unrestricted international drivers licence Page 462

There’s no such thing as an "international driver's licence"—the proper term is an International Driving Permit (IDP), which merely translates your real licence.

It doesn’t grant magical powers or erase restrictions; whatever your home licence says—full, provisional, automatic-only—still applies.

If a country asks for an IDP, you carry it alongside your valid licence, not instead of it.

Want "unrestricted"? That means holding a full, unrestricted licence in your home country first; the IDP simply mirrors that status.

Rules vary by destination (and in Australia by state for visitors), so check the local road authority before you go or front up at the hire desk.

In short: IDP = paperwork translator, not a cheat code.