Getting an international license can help you in a list of important matters other than just driving. If you are planning to relocate from Pakistan and want to ensure that you stay out of any trouble, it is highly advisable to get your international license. If you are wondering about how to get an international driving license in Pakistan, here is our complete guide below.
Step by step guide to obtain an international driving license In 2021
If a Pakistani Citizen desires to drive a vehicle across the World having no unwanted inconvenience, he/she need to acquire International Driving Permit (IDP) or as also called International Driving License (IDL).
There are a total of 132 Countries around the globe including Pakistan which recognize IDP/IDL.
However for a person to avail the International Driving Permit, he/she must possess a valid driving license issued by the concerned authorities of his/her residential Country.
In Islamabad, if a Citizen requires the International Driving Permit/International Driving License, he/she needs to have certain prerequisite documents which include;
Documents required to apply for international driving license
- Copy of a valid driving license issued by Islamabad Traffic Police
- Copy of valid passport along with valid visa
- Copy of applicant’s CNIC
- Residential proof in Islamabad
- Driving stamp of Rs 30 by Post Office
It is worth noting that an applicant must appear himself/herself for submitting the required documents for obtaining or renewing the IDP/IDL.
Having all the required documents, an applicant will have to visit the Citizen Facilitation Center located in G-11/4 Sector Islamabad and submit them along with the processing fee (Rs 350 for the normal procession which takes seven days and Rs 1,050 for urgent) by himself/herself.
Timings of Citizen Facilitation Center
The Citizen Facilitation Center remains open for five days a week from Monday to Friday. However, its timings vary as from Monday to Thursday, the documents can be submitted from 09:00 am to 01:00 pm while the delivery process continues from 09:00 am to 03:00 pm.
But on Friday, the submission and delivery process is carried out from 09:00 am to 12:00 pm.
It is also worth noting that if an applicant has a driving license from a territory other than Islamabad, he/she needs to submit the additional documents for obtaining IDP/IDL which include;
- His/her computerized driving license
- No-objection certificate (NOC) from relevant district administration
- Residential proof in Islamabad
Note: The above information is obtained from the Official Website of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration.
How Can International License Help You?
Getting an international license may involve a little bit of back and forth. However, once you have the license, you can have your doors opened to many jobs and places around the globe. An international driving license allows you to enroll for professional driving jobs, and to work in foreign companies that require an international driving license.
In several countries, you are not eligible to buy or drive any vehicle unless you have a state-issued international driver’s license. Although many individuals apply for a license once they are relocated to another country. However, if you get this work done beforehand, you may get to save a lot of time and effort that you will have to make in a foreign country.
Can International Driving License Also Work As ID?
In many countries of the world, an international driving license plays the role of an ID as well. If you lose your ID card or want to get a new one, your international license can help you in the meantime to carry out your daily activities. For those who do not know, an international license contains all the records and information of the individual. This makes it similar to an ID card. While this may be true, a driving license does not necessarily replace the need of having an ID card. To put it simply, your driver’s license may help you for identification purposes but it does not eradicate the need for an ID card. Especially, in the case of a foreign country where laws are strict, you will need to make sure that you have an ID card as well.
Update: The Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed has said that the Ministry of Communications and Officials of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will work together to ensure that the driving license issued by Motorway Police can be used in UAE as well.
