{"id":7332,"date":"2026-10-06T21:51:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T21:51:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/international-driving-permit-uk\/"},"modified":"2026-10-06T21:54:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T21:54:01","slug":"international-driving-permit-uk","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/international-driving-permit-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"The international driving permit: cost and how to get one"},"content":{"rendered":"<nav class=\"crumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\"><a href=\"\/uk\/\">Home<\/a> \u203a International driving permit<\/nav>\n<p><span class=\"kicker\">The real route<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>The international driving permit: cost and how to get one<\/h1>\n<div class=\"answer\"><strong>Short answer:<\/strong> An international driving permit costs \u00a35.50, according to GOV.UK, checked 4 October 2026. It is obtained in person from certain shops with PayPoint, and you need a valid GB or Northern Ireland driving licence. There are three types, 1926, 1949 and 1968, depending on the country.<\/div>\n<p class=\"meta\">Last reviewed: <time datetime=\"2026-10-05\">2026-10-05<\/time> \u00b7 By <a href=\"\/uk\/authors\/\">Mark Dent<\/a><\/p>\n<nav class=\"toc\" aria-label=\"On this page\"><strong>On this page<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#s1\">The official facts<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s2\">What the price and process tell you<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s3\">How to get one<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s4\">Two-minute checks<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s5\">Myth and fact<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#s6\">The honest gap in the record<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<div class=\"keyfacts\"><strong>Key facts, checked 5 October 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The fee is &pound;5.50.<\/li>\n<li>You get it in person from certain shops with PayPoint.<\/li>\n<li>You must live in Great Britain or Northern Ireland, hold a full UK licence and be 18 or over.<\/li>\n<li>1926 and 1949 permits last 12 months; a 1968 permit lasts 3 years or until your licence expires, whichever comes first.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"s1\">The official facts<\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Item<\/th>\n<th>GOV.UK says<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Fee<\/td>\n<td>&pound;5.50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Where<\/td>\n<td>In person, certain shops with PayPoint<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Who<\/td>\n<td>Live in GB or NI, full UK licence, 18 or over<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Types<\/td>\n<td>1926, 1949 and 1968<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Validity<\/td>\n<td>1926 and 1949: 12 months. 1968: 3 years or until the licence expires<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The type you need depends on where you are going. See <a href=\"\/uk\/idp-1949-vs-1968\/\">1949 against 1968<\/a>. Paper licence holders have a separate rule in <a href=\"\/uk\/idp-paper-licence\/\">IDP and paper licences<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"s2\">What the price and process tell you<\/h2>\n<p>At &pound;5.50 it is one of the cheapest documents in this guide. A website charging far more, or promising a &ldquo;digital IDP&rdquo; or an &ldquo;instant IDP&rdquo;, is not following the process GOV.UK describes. Details are in <a href=\"\/uk\/fake-international-driving-permit\/\">fake international driving permits<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"s3\">How to get one<\/h2>\n<ol class=\"steps\">\n<li>Check GOV.UK for the permit type your destination needs.<\/li>\n<li>Find a participating PayPoint shop through the link on the GOV.UK page.<\/li>\n<li>Go in person with your licence, since the process is in person only.<\/li>\n<li>Pay &pound;5.50 and keep the permit with your licence while abroad.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"s4\">Two-minute checks<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Is the permit being sold online for more than &pound;5.50? It is not the GOV.UK route.<\/li>\n<li>Does the seller claim one permit covers every country? GOV.UK lists three types.<\/li>\n<li>Does it come without a licence check? You must hold a full UK licence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"s5\">Myth and fact<\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Myth<\/th>\n<th>Fact<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>&ldquo;An IDP is a licence.&rdquo;<\/td>\n<td>It goes with a valid licence and needs one.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>&ldquo;It lasts for years.&rdquo;<\/td>\n<td>Only the 1968 type lasts up to 3 years, and never beyond your licence.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 id=\"s6\">The honest gap in the record<\/h2>\n<p>We searched for a UK police or DVLA warning specific to IDPs and found none. Warnings about fakes come from overseas bodies. We say so rather than imply a UK enforcement campaign that we cannot show.<\/p>\n<p>Return to <a href=\"\/uk\/driving-licence-scams\/\">all driving licence scams<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<details>\n<summary>How much is an international driving permit?<\/summary>\n<p>&pound;5.50, according to GOV.UK (checked 5 October 2026).<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Where do I get one?<\/summary>\n<p>In person from certain shops with PayPoint, as described on GOV.UK.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Do I need a licence first?<\/summary>\n<p>Yes. You need a full UK driving licence, must live in Great Britain or Northern Ireland, and be 18 or over.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>How long does an IDP last?<\/summary>\n<p>1926 and 1949 permits last 12 months. A 1968 permit lasts 3 years or until your UK licence expires, whichever comes first.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Can I apply online or by post?<\/summary>\n<p>GOV.UK describes getting one in person from certain shops with PayPoint.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Is an IDP a driving licence?<\/summary>\n<p>No. It accompanies a valid licence.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<div class=\"related\">\n<h2>Keep reading<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"\/uk\/idp-1949-vs-1968\/\">IDP 1949 vs 1968<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/uk\/fake-international-driving-permit\/\">Fake IDPs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/uk\/idp-paper-licence\/\">IDP and paper licences<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/uk\/driving-licence-scams\/\">All driving licence scams<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sources\">\n<h2>Sources and official links<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/driving-abroad\/international-driving-permit\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">GOV.UK: international driving permits<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/driving-abroad\/get-an-idp\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">GOV.UK: get an international driving permit<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author\"><strong>About the author<\/strong><br \/>Written by <a href=\"\/uk\/authors\/\">Mark Dent<\/a> from official GOV.UK guidance, UK legislation and public reporting. We do not sell, issue or arrange any licence or document, and we are not part of DVLA, DVSA or any government body. See our <a href=\"\/uk\/editorial-policy\/\">editorial policy<\/a> or <a href=\"\/uk\/contact\/\">report a mistake<\/a>.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home \u203a International driving permit The real route The international driving permit: cost and how to get one Short answer: An international driving permit costs \u00a35.50, according to GOV.UK, checked 4 October 2026. It is obtained in person from certain shops with PayPoint, and you need a valid GB or Northern Ireland driving licence. There [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"truthdocuments-guide","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7332","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_hostinger_reach_plugin_has_subscription_block":false,"_hostinger_reach_plugin_is_elementor":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7332","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7332"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7332\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7970,"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7332\/revisions\/7970"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthdocuments.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}