Rider tools

Motorcycle licence and IDP checker

Whether you can ride a motorbike abroad comes down to three things: the motorcycle category on your own licence, which kind of International Driving Permit your country issues, and which kinds the country you're riding in accepts. Pick yours below.

Check what you need

Three answers and you get a plain verdict. Rules checked against official sources; links below.

Licence issued inRiding inMy licence covers motorcycles

This is general information from official sources, not legal advice. Rules change; check with the embassy if your trip depends on it.

Rules by destination

Each page has the full rules, a table by home country, and links to the official sources we used.

Riding in	IDP accepted	In short
Cambodia	1949	Smartraveller says Cambodian law lets you ride a motorcycle up to 125cc without a licence. Above 125cc you need your home licence with a motorcycle category and an International Driving Permit.
Colombia	See page	A valid foreign licence is accepted for tourists during their authorised stay; Bogotá's city government puts the limit at six months. An IDP is not required by law, though rental firms may ask for one.
Croatia	1949, 1968	EU and EEA licences are valid as they are, and GOV.UK says a UK photocard licence works for up to a year. Riders from elsewhere should carry an International Driving Permit with their licence.
India	1949	Carry a 1949 International Driving Permit with your home licence, both covering motorcycles. India is party to the 1949 convention only.
Indonesia	1968	You can't ride in Indonesia, Bali included, on your home licence alone. Carry it with an International Driving Permit that covers motorcycles. GOV.UK names the 1968 permit for UK riders.
Laos	1949	Carry a 1949 International Driving Permit with your home licence. Laos is party to the 1949 convention only, and Smartraveller says a home licence on its own is not valid.
Morocco	1968	Carry your licence, with a motorcycle category, plus a 1968 International Driving Permit. GOV.UK says Morocco no longer accepts the 1949 permit, which matters for riders from the US, Canada and Australia.
Namibia	1949	A foreign licence is valid in Namibia if it is in English and carries your photo and signature. Otherwise carry an International Driving Permit or a certified English translation.
Nepal	1968	Carry an International Driving Permit that covers motorcycles with your home licence. GOV.UK says Nepal needs the 1968 permit and no longer accepts the 1949 one.
Philippines	1949, 1968	You can ride on your home licence for up to 90 days after arrival, if it covers motorcycles. GOV.UK says an IDP is needed for hire and for stays over 90 days, so carrying one is sensible.
Spain	1949, 1968	EU and EEA licences are valid as they are, and GOV.UK says you can ride on a UK photocard licence. Other visitors can ride on their licence for six months from entry; carry a 1949 International Driving Permit with it.
Sri Lanka	1949	An IDP alone is not enough. You need a Sri Lankan permit on top: a temporary driving licence from the Department of Motor Traffic (counter at Colombo airport) or a recognition permit from the Automobile Association of Ceylon.
Thailand	1949, 1968	Visitors need their home licence with a motorcycle category plus an International Driving Permit. Thailand is party to both the 1949 and 1968 conventions, so either permit works.
Vietnam	1968	Vietnam recognises International Driving Permits issued under the 1968 convention, carried with a home licence that covers motorcycles. Permits from the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand follow the 1949 convention and are not valid.

How International Driving Permits work

An International Driving Permit (IDP) is a booklet that translates your national licence into several languages. It is not a licence on its own: it is only valid when you carry it with your national licence, and it only covers the categories on that licence. If your licence has no motorcycle category, an IDP can't give you one.

There are three kinds of permit, one for each UN road traffic convention: 1926 (Paris), 1949 (Geneva) and 1968 (Vienna). A country recognises the permits of the conventions it belongs to, and a country can only issue permits under conventions it belongs to. That is why the same rider can be fine in Thailand and not in Vietnam: the United States, Canada and Australia belong to the 1949 convention only, and Vietnam recognises 1968 permits.

A 1949 permit is valid for one year from issue. A 1968 permit is valid for up to three years, or until your national licence expires if that comes first. Get yours from the body your government authorises; permits sold by other websites are not valid.

Which IDP your country issues

Convention status comes from the UN Treaty Collection (checked 2026-11-05). A country can only issue permits under a convention it belongs to, though some issue the older 1926 permit too. Where we name an issuer, it is the one the government authorises.

Licence from	1949 party	1968 party	Who issues IDPs
Argentina	Yes	No	the Automóvil Club Argentino (1949)
Australia	Yes	No	the Australian Automobile Association, through state motoring clubs such as NRMA, RACV and AANT (1949)
Austria	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Belgium	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Brazil	No	Yes	your state Detran or the Automóvel Clube Brasileiro (1968)
Bulgaria	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Cambodia	Yes	No	Check with your licensing authority
Canada	Yes	No	CAA (1949)
China	No	No	no one (mainland China is party to neither convention) ()
Colombia	No	No	Check with your licensing authority
Croatia	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Cyprus	Yes	No	Check with your licensing authority
Czechia	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Denmark	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Estonia	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Finland	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
France	Yes	Yes	ANTS (France Titres), online (1968)
Germany	No	Yes	your local Fahrerlaubnisbehörde (driving licence office) (1926, 1968)
Greece	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Hungary	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Iceland	Yes	No	Check with your licensing authority
India	Yes	No	your Regional Transport Office (RTO) (1949)
Indonesia	No	No	Check with your licensing authority
Ireland	Yes	No	the Road Safety Authority, through NDLS centres (1926, 1949)
Israel	Yes	Yes	the Ministry of Transport (1968)
Italy	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Japan	Yes	No	your prefectural driving licence centre (1949)
Laos	Yes	No	Check with your licensing authority
Latvia	No	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Liechtenstein	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Lithuania	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Luxembourg	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Malaysia	Yes	No	Check with your licensing authority
Malta	Yes	No	Check with your licensing authority
Mexico	No	No	Check with your licensing authority
Morocco	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Namibia	Yes	No	Check with your licensing authority
Nepal	No	No	Check with your licensing authority
Netherlands	Yes	Yes	ANWB (1926, 1949, 1968)
New Zealand	Yes	No	AA New Zealand (1949)
Norway	Yes	Yes	NAF, KNA or MA (1949, 1968)
Philippines	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Poland	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Portugal	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Romania	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Russia	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Singapore	Yes	No	AA Singapore (1949)
Slovakia	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
Slovenia	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
South Africa	Yes	Yes	AA South Africa (1949, 1968)
South Korea	Yes	No	KoROAD (licence test centres, police stations and airports) (1949)
Spain	Yes	No	the DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico) (1949)
Sri Lanka	Yes	No	Check with your licensing authority
Sweden	Yes	Yes	motoring organisations named in law (KAK, M Sverige, SMC and others) (1949, 1968)
Switzerland	No	Yes	your cantonal road traffic office (or TCS/ACS in some cantons) (1968)
Thailand	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority
United Kingdom	Yes	Yes	PayPoint shops (for the DVLA) (1926, 1949, 1968)
United States	Yes	No	AAA and AATA (1949)
Vietnam	Yes	Yes	Check with your licensing authority

Sources

This page is general information drawn from the sources above, not legal advice. Rules change; if your trip depends on it, check with the embassy of the country you're visiting.