[volga_volga]

can you advise?  also are there limitations on the driving licence recognition? I have a UK licence, will this do?
thanks

[cyberhippie]

Like many things in India the laws are a bit "grey" in this, you can drive as far as I'm aware but you have to have an international license with your photo. There's no test to aquire this just some forms to fill out!!

[volga_volga]

great! grey is better than black
eg in China foreigners are definitely not allowed except for certain cases...
the idea is to hire a car with a driver and certain (easy) stretches of the journey to drive thyself

[beach]

If you are caught in Delhi for any traffic violation the punishment includes watching of a 30 minutes movie – of course on driving!

[john.sw]

UK Residents over the age of 18 who hold a full driving license can get an International Driving Permit online for £5.50.

One site offering this service is the RAC (you don't have to be a member)

Click here for details

[volga_volga]

I am no longer UK resident but I have a photocard driving licence (in in plastic with photo) which I used in many countries already without problem.
I was more worried about not being allowed to self-drive in India, eg if a traffic policeman sees me behind the steering wheel, stops the car and arrests me.
in China, for eg, only legal residents are allowed to self-drive and only in restricted places (of residence) mainly big cities like Shanghai or Beijing. and that is AFTER having obtained China national driving licence (international is not valid there).
glad to see India is not China

[john.sw]

The Hong Kong Automobile Association could probably give you an International Drivers Permit.

They're in Nathan Road, at the end of Temple Street/Woosung Street.

If you go on the MTR take Exit A, turn right to Jordan Road, then right into Woosung Street, and you'll see my favourite office building (on the right) with it's proud name sign... Gofuku Tower  


http://www.hkaa.com.hk

[jyotirmoy]

beach, on Oct 11 2006, 05:53 AM, said:

If you are caught in Delhi for any traffic violation the punishment includes watching of a 30 minutes movie – of course on driving!

Delhi police it seems has discontinued the video show after the video operator showing signs of cracking up

[H.Nick]

volga_volga, on Oct 11 2006, 03:21 PM, said:

I am no longer UK resident but I have a photocard driving licence (in in plastic with photo) which I used in many countries already without problem.

Believe it or not you are not supposed to have!!!!

As far as I'm concerned, having passed my British driving test is good enough reason to have a British driving licence.

As far as they are concerned ---I enquired of DVLA--- you are supposed to be a resident with a british address, and a c/o address will not do, and you are supposed to give up your licence and get one for the country you are moving to! They said they'd give another one on returning --- but that doesn't help much for a 1-month visit.  

Well, they can whistle for mine!!! As I'm sure they can for yours and many, many other ex-pats.

I wish I'd kept my paper licence, which would not have expired until I'm 70 or something: the photocard licence has to be renewed every 5 (???) years, so I guess I'll have to sort out an address to borrow when the time comes.

[jyoti]

How do you get an international driver's license when you're already in India?  (Bangalore, specifically).  I don't have to give up my US license, do I?  I can see people having a fit when I pull that out in small town Missouri as they check my ID to be sure I can write a check.  (Granted, if I pull out a birth certificate and prove that I really am related to half the town, they'd be even more convinced).  

I learned to drive a motorcycle this week, by the way!  Tomorrow we're gonna try it on the kind-of-open road.    The boys are having fits because I refuse to buy a scooter or moped (but... but... girls are supposed to drive scooters!) and because driving a stick in the US makes it really easy to figure out the gears on a bike as well! (Girls aren't supposed to do that, either).  Now if I could only figure out what to do with both hands and feet at the same time...

[H.Nick]

No idea about US law...

I think that in UK the international permit has to be sent to the address on your driving licence.

To anyone who is going to be here long enough, and has a resident permit, getting an Indian licence is probably the best way.

I had an international permit all last year and never used it once

[volga_volga]

H.Nick, on Oct 11 2006, 11:00 PM, said:

I wish I'd kept my paper licence, which would not have expired until I'm 70 or something: the photocard licence has to be renewed every 5 (???) years, so I guess I'll have to sort out an address to borrow when the time comes.

