How to get an international driver’s license
III. Licensing of Russian national and international drivers licenses
24. Russian National and International Driving Licenses are issued in the Russian Federation in accordance with the Russian Federation’s international treaties.
Samples of Russian national driver’s licenses and samples of international drivers’ licenses are developed and approved by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.
25. Russian national and international driver’s licenses with appropriate endorsements in the appropriate columns certify the right to drive vehicles of the following categories and their subcategories
a) category “A” – motorcycles;
(b) Category “B” – motor vehicles (with the exception of vehicles of category “A”) with a permissible maximum mass not exceeding 3,500 kilograms and not more than 8 seats in addition to the driver’s seat, vehicles of category “B” coupled to a trailer the permissible maximum mass of which does not exceed 750 kilograms, vehicles of category “B” coupled to a trailer the permissible maximum mass of which exceeds 750 kilograms but does not exceed the permissible maximum mass of the vehicle without load, provided that the overall permissible maximum mass of such a trailer does not exceed the permissible maximum mass of the vehicle
(c) Category “C” – motor vehicles, with the exception of category “D”, the permissible maximum mass of which exceeds 3,500 kilograms, category “C” motor vehicles coupled to a trailer the permissible maximum mass of which does not exceed 750 kilograms;
(d) “D” category – motor vehicles intended for the carriage of passengers and having more than 8 seats in addition to the driver’s seat, “D” category vehicles coupled to a trailer the permissible maximum mass of which does not exceed 750 kilograms;
(e) “BE” category – B-category motor vehicles coupled to a trailer the permissible maximum mass of which exceeds 750 kg and the unladen mass of the vehicle, B-category motor vehicles coupled to a trailer the permissible maximum mass of which exceeds 750 kg, provided that the total permissible maximum mass of such combination of vehicles exceeds 3,500 kg
(f) category “CE” – motor vehicles of category “C” coupled to a trailer the permissible maximum mass of which exceeds 750 kg
(g) Category “DE” – category “D” coupled to a trailer with a permissible maximum mass exceeding 750 kg, articulated buses;
h) category “Tm” – streetcars;
i) category “Tb” – trolleybuses;
j) category “M” – mopeds and light quads;
(k) Subcategory “A1” – motorcycles with a working volume of the internal combustion engine not exceeding 125 cubic centimeters and a maximum power not exceeding 11 kW;
(l) Subcategory “B1” – tricycles and quadricycles;
(m) Subcategory “C1” – motor vehicles, with the exception of category “D”, the permissible maximum mass of which exceeds 3,500 kilograms but does not exceed 7,500 kilograms, vehicles of subcategory “C1” coupled with a trailer, the permissible maximum mass of which does not exceed 750 kilograms;
(o) Subcategory “D1” – vehicles with more than 8 but no more than 16 seats in addition to the driver’s seat, vehicles of subcategory “D1” coupled with a trailer, the permissible maximum mass of which does not exceed 750 kilograms;
(o) Subcategory “C1E” – subcategory “C1” coupled to a trailer the permissible maximum mass of which exceeds 750 kg but does not exceed the unladen mass of the vehicle, provided that the total permissible maximum mass of such combination of vehicles shall not exceed 12,000 kg
(p) Subcategory “D1E” – motor vehicles of subcategory “D1” coupled to a trailer which is not intended for the carriage of passengers, the permissible maximum mass of which exceeds 750 kilograms but does not exceed the unladen mass of the vehicle, provided that the total permissible maximum mass of such combination of vehicles does not exceed 12,000 kilograms.
26. Russian national driver’s licenses are issued to persons who have reached the age established by Article 26 of the Federal Law “On road safety”, have the appropriate medical certificate and have successfully passed the exams prescribed by Item 9 of these Regulations.
Validity of Russian national driver’s licenses validity terms of which expire from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2023 is prolonged for 3 years (Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of March 12, 2022, No. 353).
27. The Russian National Driving License is issued for 10 years, unless otherwise stipulated by federal laws.
The Russian National Driving License issued prior to the enactment of these Regulations is valid until the expiration of the term indicated therein. If no validity period is specified, such a driving license is valid for 10 years from the date of its issuance.
