Certified Driver's License Translation

Many licenses follow a numbered layout. Licenses issued in the European Union, for example, number each field (surname, first name, dates, issuing authority, license number) and list vehicle categories in a table with their own dates and codes.

Restriction and endorsement codes carry exact meanings. On EU licenses, code 01 means the driver needs vision correction. Other countries use their own codes or short phrases, and some print them only on the back.

A complete translation keeps every number, category and code as printed and translates the meaning next to it, so a licensing office or insurer can read the card without guessing.

Licenses from countries that use another script, such as Arabic, Cyrillic, Chinese or Korean, need your name transliterated into Latin letters. We use the spelling in your passport if you give it to us, so the translation matches your other documents.

Dates appear in many formats, such as day.month.year or year/month/day. Each date is translated into an unambiguous format, so an issue date is never mistaken for an expiry date.

License numbers, document numbers and reference codes are copied exactly as printed and never translated or reformatted.

An International Driving Permit is a standard multilingual booklet issued under international road traffic conventions. It is issued in the country that issued your license, so you cannot get one after you arrive somewhere new.

A certified translation covers your own license in full, with a signed Certificate of Accuracy. Licensing offices, insurers and immigration files usually want this level of detail, because an IDP does not translate every field.

Some visitors need both: an IDP to drive, and a certified translation for an insurer or a rental company. Check the rules where you will drive before you travel.

The most common problem is translating only the front of the card. Codes and category dates on the back are often exactly what the licensing office or insurer needs.

Photos with cut-off edges, glare over the hologram or blurred numbers also cause delays, because the translator cannot confirm every character. Photograph each side flat, in good light, with all four edges visible.

Finally, check that the license is valid. A translation of an expired license is still an accurate translation, but many offices and insurers will not accept the license itself.