International driver’s license
Written by Romain on Thursday, 29 of May 2008 at 23:59
It is now official, I finally got my international driver’s license ! I won’t go into details for such an accomplishment at the Prefecture of Lyon (1 hour of waiting the first time i went there, until I realised that I forgot my ID in Paris, then 1 hour and a half the second time) for only five minutes of paperwork.
But let’s talk about this international driver’s license, what’s its goal and how to obtain it ?
First of all, what are the interest of such a license? One has to know that an international driving permit is nothing more than a standard driving license, but it has a real sense through the translation that are attached to the document: english, french, spanish, russian, chinise, german, arabic, italian, swedish and portuguese. Very useful if you need to rent a car abroad. Assuming the fact that the french national driving license only includes a simple translation of the “Permis de Conduire” mention, the international driver’s license will be required in many countries outside the European Union.
Finally, the international driver’s license is nothing more than a translation of your national driving license in several languages. It will be very often mandatory to rent a car abroad (at least, outside the European Union). As far as I’m concerned, I choose to get it in order to be free to rent a car over the course of my desires (I’m principally thinking of the United States and Australia).
It is important to notice that the international driver’s license must be attached to your national permit, and also that it can not substitute a suspensed or an endorsed permit !
It is very easy to obtain this international driver’s license in France. All you have to do is to go to your home’s Prefecture provided with :
Do not fotget that this international driver’s license is available during 3 years and repeatable. It is also interesting to know that some Automobile Club de France used to deliver this special permit. It is now over since the 1st of October 2005…
For more informations about the countries where this permit is accepted, please go here.
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Comment by Evan
Commented on Wednesday, 11 of June 2008, at 15:25
I just passed my driving test in France, and now have a provisional license. Am I eligible for an international driver’s license?
What do you mean by an “endorse” license?
Comment by Romain
Commented on Wednesday, 11 of June 2008, at 15:42
Comment by Simon
Commented on Tuesday, 12 of August 2008, at 11:45
I’m about to hire a car from Lyon is France and have an Australian driver’s licence, do you think this should pose any problem at the Prefecture in Lyon? I have all the other documents you mentioned. Also I found that the Prefecture in Lyon is referred to as “Lyon département” and I’m trying to find to correct address. In “Google maps” it comes up 10 options, are these all Prefecture’s? or can you advise of the address of the Prefecture you went to?
Thanks heaps, Simon
Comment by Romain
Commented on Tuesday, 12 of August 2008, at 15:15
Hi Simon,
Normally everything should be ok for you ! You just have to go to the “Préfecture du Rhône”, which is located in Lyon( and also where I’ve been to).
The correct adress is : 14 bis Quai du Général Sarrail 69006 (6ème Arrondissement) Lyon. One last advice : if you don’t want to wait, you have to be there minimum 20 mn before the opening (9 o’clock).
Good luck 
Hi Evan,
Since you have a French driving license, you guess that you’re eligible for an international driver’s license. I guess that you’re not French, and I don’t know to which extent does the law allow you to . I only know that this is a free service for french citizen, but I don’t really have more informations about foreigners. Could you give me more details about yourself ?
With an “endorsed license”, I was meaning a permit that has been canceled by your fault.