International Driving Permit

[bargainqueen]

Have now got our International Driving Permits. We have paper licences and we should have been getting these permits each year.

Bit of history, they are marked Convention on Road Traffic of 19 September 1949 on front cover and were originall issue by The Automobile Association Limited but as the AA are closing down their shops the Post Office have taken over for same day service. That is why the AA are still offering a postal service.

The clerk who did my husbands said that they have busy issuing these for the past two weeks, sometimes to people who are flying that day and have their luggage with them.

They are passport size, the first page is in English then it's repeated in 8 other languages.

You need your driving licence, credit/debit card to verify your signature and a current passport style photo.

I already had photos but my husband went to our local Sainsburys photo booth £5. When we arrived at Eastcheap they had a booth there so it may be worthwhile calling the post office helpline to see if the one nearest to you has a booth.

The number is 08457 22 33 44.

[Scorpio]

Hi, I have just received 29 e-mails about this requirement, but my concern is that there were also 381 copies of the e-mail sent to various people, who now have my e-mail address and my booking information. Similarly, I was copied in to someone else's message and I now have their booking information. What happened to the data protection procedures?

All future Florida bookings have now been emailed with details about the new IDP requirement.

For anyone concerned, you may have a maximum of 30 duplicate emails due to a glitch in the system. We tested and re-tested the email before it was sent too. Our apologies for the duplicate emails.

I've also added a new page to our website about the requirement (this link) and linked to it in an obvious place on our homepage, so all people visiting the site will be as aware of the new requirement as we can hope for.

[floridadreamvilla.co.uk]

The maximum number of emails sent would be 30 and in most cases it's none or certainly considerably less than 30. There are no details on the email that could be used by anyone else to affect your car rental booking. We quickly spotted the error in the code and rectified it.

It should not have happened, but we had to get the email out quickly so as no customers arrive in Florida and are refused car rental. Once again, our sincere apologies about this.

Hi, I have just received 29 e-mails about this requirement, but my concern is that there were also 381 copies of the e-mail sent to various people, who now have my e-mail address and my booking information. Similarly, I was copied in to someone else's message and I now have their booking information. What happened to the data protection procedures?

[randyj]

Whoa
Just opened up a new can of Worms. Just got off the phone with our Canadian People. They just found out about today and i was their 500 caller. I thought i might get for FREE since i was the 500 caller. Anyway its $37, Something new for Florida this year. She said it may be axed next year. If we had an accident or speeding ticket down there we would be in alot of trouble with the law if caught without the International Permit. So for the time being it to be safe get one. the processing time is a day if we fill out the form taken off the internet and take it in. Getting lots and lots of feed back. The person i spoke with said this may be gone next year. something has happened down there that can't get answers for at this time.

[stabard]

Sorry - may already been said but can I get a same day service at the Post office? I travel in 8 days and really don't want to be sending my passport and drivers license off anywhere.

[Katys Grandad]

Sorry - may already been said but can I get a same day service at the Post office? I travel in 8 days and really don't want to be sending my passport and drivers license off anywhere.

I spoke to the PO customer services just yesterday on that point. They told me the process takes around 5 minutes and you walk out with your permit.

[Laurel Oak]

Sorry - may already been said but can I get a same day service at the Post office? I travel in 8 days and really don't want to be sending my passport and drivers license off anywhere.

It's an over the counter service at the PO so you get the Permit straight away but do check on the PO web site for your nearest PO that issues IDP's as not all of them do so. Your nearest that issues IDP's may be a few miles away - mine is 10 miles away wheres my nearest PO is a few feet away.

[bargainqueen]

I got mine today, have a look at reply #51 as I've listed out exactly what we had to do.

Very simple to do but can involve a long journey as not all post offices in UK do it. I've listed the help line telephone number as well.

If you're flying to Miam from Heathrow it can even be done there.

It takes 15 minutes max depending on the amount of people there waiting to be served.

[carolmc]

In Ireland you have to mail the form in to AA - we don't have any other way to get the permit.

[Jill]

We have Canadian snowbirds who have been 'happily' driving around for over a month and were unaware of this rule change and now have got to apply by post so they comply with the current rules.