A valid International Driving Permit is required to drive or hire a car in the vast majority of countries outside of your own. For your protection and convenience while travelling, it is also a United Nations-issued travel document. If the destination country is not on this list, be sure to double check with the consulate or tourist office of the country you’ll be visiting, as well as with the car rental agency you plan to use.
An International Driving Permit is essentially a translation of your Singaporean driver’s licence into several other languages (IDP). Proof that you are legally able to rent and operate a wide range of cars. Whether or not you need an International Driving Permit depends largely on how many different countries you plan to drive in during your trip.
Only nations outside of the Asian Union will honour the International Driving Permit (IDP). Every internally displaced person is subject to this rule.
Those with a valid licence from another country are allowed to drive within the Asian Union. These additional countries will recognise your Singaporean driver’s licence, allowing you to legally drive a motor vehicle there. The vast majority of non-EU countries will require you to have an International Driver’s Permit (IDP) from the International Drivers Association before you can get behind the wheel.
Applying for a licence that can be used to drive in more than one country
An International Driving Permit (IDP) can be obtained by submitting an application in person at any ANWB location in the Netherlands. The only other alternative is to relocate to the Netherlands if you don’t already call it home. You must present in person at the shop in order to submit your application. Other than yourself, nobody can help you finish your job. There is a brief timeframe in which the IDP can be put into use.
What else do you need to know about this company before submitting your application?
You need to be at least 18 years old and in possession of a driver’s licence that is valid in your current country of residence in order to apply for an International Driving Permit (IDP). Neither the requirements for an International Driving Permit nor those for a local licence can be more strict than the other. In some cases, countries will accept refugees from other countries on a temporary basis (for example, for the duration of a visitor’s visa or a fixed number of weeks).
Your home address is required information for the IDP form. Digital copies of photos from a regular passport cannot be used. Select an international drivers association that is officially recognised in your country (often a type of official automobile club).
It is possible to face charges and fines if you are caught driving without an International Driving Permit (IDP) in a country that requires one. If highway patrol officers suspect a driver of committing a traffic offence, they have the authority to take possession of the car, make an arrest, or issue a ticket with a court appearance requirement.
Final words
In most cases, the application process for IDP is straightforward. Have a photocopy of your driver’s licence on hand when you visit your authorised dealer to ensure your safety and security (front and back). Customers can typically have photocopies made at their chosen business while they shop there. The passport application also requires two passport-sized images, each of which must be signed on the back. Automobile clubs offer a wide variety of services, including passport photo taking, and hence make up the great majority of authorised IDP suppliers. Finally, an application will be short and simple.