28. Persons who passed the exams for vehicles with automatic transmission, Russian national driving licenses are issued with a stamped right to drive vehicles of the appropriate category or subcategory with automatic transmission only.
29. The issuance of a Russian national driver’s license to replace a previously issued Russian national driver’s license is performed without taking examinations and in the following cases
a) upon expiration of the validity of the driving license;
b) upon the change of the personal data contained in the driving license of its holder;
c) when the driving license is worn out, damaged or other reasons, and the data indicated in it (or its part) cannot be visually determined;
d) when the driver’s license is reported as lost (stolen);
e) upon confirmation of the presence of changes in the state of health of the driver of the vehicle, including previously undetectable medical indications or medical restrictions to drive the vehicle;
f) at the will of the applicant prior to the expiry of the driving license.
(Item “f” is introduced by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation from 23.03.2017 N 326)
30. For the issuance of a Russian national driver’s license to replace a previously issued Russian national driver’s license, the applicant must submit the following documents:
b) a passport or other identity document;
c) a medical report. In the cases stipulated by subparagraphs “b” – “d” and “f” of paragraph 29 of these Rules and subparagraph “e” of this paragraph, the medical report shall be provided at the request of the applicant;
(as amended by Resolutions of the Government of the Russian Federation from 23.03.2017 N 326, from 20.12.2019 N 1734)
(see the text in the previous edition)
d) Russian national driver’s license (if available);
e) diplomatic, consular, service cards or certificates issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation – in case the applicants are employees of diplomatic missions and consular institutions of foreign states in the Russian Federation and their family members, employees of international organizations and their representations accredited under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and their family members;
(subparagraph “e” is introduced by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation from 20.12.2019 N 1734)
f) document confirming the availability of a state duty privilege – for persons having a state duty privilege in accordance with the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
(sub-clause “f” is introduced by the Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation from 20.12.2019 N 1734)
31. When a Russian national driving license is issued to replace a previously issued Russian national driving license, the corresponding marks and records contained in the previously issued driving license are transferred to the new driving license.
If it is confirmed that the driver of a vehicle does not have any medical restrictions to drive vehicles, the new Russian national driver’s license must contain the notations confirming the right to drive those categories and subcategories of vehicles, determined by a medical report.
32. 32. In case of the issuance of the Russian national driver’s license to replace the previously issued Russian national driver’s license on the grounds specified in subparagraphs “b” – “d” and “f” of paragraph 29 of these Regulations, the previously established term of validity of the driver’s license does not change.
(as amended by Resolutions of the Government of the Russian Federation from 04.02.2016 N 65, from 23.03.2017 N 326)
(see the text in the previous edition)
If the applicant submits a medical report, the Russian national driving license replaces the previously issued Russian national driving license on the grounds set forth in subparagraphs “b” – “d” and “f” of paragraph 29 of these Rules, it is issued for 10 years, unless otherwise stipulated by federal laws.
(The paragraph is introduced by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation from 23.03.2017 N 326)
33. The international driving license is issued on the basis of the Russian national driving license without taking examinations.
The international driving license is issued for 3 years, but for no longer than the term of validity of the Russian national driving license, on the basis of which it was issued.
34. For issuance of an international driver’s license, the applicant must submit the following documents:
(as amended by Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of 23.03.2017 N 326)
(see the text in the previous edition)
b) a passport or other identity document;
c) no longer in force. – Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of 04.02.2016 N 65;
(see the text in the previous edition)
d) Russian national driver’s license;
e) a photograph of 35 x 45 mm in black and white or color on matte paper;
f) document confirming the availability of a state duty privilege – for persons having a state duty privilege in accordance with the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
(sub-clause “f” is introduced by the Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation from 20.12.2019 N 1734)
35. A Russian national or international driving license is considered invalid and is subject to cancellation in the following cases
a) if the validity of the driving license has expired;
b) the personal data of the holder of the license have changed;
c) when the driving license is worn out, damaged or other reasons, and the data indicated in it (or its part) cannot be visually determined;
d) if the driving license was issued on the basis of the documents that were duly recognized as forged (counterfeit), or was issued with infringement of the order established by these Regulations;
(as amended by the Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of 04.02.2016 N 65)
(see the text in the previous edition)
e) if a statement is received about the loss (theft) of the driving license;
f) if a new driving license is issued;
g) if it is confirmed that the driver of the vehicle has medical contraindications or previously undetected medical restrictions to drive;
h) information about the death of the holder of the driving license is received.