Nick, the photocard driving licence that I have expires in 2041 or thereabouts, ie when I turn 70 (I don't have it with me today). at least the plastic part of it! I got it when I passed my test in 1999, I have never had paper licence. so I am intending to use it until then

failing that, I also have a Russian driving licence (to go with my Russian passport), also international version in plastic and in French  

[manojb]

You can, if you have a licence from your home country and an International Driving Permit.  An IDP is not a licence by itself, it is just a certification of your licence with translations in a number of languages.

[H.Nick]

volga_volga, on Oct 12 2006, 07:35 AM, said:

Nick, the photocard driving licence that I have expires in 2041 or thereabouts, ie when I turn 70 (I don't have it with me today). at least the plastic part of it! I got it when I passed my test in 1999, I have never had paper licence. so I am intending to use it until then

I think maybe they changed it so people have to keep the photos up to date. My original licence was valid up to my 70th birthday (which comes nearly 20 years before yours ). My new-last-year photocard is only valid ten years (not 5 as I thought.)

This beaurocratese from the DVLA leafglet with my license:

Quote

Photocard licences are only valid for a maximum period of ten years. this is to ensure that the photograph is kept up-to-date. After the age of 70, your photograph will not need to be renewed. Your actual driving entitlement for cars and motorcycles will normally be valid however until your 70th birthday

validity? Entitlement? Oh well....

Quote

failing that, I also have a Russian driving licence (to go with my Russian passport), also international version in plastic and in French  

plastic is spoken in so many countries I don't know why theyu bothered with the french!    

[volga_volga]

2H.Nick

accha! oh well...

now about the French and driving licences...

a friend of mine, Russian girl, lived in London and from there went to study in France for a year. she needed to drive a car there. she had not yet got her full UK licence, only provisional (but in plastic   ) as she had not passed her test. neither had she any other country's licences.

she was also a very poor driver and took a large number of driving lessons but failed her UK driving test several times.

she managed to lease a car at a rental agency near Charles de Gaulle airport and drove it for the year that she lived in France        mainly country side driving... I know this because I studied with her. I went with her to return the car to the agency (she was scared of driving from Fontainebleau to CDC airport by herself and did not know the way)

sorry for off-topic

[YETI]

This is a bit off-topic, too, but worth mentioning.

I lost my driving licence a couple of years ago (ie - it was in a wallet that went missing, I wasn't banned or anything) but I've never had any problems renting a motorbike over here. I expect it'd be different for a car, though. The Rough Guide reckons you should have an international driving licence to ride a bike over here.

No-one's ever asked to see my licence - Goan police, in particular, seem much more interested in how much money you're carrying rather than whether you're actually entitled to ride the bike or not.

[john.sw]

Anyone thinking of driving in India should take a look at this video...  

[sugarnspice]

    
Do you really have to watch a video?

jyotirmoy, on Oct 11 2006, 03:02 PM, said:

Delhi police it seems has discontinued the video show after the video operator showing signs of cracking up

[Poiple Shadow]

Dr Funkenstein, on Oct 13 2006, 02:22 PM, said:

Goan police, in particular, seem much more interested in how much money you're carrying rather than whether you're actually entitled to ride the bike or not.

I am legally allowed to drive in India (I have an international licence, insurance, my own bike, emissions test (needed every six months after a bike is 1 year old) - everything anyway...  I got stopped yesterday and he tried (unsuccessfully) to tell me that my international licence was only valid in the UK..!!!!  Duh! - Why would it be an INTERNATIONAL licence if it was only valid in the county I got it from????  We discussed the point for at least 5 mins before he let me go on my way.....

[juneaily]

You are allowed to drive if you have the right paperwork  -- but do you really want.
The traffic is insane -- dealing with innumerable number of maruti cars, cyclists, pedestrians and animals on the road is enough to drive one bananas. If you can afford it get a driver and sleep in the back seat.

Driving in South India is saner than north India.
So if you are really keen stick to the south and the west.