Do you need an International Driving Permit in Georgia?

Short answer: in most cases your national driving licence is enough to get around Georgia. That's what the vast majority of visitors actually experience — pick up the keys, drive off, no drama. But there are a few nuances that make it worth tossing an International Driving Permit (IDP) into your bag anyway. Let's walk through it, no scare stories.

The law and real life aren't the same thing

On paper, Georgia follows the international road-traffic conventions, and those assume that a foreign driver carries an International Driving Permit. So in theory the IDP is the "correct" document for a foreigner behind the wheel.

In practice it's noticeably more relaxed. Georgian police happily accept national licences from most countries, and being pulled over specifically to show an IDP is genuinely rare. An officer on a street in Tbilisi, or somewhere along the road to Kutaisi, is looking first at a card they can read — a photo and Latin letters — not cross-checking you against the text of a convention.

But the law is still the law. If you land in an awkward situation — a disputed accident, a by-the-book inspector, an unusual-looking licence — not having an IDP could technically become a talking point. The odds are low, but it's worth knowing so that "carry an IDP or not" is a conscious call rather than a coin flip.

Latin letters, other scripts, and what's actually on your card

The single thing that settles about 90% of the question is which alphabet your licence is printed in.

• If your licence includes Latin script — your name, surname and categories duplicated in Latin letters — it usually sails through. That covers EU, UK and US licences, plus plenty of others.
• If your licence is entirely in a non-Latin script with no Latin duplication — Arabic, Chinese, Georgian script, Cyrillic and so on — that's exactly where an IDP earns its keep. It acts as an official translation and clears up questions for both the police and the rental desk.

A quick note for drivers from CIS countries: newer-style licences often carry a Latin transliteration of the name — Russian new-style cards are one example — and those are generally accepted in Georgia both for driving and for renting. Older cards printed only in Cyrillic (or any script with no Latin at all) are where a translation helps most. So before you travel, just glance at your own licence and check whether there's any Latin on it: that's the one check that genuinely matters.

What rental companies ask for

Here it all comes down to who you're renting from.

Big international chains (think Hertz, Sixt and the like) tend to play it safe and may request an IDP — it's written into their global policies regardless of local practice. That's not a Georgia thing, it's an internal-rulebook thing.

Local rental companies, which make up the majority in Tbilisi and around the country, usually go by your national licence and common sense. What matters to them is that the licence is valid, has the right category and is readable in Latin — not whether you're holding a specific IDP booklet.

From what we see at pickup: the overwhelming majority of guests turn up without an IDP — national licence in hand — and we hand over the keys without a second thought. The real hiccups almost never come from a missing IDP; they come from an expired licence, a missing category, or a fully non-Latin card with nothing to read. So the rule is simple: if you're booking ahead, confirm the document requirements right when you reserve. Two minutes of messaging saves you an unpleasant surprise at the counter. If a rental is on the cards, have a look at our breakdown of what's important to know when renting a car in Tbilisi — it covers documents, the deposit and the small print.

What an IDP actually is

There's a lot of confusion around international permits, so let's nail down what it is.

An IDP is not a separate licence and not a replacement for one. It's a translation of your national licence in a standardised international format. From that follows the main rule people keep missing:

An IDP is valid only together with your original national licence. On its own, without your "home" card, it's worthless.

Which means you carry both documents at once. Showing up at the airport with only your IDP and your national licence left at home is exactly the same as having no licence at all. A couple more things worth knowing:

• an IDP has an expiry date (usually a few years, and never beyond the validity of your national licence);
• it doesn't extend your categories — whatever your national licence covers is what the IDP covers;
• it's a cheap, quick document, not some complicated permit.

When an IDP is genuinely worth getting

There are a few situations where an international permit turns from "optional extra" into a sensible bit of insurance:

• Leaving Georgia. If you're planning to cross into Turkey or Armenia by car, you'll almost certainly want an IDP. Border and police checks in neighbouring countries are stricter, and a friendly chat won't get you as far. One important caveat: this applies to your own car or rentals that actually permit crossing borders. With MY.DRIVE cars, leaving Georgia is not allowed — our vehicles are for trips inside the country only, so the whole cross-border IDP question simply doesn't arise for them.
• A licence with no Latin script. Fully non-Latin — Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese, Georgian and so on — and an IDP clears every question in one go.
• An insurance claim. In theory, after an accident without an IDP an insurer could point to a breach of terms. In practice these stories are extremely rare, but in a serious incident an extra "correct" document works in your favour.
• Long-term stays. If you live in Georgia for more than a year, local authorities may expect you to switch to a Georgian licence — and an IDP smooths the interim formalities.

If even one of these is you, getting an IDP is worth it. If none of them are, you'll most likely be perfectly fine without one.

Common mistakes and myths

• "An IDP replaces your normal licence." No. Without your national licence, an IDP is a blank piece of paper. Carry both.
• "You can't drive in Georgia at all without an IDP." In practice most people drive on their national licence, especially one with Latin script.
• "If the police don't check, an IDP is pointless." Roadside police aren't the only scenario — there's the border, insurance, and the requirements of international rental chains.
• "An IDP is valid forever." No, it has an expiry date, tied to the validity of your national licence.
• "A photo of the licence on your phone is enough." Carry the physical originals — a photo of a document has no legal standing.

The practical takeaway

If you're coming to Georgia for a short trip, you're not planning to cross into neighbouring countries, and your licence has Latin script — you'll very likely be fine on your national licence alone. That's exactly what most tourists do, and exactly what we see at our front desk every day.

But if you're planning to drive into Turkey or Armenia in your own car, your licence is entirely non-Latin, your rental is through a big international chain, or you're simply the type who likes to close every loose end in advance — an IDP is literally half an hour at home and full peace of mind for a couple of years. Not a hard trade.

And if you'd rather not think about it at all — at MY.DRIVE no IDP is required: a valid national licence is enough. Pick up a car in Tbilisi and drive around Georgia. To keep the road smooth, take a look at our guide to the traffic rules in Georgia too — there are local quirks, and knowing them beats arguing with an inspector about conventions.