It is intended to pay for paperwork and printing the form.
The state duty is 1.6 thousand rubles. If you use the Gosuslug portal for payment, then a large discount of 30% is presented. Additional costs are associated with the need to take photos of the desired format.
Where is the document issued?
If you initially apply for MVU to the traffic police department, then it is to this institution that you need to apply for a document.
Often, people prefer to use the services of an intermediary represented by the MFC, therefore this organization not only takes documents, but also issues a certificate. If the State Services portal is used for registration, then at the last stage of the process the traffic police department is selected, where you will have to come for a ready certificate.
Is it possible to extend?
It is allowed to extend the MVU, for which you need to contact the traffic police unit or the MFC.
The reason for the extension may be different, and if it is associated with the expiration of the national certificate, you will have to have a medical certificate with you.
Replacement may be required due to the expiration of the document, its loss or damage. In the Russian Federation, you will not have to pay a fine if the driver has expired international rights, since it is only enough that the national certificate is valid. Due to this, the renewal of the IDP can be carried out immediately before a citizen decides to leave the country in his car.
For replacement, it is advisable to contact the traffic police at the place of residence. For this, a passport, a national ID, an old IDP, a replacement application, photographs and a receipt for paying the duty are handed over to the employee. The process can be carried out through the State Service portal, which will allow you to get a discount on state duty.
Can I use MVU in Russia?
The IDP is an exclusively complement to national rights, therefore it cannot be applied as a separate document. It is forbidden to use it without a Russian certificate.
If a Russian citizen travels to the Russian Federation only on MVU, then he will have to pay a fine of 500 rubles.
Conclusion
Obtaining an international driving license is considered a simple and quick process. The received document duplicates national rights in different languages, therefore it acts only as an addition. In Russia, only MVP is prohibited.
If Russian citizens travel to European countries by car only using a national certificate, this will lead to their being held accountable. Often the fine is even 300 euros, although often the violators dispute such a punishment in court.