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International Driving Permit from Qatar: how residents get one to drive abroad
If you hold a Qatari driving licence, you can get an International Driving Permit (IDP) in Doha the same day at the Qatar Automobile and Touring Club for about QAR 150, or online for about QAR 250. It lets you rent and drive a car in many countries abroad, always together with your Qatari licence.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026
- Who can apply
- Qatari citizens and residents aged 18+ with a full Qatari driving licence
- Where
- QATC office on C-Ring Road (same day), or online through Asfary (about 2 working days)
- Cost
- About QAR 150 at QATC (cash), about QAR 250 online for one year
- Valid for
- Driving abroad only, usually one year, and only with your Qatari licence
An International Driving Permit (IDP) is a small booklet that translates your Qatari driving licence into several languages so that police and car rental companies abroad can read it. It is not a licence on its own: it only works when you show it together with your original Qatari licence. In Qatar it is issued to citizens and residents who already hold a full Qatari licence, mainly by the Qatar Automobile and Touring Club (QATC) on C-Ring Road, usually within minutes, and also online through the travel service Asfary. You cannot use it to drive inside Qatar, and visitors to Qatar cannot get one here. This guide explains who can apply, what to bring, the costs, which countries usually expect an IDP, and the mistakes that leave people stuck at a rental counter abroad.
Before you start
- Your original Qatari driving licence. It must be a full licence, not a learner permit or a temporary licence, and it should not expire before your trip ends
- Your QID (Qatar ID card). Residents are expected to have at least six months left on their residence permit
- Your passport, valid for travel, plus a copy of the photo page
- Two recent passport-size photos on a white background (bring real prints for QATC, not scans)
- Cash for the QATC fee (the club has been reported to take cash only), or a debit or credit card if you apply online
- Your travel dates and the countries you will drive in, so you can check that the IDP covers the whole trip
- If your employer holds your original licence for any reason, get it back first: offices ask for the original, not a photocopy
- The application form, which QATC gives you at the counter (online, you fill in the details on the website)
Step by step
Check that you actually need an IDP
Many countries, including much of Europe, the United States and Japan, expect foreign drivers to carry an IDP, and many car rental companies ask for one even where the law is relaxed. Your Qatari licence is in Arabic and English, which helps, but it does not replace an IDP where one is required. Check the destination country's official tourism or embassy website and, just as important, your rental company's terms. If either one asks for an IDP, get it: a rental desk can refuse you a car even when the police would not stop you.
Make sure your Qatari licence is in order
You can only get an IDP from Qatar if you hold a full, valid Qatari driving licence. A learner permit or a temporary visitor licence is not accepted. Look at the expiry date on your licence: an IDP cannot be valid for longer than the licence it translates, so renew your licence first if it ends during your trip. You can see your licence and its expiry date in the Metrash app.
Read guide: Renew your Qatar driving licence, or replace a lost or damaged one →Check your QID and passport
Residents need a valid QID, and the issuers expect at least six months left on the residence permit. Your passport must be valid for travel as well. If your QID is close to expiry, renew it before applying, because both QATC and the online service check it. This also saves trouble at the airport on the way out.
Read guide: Renew your Qatar ID →Get two passport photos
Bring two recent passport-size colour photos with a white background. One is fixed inside the IDP booklet. Most photo studios and many malls in Doha print them in a few minutes. For an online application you upload a clear digital photo instead, so check the size rules on the website.
Choose how to apply: in person or online
Going in person to QATC is the cheapest and fastest way: the permit is usually ready the same day, often within minutes. Applying online through Asfary costs more, takes about two working days, and can be done from home, with optional paid extras such as delivery or urgent processing. Pick the online route if you cannot get to C-Ring Road during office hours; pick QATC if you are travelling within a day or two.
Apply at the Qatar Automobile and Touring Club
QATC is on C-Ring Road near the TV Roundabout, opposite the Doha petrol station between the Gulf Cinema and Toyota signals. It has worked in two shifts, roughly 8 am to 12 pm and 3 pm to 5 pm, closed on Friday; call +974 4441 3265 before you go, especially near holidays, as hours can change. Hand over your licence, QID, passport, photos and the completed form, and pay the fee in cash. Staff fill in and stamp the booklet and give it back to you, usually while you wait.
Or apply online through Asfary
On the Asfary website, open the International Driving Permit page and choose the validity period. Add any extras you want, enter your personal details, upload your documents (licence, QID, passport and photo) and pay by card. You get an email confirming the application. Asfary now issues an electronically endorsed IDP that is emailed to you with printing instructions; print it as told and take the printout with you.
Check the permit before you leave
Before you walk out of the office or close the email, check that your name is spelled exactly as in your passport, the dates are right and the vehicle categories match your Qatari licence (for example, car category B). Check whether the booklet says it follows the 1949 Geneva Convention or the 1968 Vienna Convention, because some countries accept only one type. Japan, for example, accepts only the 1949 Geneva type, so confirm with your rental company before you book there. Mistakes are easy to fix in Doha and very hard to fix at a rental desk abroad.
