Govt standardises process to issue international driving permit
The new standardised format of the IDP will be issued by respective state authorities and it will be valid for a period of one year from the date of issue, the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) said.
The government has introduced a uniform format for international driving permit (IDP) issued in the country, said a statement from the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) on Monday. The document will now be issued in the form of a booklet and will also have a QR code for all driver-related information that authorities in the country being visited can review, said the ministry.
The new standardised format of the IDP will be issued by respective state authorities and it will be valid for a period of one year from the date of issue.
Data from the MoRTH, seen by HT, shows that about 75,000-100,000 IDPs are issued by states and Union territories in the country annually. In most states, including Delhi, one can now apply for an IDP online.
“Currently, the format, size, pattern, colour etc. of the IDP being issued was differing across states in India. Due to this, many citizens were facing difficulties with their respective IDP in foreign countries. Now, through this amendment in the Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989, the format, size, colour etc. for IDP has been standardised for issuance across India, and in adherence to the Geneva Convention,” said the MoRTH statement issued on Monday.
The IDP is valid is as many as 102 countries, including the US, UK, Canada, UAE, Australia, Ireland, South Korea, Russia, South Africa, Thailand and New Zealand, among others. The uniform format is expected to iron out any issues people face in foreign countries regarding verification by local authorities, ministry officials said.
Being a signatory to the Convention on International Road Traffic of 1949 (Geneva Convention), India is required to issue IDPs, as provided under this convention, for acceptance of the same on a reciprocal basis with other countries.
Some countries where the IDP will not be valid include China, Pakistan, Germany and Nepal. These countries are not signatories of the convention.
“The ministry issued a notification on August 26 to bring the changes to effect for greater facilitation of citizens in the issue of International Driving Permit (IDP) across the country,” it added.
Also, the IDPs will also have a provision for a QR code that will link the permit with the driving license of the holder.
Last year, the government had done away with the condition of submitting a valid visa and medical certificate for an IDP and had also allowed people to renew such permits online through Indian embassies if it expires while still being aboard.
The visa condition was done away with considering that several countries offer Visas on arrival and in such cases, the visa is not available with a person applying for the IDP in India before the travel, said the ministry official quoted above.
The need for a medical certificate was also done away with because it was realised that an Indian citizen with a valid driving license should not be asked for another set of medical certificates for an IDP, the official added.
According to the notification issued on August 26, a comparison of vehicle categories across various Conventions and Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 has also been added for the facilitation of regulatory authorities.