International Driving Licence

[pandas]

A word of warning if you are wanting to get an IDL in person from the Post Office.
The Post Office only work off a printed list when stamping the various categories which seems to work from a licence issue date which is infact the replacement date of when I went from a paper licence to a photo licence not when I passed my driving licence.
In my case this specifically related to the C1 category which they said they could not stamp as it was not indicated as appropriate on their form.

They would not go from the categories specifically identified on my actual photo licence - strange!
I don't believe this was my staff being inflexible but the form they had were incorrect.

After 40 min, most of the time they were on the phone to head office, they reluctantly agreed to stamp the IDL correctly - but still would not use the cargoes shown on the actual licence itself.

So do double check all is stamped as your driving licence and I would get it in quickly before the potential big rush - just a thought!

 

[Phill D]

that could be a bit of a boob . if your van is over 3.5T which many of us are then no C1 makes you illegal to drive internationally in your van.

 

[zulurita]

The 1968 version of IDP has the categories: A, A1, B, B1, C, C1, D, D1, BE, CE, C1E, DE, D1E

They have stamped mine: A, B, B1, C1, D1, BE, C1E, D1E

However the 1949 IDP has: A, B, C, D E only and all of those are stamped on mine.

 

[pandas]

The 1968 version of IDP has the categories: A, A1, B, B1, C, C1, D, D1, BE, CE, C1E, DE, D1E

They have stamped mine: A, B, B1, C1, D1, BE, C1E, D1E

However the 1949 IDP has: A, B, C, D E only and all of those are stamped on mine.

Just check the version; 1949 is needed in Spain but the others (France, Germany, Italy) are mostly 1968 which is also 3 years or until the licence runs out.

 

[zulurita]

Just check the version; 1949 is needed in Spain but the others (France, Germany, Italy) are mostly 1968 which is also 3 years or until the licence runs out.

Yes the one for Spain only has those categories I wrote down. That's all it has but looking at the front C covers my motorhome weight.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[zulurita]

that could be a bit of a boob . if your van is over 3.5T which many of us are then no C1 makes you illegal to drive internationally in your van.

Seems the IDP 1949 needed for Spain just has the A,B,C,D,E but if you read the front page, the English version. C covers vehicles greater than 3.5t.

 

[Tykatem]

A word of warning if you are wanting to get an IDL in person from the Post Office.

Apologies for jumping in on your informative post, but I wish to point out that there isn’t actually such a thing as an international driving licence. It’s often confused with an international driving permit (IDP)
An international driving licence is not a legally recognised document, so be wary of websites claiming to sell it.
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/travel/driving-abroad/international-driving-licence/

Pete

 

[Quick Quick]

It is a permit, not a license. Having read that the permit will be needed in the light of a NO DEAL, I got mine sorted at the PO. Checked the categories as correct, and tried to use my picture you see here. "No plain background". was the reply so I had to go away and get another. All done very quickly, and I have left Spain out, until I need it. Why does Spain do things differently?
Off to Croatia soon, so looking up what else I will need taking the northern route through Germany, but that's a different thread.

 

[vwalan]

It is a permit, not a license. Having read that the permit will be needed in the light of a NO DEAL, I got mine sorted at the PO. Checked the categories as correct, and tried to use my picture you see here. "No plain background". was the reply so I had to go away and get another. All done very quickly, and I have left Spain out, until I need it. Why does Spain do things differently?
Off to Croatia soon, so looking up what else I will need taking the northern route through Germany, but that's a different thread.

spain is using the early permit as they werent in the eec in 68 when the eec brought out its new permit . its the 68 permit countries that are and having been doing it differently.
be them eu or eec they really are an akward crowd. best we leave very soon. hee hee.

 

[Quick Quick]

'68 !!!!
Didn't the Euro Parliament think of bringing that into line. Cannot spend all your voting rights straightening bananas!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}