Carry the IDP with your Qatari licence abroad
Always carry the IDP together with your original Qatari licence and your passport. The IDP alone is not a licence, and police or rental staff abroad can treat you as an unlicensed driver if you only have the booklet. Rental companies will also take a credit card in the main driver's name for the deposit. Keep a photo of all three on your phone as a backup, but take the originals in the car.
Know where the IDP does not help
You cannot use the IDP to drive inside Qatar: residents must drive on a Qatari licence. It is also generally not valid in your own home country or the country you live in, so to drive at home you normally need that country's licence. For road trips to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain or Oman, check the border and insurance rules in the road trip guide, and ask your rental company in advance whether they want an IDP from Qatar residents.
Read guide: Road trips from Qatar: driving to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Oman →Get a new one when it expires
An IDP from Qatar is usually valid for one year from the date of issue (never longer than your Qatari licence). There is no renewal as such: when it expires, you simply apply for a new one in the same way, with new photos, as long as your Qatari licence and QID are still valid. If you travel several times a year, get one before the first trip and note its expiry date in your calendar.
What it costs
| IDP at QATC, in person (cash) | QAR 150 |
| IDP online through Asfary, one-year validity (card) | QAR 250 |
| Delivery, urgent processing or weekend release (Asfary extras) | Extra charge; see the price shown when you book |
Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.
Common mistakes
- Expecting to drive in Qatar with an IDP. Residents must hold a Qatari licence, and visitors need an IDP issued in their own home country
- Leaving the original Qatari licence at home and taking only the IDP booklet, which is not a licence on its own
- Applying with a learner permit or a temporary licence; only a full Qatari licence is accepted
- Getting an IDP while the Qatari licence expires during the trip; the IDP stops counting when the licence does
- Not checking the convention type for countries such as Japan, which accept only the 1949 Geneva type
- Relying on what one country's law allows and not reading the rental company's own licence rules, which are often stricter
- Turning up at QATC on a Friday or late in the afternoon, or without cash and printed photos
- Assuming the IDP lets you drive in your home country; you normally need that country's own licence there
Questions people ask
Can I drive in Qatar with an International Driving Permit?
Not if you live here. Once you hold a Qatar residence permit you are expected to drive on a Qatari licence, and an IDP issued in Qatar is for use abroad only. Visitors to Qatar can generally drive a rental car with an IDP from their home country and their home licence for a limited time; see the licence transfer and car rental guides for the details.
I only have my home-country licence, not a Qatari one. Can I get an IDP in Doha?
No. QATC and the online service only issue an IDP based on a Qatari licence. An IDP for your home licence has to come from the authority or motoring club of the country that issued it, for example a club or transport office back home, so arrange it before you leave or by post if your home country allows that.
I got my Qatari licence only a few months ago. Can I still apply?
Yes. There is no minimum time you must have held the licence, as long as it is a full, valid Qatari licence and not a learner permit or temporary licence. Some rental companies abroad do set their own minimum, often one or two years of driving, so check their terms if your licence is new.
Can I use my Qatari licence and IDP to drive in India, Nepal or my home country?
Generally no. An IDP is meant for visitors driving in a foreign country, and most countries expect their own citizens and residents to hold a local licence. If you want to drive on visits home, keep your home licence valid or check the rules of your country's transport authority.
How long is the IDP valid, and how do I renew it?
Permits issued in Qatar are usually valid for one year from the date of issue, and never past the expiry of your Qatari licence. There is no renewal: when it expires you apply for a new one with new photos and the same documents.
My company keeps my original licence. Can I apply with a copy?
Expect to be asked for the original licence, not a photocopy, because the issuer checks it in front of you. Ask your employer to return it; it is your personal document. You also need the original with you when you drive abroad.
Is the online IDP accepted the same as the paper booklet?
The online service says it issues an electronically endorsed IDP that you print yourself. Most travellers report no problems, but acceptance is decided by the police and rental company in each country. If you are going somewhere strict, or will be stopped at a rental desk with a long queue behind you, the booklet from QATC is the safer choice; ask your rental company if unsure.
Do I need an IDP for Europe, the USA, the UK or Japan?
Rules differ by country and change, and many rental companies ask for an IDP even when the law does not. As a rule of thumb, get one for any trip where you plan to drive outside the GCC. For Japan, check that your permit is the 1949 Geneva type, as Japan does not accept other types. For a Schengen trip, the visa is a separate process covered in its own guide.
Official sources
- QIC: how to get an international driving licence in Qatar (Nov 2025) ↗
- DohaGuides: international driving license in Qatar, with reader questions ↗
- Qatar Living: International Driving Permit for visitors to Qatar (2026) ↗
Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.