What is the validity period for an international driving license
Both those who regularly travel abroad in their own car, and those who are just thinking about passing the exam at the traffic police, are interested in the validity of an international driver's license. How often do documents need to be changed? Is it possible in exceptional cases to obtain rights that are valid longer than usual? And what should be done if the previous certificate turned out to be expired?
In this article, we will deal with the legislative framework and highlight the subtleties that many motorists do not know about. All rules for obtaining rights are described in the International Convention on Road Traffic and Safety, which is currently signed by almost 70 states.
This UNESCO document was drawn up in 1968 in Vienna. The provisions of this convention change quite rarely, so the validity of the international driver's license (IDP) in 2017 remains the same as it has been for many years. The document is provided to a person for three years - no more and no less.
However, for how long an international driver's license is issued, it also depends on the country where the person receives it. If the legislation of the “native” state states that national rights are designed for a shorter period, then the driver will not be given an IDP for three years. For example, in some states of America, young people receive temporary rights that can be used until the age of 21. Accordingly, a 20-year-old American driver cannot apply for an IDP for three years, because his document is only valid for a year.
And one more nuance.
To obtain international rights, the driver must have a national certificate. Accordingly, as soon as the validity of the rights issued in the homeland expires, the use of an international document will become illegal.
Simply put, if you have already obtained rights in Russia a long time ago and they expire in three months, then your IDP will become invalid after the same 90 days. Detailed information about that is in a separate article.
That is why it is highly discouraged to travel abroad with an expired national driver's license. Yes, inspectors do not always check such data, but if the secret becomes clear, the violator can be deported from the country and banned from entering for 5–10 years, or even forever. At least, this is how they do it in similar cases in the EU.
Can the period of validity of the rights be longer than the established
The time limits described above cannot be extended, whatever the wishes or circumstances of the motorist. The law clearly defines how long an international driver's license is valid: three years or less if the national driver's license ends earlier. It is impossible to obtain a document that would be valid longer, according to the same principle according to which a Russian passport, for example, must be changed at 20 and 45 years. 
How to extend the validity period
What to do if you have received an IDP and notice that their validity period is coming to an end? You just need to contact the same (according to the principle of action) institution that once already issued you a document. It is absolutely not necessary to come to the same department: the document can be obtained in another area of the native city. The main thing is to make sure that in one or another department of the traffic police (in case you are a citizen of Russia) they issue documents of international standard.
Renewal rules may vary slightly from country to country. So before you go to a certain office, check the information on the Internet. For example, citizens of the Russian Federation just need to go to