Before driving abroad, you need to obtain an international driving permit which allows you to do so. It’s illegal to drive in a foreign country without the proper license and if you want to avoid issues with the law while traveling it’s best to make sure you have the right document with you.
There are different types of international permits depending on the type of vehicle you plan to drive. It’s important to figure out which permit applies to your vehicle before taking the trip in the first place.
Category A
An international driving permit of an A category allows you to drive motorcycles while abroad. These are the so-called light motorcycles that won’t exceed 11kW in power or 123 cubic cm in engine capacity. This doesn’t, however, cover all motorcycles, there’s a separate category of tricycles and quadricycles.
The permit for these is known as B1 and it doesn’t depend on the capacity of the machine but the number of wheels it has. When it comes to other categories on our list – they are designated based on how powerful the vehicle is.
Category B
When it comes to getting international driving permit for cars, it mostly refers to the category B permit since that’s the most common license used for driving personal vehicles. The vehicles that fit in this category can’t exceed the weight of 3500 kg.
They also can’t have more than 8 seats, not counting the driver’s seat. It’s allowed to add a trailer to the vehicles within this category but there’s also a limit as to how heavy it can be. It can’t be heavier than 750 kg. However, the combined weight of the vehicle and the trailer can’t exceed 3500kg.
Category C
This category covers motor vehicles that are heavier than 3500kg but don’t weigh more than 7500 kg. As is the case with the B category, you can also attach a trailer to the vehicle of this category. It too can’t be heavier than 750 kg, which is included in the overall 7500kg.
This can still be a personal vehicle but vehicles that are made for personal use and that weigh this much are rather rare. Chances are that it will be a professional vehicle of some kind and when that’s the case, the international permit is usually provided by the employer.
Category D
Category ID is an international driving permit category used for professional vehicles. Which vehicles fall under this category doesn’t depend on the weight of the vehicle but on how many seats it has. It’s reserved for vehicles that have between 8 and 16 seats. Therefore, it’s usually issued to commercial vehicles.
It’s allowed to use a trailer with these types of vehicles and the trailer is limited in terms of how heavy it can be. As is the case with other categories the trailer can’t be heavier than 750 kg regardless of the weight of the vehicle.
Choosing the right permit for your needs is essential if you plan to take a trip abroad and to drive with the proper documents.