IDP 1949 (Geneva) vs 1968 (Vienna): which one is valid in Thailand?

Two conventions, two booklets

An International Driving Permit translates your home licence, and it exists under United Nations road-traffic conventions. Two of them are in use today, and they produce two different booklets.

The permit also has a second clock: the convention says it is valid for a limited time in the country you visit. For the 1968 version that is one year after you arrive. That is separate from the issue date, and from the three-month rule that tourists hear about in Thailand, which we cover in the main IDP guide.

How long each one is valid

• 1949 Geneva permit: one year from the date of issue. Wikipedia's summary of the convention also mentions a six-month grace period.
• 1968 Vienna permit: no more than three years from the date of issue, or until your home licence expires, whichever is earlier, and valid for one year upon arrival in the foreign country.

The "whichever is earlier" part is easy to miss. A Vienna permit issued with two years left on your licence will not last three years. Some news reports and guides say only "three years", which leaves this limit out.

Which one is valid in Thailand?

Both. Thailand acceded to the 1949 Geneva convention on 15 August 1962, and the UN Treaty Collection lists it as a party. Wikipedia's list of parties to the 1968 Vienna convention includes Thailand, and the Department of Land Transport began issuing Vienna-format permits from 1 May 2021. At that time the Nation reported that foreign licence holders under the Vienna convention could use theirs in Thailand from the same date.

We could not find the date of Thailand's accession to the 1968 convention: the UN Treaty Collection page for it was not available when we checked. The most recent and most direct sources agree that both are accepted, which matches how Thai guides describe it.

Which one will you get?

You do not choose between the two. The body in your own country that issues the IDP gives you the version your country can issue, and that follows from the conventions your country has joined.

• United Kingdom: GOV.UK lists Thailand as needing a 1968 permit.
• United States, Canada, Ireland: these are named among countries that did not sign the 1968 convention, so they issue the 1949 version.
• Australia: the Bangkok Post lists Australia among the 1949 countries.
• Countries party to both: the Bangkok Post reports that where a country belongs to both conventions, only the Vienna permit is issued (it names the UK, Italy, France, the Netherlands and Sweden).

If your country's authority offers both, ask which one it recommends for Thailand, and ask for a booklet showing the motorcycle category if you will ride. A permit that lists only cars does not authorise a scooter, and your insurer can refuse a claim for it: see travel insurance and motorbikes.

If you hold a Thai licence

The DLT issues IDPs too, to Thai licence holders, so residents who travel can get one at home. The Vienna-format Thai IDP launched on 1 May 2021 and is valid for three years, as the Nation reported. One guide says the DLT issues it to holders of a valid five-year Thai licence, which is a secondary source, so confirm the current conditions with the DLT before you rely on it.

What to do before you travel

1. Check which version your national issuer provides, and ask for the motorcycle category if you will ride.
2. Note the expiry date on the booklet, and compare it with your home licence's own expiry.
3. Carry the home licence and the IDP together. The IDP has no validity alone.
4. If you plan to stay in Thailand, plan to convert: see how to get a Thai licence and what it costs.

Frequently asked questions