Last updated: October 2026
An international driving permit (IDP) from Kerala costs Rs.1,000 in official fee and is valid for 1 year from the date of issue. Parivahan's Licensing Related Fees and Charges page, checked in October 2026, lists Rs.1,000 for the issue of an International Driving Permit. You apply on sarathi.parivahan.gov.in using Form 4A, with your valid Indian driving licence, passport, visa and travel details, and the permit is issued through the RTO that covers your licence. An IDP is not a separate licence: it is an official translation of your Indian licence, and it works only when you carry it together with the original licence abroad.
| Item | Official position |
|---|---|
| Issue of International Driving Permit | Rs.1,000 |
| Validity | 1 year from the date of issue, or until your Indian driving licence expires, whichever is earlier |
| Renewal | There is no renewal of an IDP. After expiry, apply fresh with a new Form 4A and the same fee |
| Driving test | Not required. The permit is issued on the strength of your existing licence |
The Rs.1,000 above is the official fee on Parivahan's fee page, and it is the figure to trust. Pay only the total shown on the official Sarathi payment screen for your application. If a help desk or Akshaya centre assists you with the filing, any amount above the portal total is a service charge for their help (ask for a receipt), not a higher official fee. Allow a small extra amount in your own budget for the medical certificate, photographs and photocopies, but do not treat totals quoted on private sites as the Kerala figure.
Check names and numbers across every document before you file. The licence number, passport number, name spelling and date of birth must match across the form and the uploads. A single mismatched digit is enough for scrutiny to hold the file, and correcting it costs more time than checking it once at the start.
Not sure which office covers your licence? Our KL RTO code list with addresses helps you identify the office from the code on your licence. If your licence is also near expiry, read our guide to Kerala driving licence renewal fees first: an IDP stops being useful the day the underlying licence expires, so renew first and then apply.
Parivahan does not publish a fixed Kerala timeline for IDP issue, and this post will not invent one. In practice, the time depends on verification at your RTO: a clean file with matching documents can be completed quickly once the officer verifies the originals, while a queried file takes as long as the query takes to resolve. The safe approach is to apply well before your travel date, ideally a few weeks ahead, so a document fix or a second visit does not put the trip at risk. Do not leave the application to the last week before departure.
Always carry three things together when you drive abroad: the IDP booklet, your original Indian driving licence, and your passport. The IDP on its own proves nothing, and rental desks and traffic police abroad can ask for the licence it translates. The permit cannot be used for driving inside India, where your Indian licence alone is the valid document. Before you travel, also check that your destination accepts the permit for visitors and whether the rental company has extra conditions, such as a minimum licence-holding period or a credit card in the driver's name. If your licence card itself is lost before the trip, our guide to a duplicate driving licence in Kerala is the route to fix that first.
Rs.1,000. Parivahan's Licensing Related Fees and Charges page lists Rs.1,000 for the issue of an International Driving Permit. Pay only the total shown on the official Sarathi payment screen.
One year from the date of issue, or until your Indian driving licence expires, whichever is earlier. It cannot be renewed or extended: after expiry, file a fresh application.
No. Only a valid permanent driving licence qualifies. A learner licence holder must first get the permanent licence and then apply.
No. No fresh test is taken. The permit is issued on the basis of the licence you already hold and the classes recorded on it.
The form and payment are online, but treat the process as a hybrid one. Expect a visit for original-document verification and issue or collection of the booklet, and follow the appointment instructions your application generates.
No. The IDP is for use outside India only. Inside India, carry and use your Indian driving licence.
Fees and rules change without notice. Verify all fees and rules on parivahan.gov.in before applying.
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