Driving Abroad From Canada: International Driving Permits, Country Rules and Exporting Your Vehicle

Stopped at a checkpoint in Italy, a Canadian driver can show an International Driving Permit or a certified Italian translation of the licence. In Japan only the permit works, unless the driver holds a Japanese licence. In China neither helps: Global Affairs Canada says Canadian and international licences "are not recognized."

The rules belong to the destination, and they change. CAA now warns that Vietnam no longer recognizes the Canadian permit.

Below: getting an International Driving Permit (IDP), what 18 destinations ask of Canadian drivers, when a licence translation helps, and the paperwork for shipping a vehicle out of Canada or into it.

Do I need an International Driving Permit to drive abroad?

Often, but not in the United States: travel.gc.ca says Canadians with a provincial or territorial licence "do not need an IDP to drive in the U.S." Elsewhere, countries that signed the 1949 Convention on Road Traffic, "and some others," accept the permit.

The IDP is not a licence. Alberta describes it as "a photo and a multilingual translation of your Canadian driver's licence," and it is valid only with that licence and only for the classes it covers: no motorbike on an IDP if you are licensed for cars only.

Rental companies may demand one where the law does not, and travel.gc.ca warns that "your travel insurance may not cover an accident if you were driving a vehicle without the proper licence."

How do I get an International Driving Permit in Canada?

Only from CAA. CAA calls itself the only organization authorized to issue IDPs in Canada, "under a UN-approved mandate," and warns: "Any non-CAA issued IDP is fake and will not be accepted by a foreign country." You do not need to be a CAA member.

What CAA's application form (December 2025) asks for:

• Age 18 or over and a "full valid" Canadian licence; the form excludes "provisional or learner's licences, and licences under suspension"
• Two signed, full-face passport photographs
• A copy of the front and back of your licence
• The fee: CA$32 since December 1, 2025, plus shipping if mailed

In a CAA store the permit is normally processed in less than an hour. By mail, CAA takes about two working days after receipt, plus postage. Residents served by CAA South Central Ontario and CAA Manitoba can also apply online, with processing within five business days plus shipping.

The permit expires one year after issue or when your licence expires, whichever comes first, and the form states that "the Canadian IDP is not valid in Canada." Already travelling? You can apply by mail with a note giving your foreign address, or a relative can apply with your written permission. No agency abroad can issue one on a Canadian licence.

What do popular destinations require from Canadian drivers?

From each country's travel advice on travel.gc.ca, as of October 2026:

Recheck the "Laws and culture" tab before you leave; these pages change often.

When does a certified translation of your licence help abroad?

Where the destination accepts one instead of the IDP, or when you settle and exchange your licence. Three examples:

• Italy accepts "a certified Italian translation" instead of an IDP for drives of up to one year.
• Germany requires a translation of a non-EU licence unless you carry an IDP. Its Federal Ministry of Transport lists who may prepare German translations, "inter alia" German motoring organizations, motoring organizations or official agencies in the issuing country, and "court-appointed and certified interpreters and translators." After six months of residence, a licence from outside the EU and EEA is no longer recognized.
• Brazil: Global Affairs Canada calls the IDP an official Portuguese translation of your licence, so the permit is the simpler route.

When you move abroad for good, the licensing office there sets the documents for an exchange: often your licence, a driving record from your province, and translations into the local language. Some countries insist on their own sworn or court-appointed translators, and some want an apostille on Canadian documents, available since Canada joined the Apostille Convention on January 11, 2024. Ask the office before you order anything; our apostille guide explains the process, and we offer an apostille service for certified translations.

How do I export a vehicle from Canada?

Report it to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) before it leaves, and confirm the destination will register it:

1. Check the destination. The CBSA tells exporters to confirm the goods are "allowed entry into the destination country" with its embassy or consulate. Some countries limit used-vehicle imports by age or standards, as Canada does.
2. Gather ownership papers. Your provincial registration, the bill of sale, and a lien release if the car was financed.
3. Report the VIN. Under section 19 of the Reporting of Exported Goods Regulations, anyone who "intends to permanently export a conveyance" must give the CBSA documentation showing the vehicle identification number before exporting it, at the office nearest the exit.
4. File the export declaration if required. CBSA Memorandum D20-1-1 says a vehicle going to the United States needs VIN documentation "upon request," while one going anywhere else needs an export declaration quoting the VIN, filed through the Canadian Export Reporting System. By ship, that is at least 48 hours before loading. A customs service provider can file it for you.
5. Keep copies. Former residents may bring back the same Canadian-standard vehicle if they can show it was bought and registered in Canada before export and not substantially modified (CBSA Memorandum D19-12-1).

Only travelling with the car? travel.gc.ca says Canadians without a US residence may take a vehicle into the United States duty-free for personal use for up to one year. Elsewhere, a Carnet de passages en douane, available through Boomerang Carnets, covers a vehicle for up to a year without customs deposits.

Which vehicle documents need translating for registration abroad?

Whatever the foreign registry cannot read. Canadian registration documents are in English, French or both, and a registry in Spain, Germany or Japan will usually want its own language. Files often include:

• The provincial vehicle registration or ownership document
• The bill of sale and any lien discharge letter
• Proof of export, such as the CBSA proof of report number
• A driving record or insurance history, if you want credit for claims-free years

Translate every stamp, plate number and VIN exactly, and keep dates unambiguous (12/06/2026 is June 12 in most of Europe and December 6 in the United States). If the registry demands its own sworn translator, use one: our certified translations come with a signed Certificate of Accuracy, but no translator outside that country's sworn list can meet such a rule.

What if you are bringing a vehicle into Canada instead?

Check before you ship. Transport Canada says "most vehicles sold in countries other than the United States (U.S.) and Mexico cannot be imported into Canada." One exception is a vehicle 15 years old or older, by month and year of manufacture, that is not a bus. Most vehicles from the United States go through the Registrar of Imported Vehicles, and the CBSA requires the original US title for those.

The province then inspects and registers the car. ICBC, for example, requires an inspection at a designated facility and, for US imports, a Form 1 with two CBSA stamps, the original title and the bill of sale. Ask the CBSA and your provincial registry what translation they accept before you ship ownership papers in another language; exchanging your foreign licence is covered in our province-by-province licence guide.

Common mistakes

• Buying an "international driver's licence" online. CAA says any non-CAA permit is fake.
• Leaving it until you are abroad. Mail adds two postal trips to CAA's processing time.
• Driving on the IDP alone. It is valid only with your Canadian licence, for the same classes.
• Assuming the IDP works everywhere. China does not recognize it, and CAA reports Vietnam no longer does.
• Overstaying the visitor period, such as six months in Germany or 90 days in the Philippines.
• Shipping a car overseas without the export declaration that quotes its VIN.

Checklist before you drive or ship abroad

Questions people ask