MoRTH allows renewal of International Driving Permit even when abroad

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has now made it easier for motorists to renew their expired International Driving Permit (IDP) even when abroad. In a notification on January 7, the ministry said it will facilitate the issuance of International Driving Permit (IDP) for Indian citizens whose IDP has expired while they are abroad.

Prior to the notification, there was no mechanism for its renewal while citizens were abroad and their IDP had expired. With the amendment, Indian citizens will now be able to apply for renewal through the Indian Embassies / Missions abroad, from where  these applications would come to the VAHAN portal in India, which will be considered by the respective RTOs. Once the applications get a clearance, the IDP would be couriered to the citizen at his/her address abroad by the respective RTOs.

The amendment also does away with the requirement of a Medical Certificate and a valid visa at the time of making the request for the IDP in India. The idea is that a citizen who has a valid driving licence should not have a requirement for another medical certificate. Further, there are countries where the Visa is issued on arrival or Visa is issued at the last moment: in such cases, Visa is not available when applying for the IDP in India before travel. Going forward IDP application can be made without the need for having a Visa.

Image courtesy: NRIhelp