(Item “h” is introduced by the Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of 20.12.2019 N 1734).
36. If the Russian national driving license is annulled, the Russian international driving license issued on its basis is considered invalid and is subject to annulment.
37. Persons who, according to the legislation of the Russian Federation, have medical indications for driving a vehicle, are indicated in the appropriate columns of the Russian National and International Driving Permits, on the conditions under which such persons are admitted to drive.
Russian National and International driving licenses are valid only if they comply with the limitations stipulated therein.
How to get an international driver’s license
For motorists who prefer to drive outside of Russia, an international driver’s license is of special interest. This document allows you to drive a car or other vehicle all over the world, not only in the countries that recognize the Russian driver’s license.
As of 2022, there are 69 countries that recognize the Russian driver’s license. The full list is not available here. The only thing is that these countries are present on all continents, from Eurasia to Oceania. But there are more than 200 countries in the world, which means that more than half of them require the Russian driver to have an international license.
There is no option to pass for an international license. The document is made in addition to the national VU and does not require additional exams. How to get an international driver’s license in 2022, what is its validity period and what is required for the paperwork, we tell in this material.
Where to get an international driver’s license
Obtaining an international driver’s license is possible in two instances – through the traffic police or in the MFC.
If you get your license from the traffic police, you will need to come in person to the department, where you need to fill out an application and receive the document. This method is considered fast because it is direct and does not involve intermediaries. We recommend that you call before you go to the office and clarify whether they issue an international license, as it happens that at this time the license may not be issued in the selected place. If it is, then apply to another office nearby.
It is worth understanding that walking around the offices and standing in line will take a motorist who wants to get an international license a whole day.
Getting an international license through the MFC has the advantage of applying through the “Gosusluzhba” portal. It not only saves the motorist from standing in lines, but also allows you to get a 30 percent discount when paying state duty. You only have to go to the MFC and receive your license.
The scheme of filling out an application on the Gosuslugi website is the same as When applying for a Russian driver’s license. Only at the beginning, when choosing the service, it is necessary to choose not “Getting a driving license”, but “Getting an international driving license”.
Documents for international driver’s license, which are submitted to State Traffic Police or MFC, depending on the motorist’s choice, are as follows:
- a valid driving license;
- A passport or ID card;
- two 45×35 matte photographs;
- A receipt for payment of state duty.
Formerly, an international driving license also demanded a medical certificate, the same as for the national license, but since recently, the requirement was canceled.
Differences of International License from the National License
As you have already understood the international license differs little from the national one in its essence and content. There is the same set of documents (with one exception), and the photos are also needed for them, but with one difference.
The 45×35 size photo on matte paper will not be taken at the traffic police station, so you will have to take it elsewhere, for instance in a photo studio, and not to forget about the necessity of printing on special paper.
Another important difference is that obtaining an international driving license requires the same set of documents as for obtaining a national driving license, plus the already existing national driving license. Obviously, without a national license there is no way to get an international one.
Another significant difference is the term of validity of the international driving license. If the national Russian driving license in 2022 is valid for ten years, the international document is valid for three years only. It may be valid for less. It depends on how soon the term of the national driving license expires.
However, you do not need to renew your driving licence when it expires. You simply get your expired license replaced with a new one, also at the Traffic Police Department or via the MFC. The main thing is that you have a valid Russian driving license.
If you are going to change your car, we recommend reading the articles posted on our blog. For you, we have prepared reviews and comparisons of machines that will help make the right choice. And in order not to buy a car in leasing, theft or with fines, before buying check the history of the car.
When you find a suitable option and decide to buy, check the owner of the car through a special service before signing the sales contract. The check will show if the seller has any problems with the law, if his passport is valid, and if there are any debts and enforcement proceedings. If serious problems are detected, it is better to refuse the deal. View a sample report
