International Driving Permit for Canadian licence holders
How to get an International Driving Permit if your driving licence was issued in Canada.
Canadian licences are accepted directly in the United States, so the question only really arises for trips further afield. Bilingual English/French printing helps in Europe but not in Asia.
The official route from Canada
Under the UN Road Traffic Conventions, an officially issued International Driving Permit can only be obtained in the country that issued your national licence, from a body that country's government has authorised. In Canada that is the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), through its regional clubs.
Use that route if you have been told specifically that you need a government-recognised IDP, or if you are dealing with a licensing authority. It is the document with formal standing under the Conventions.
What we provide instead
Our service is a certified translation of your existing Canadian licence into 12 languages, laid out in the format described by the Conventions and carried alongside the original. It is not a licence, it is not government-issued, and it does not replace your Canadian licence.
What it does solve is the everyday problem: a rental agent or traffic officer who cannot read your licence can read the translation. It arrives digitally within minutes and you can order it from anywhere, including after you have already travelled.
What you need
- Your valid Canadian driving licence — expired licences cannot be translated.
- A recent passport-style photograph on a plain background.
- To be 18 or older. No driving test is required.
- Your travel dates, so you can choose a sensible validity period.