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Driving in Wisconsin with a foreign driver's license

Foreign motorists from any of the countries who are party to the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic (Geneva, 1949) or the Convention on the Regulation of Inter-American Motor Vehicle Traffic (Washington, D.C., 1943) who visit the United States as tourists can drive legally using their valid domestic driver's license for a period not to exceed one year from the date of arrival. They may drive either a personal or rental car.

Tourists from countries who are party to the Geneva Convention and the Regulation of Inter-American Motor Vehicle Traffic can also legally drive their own private cars bearing valid license plates/registration tags issued in their native country for a period not to exceed one year from their date of arrival.

Foreign tourists whose country is not among those that are party to the terms of either convention may be required to obtain a driver's license and secure license plates/registration tags upon arrival in the United States (U.S.).

Foreign students attending school in the U.S. who are at least 16 years old and their privilege to operate a motor vehicle in Wisconsin is not suspended, revoked, cancelled or disqualified, can drive with their home country's valid license for up to one year. After one year, they must meet the same licensing requirements as a Wisconsin resident.

In addition to having a valid foreign driver's license, visitors are advised to carry an International Driving Permit obtained in their home country, as authorized by the 1943/1949 or 1968 conventions, or attach an English translation to their national driving license. The International Driving Permit is translated into the nine official languages of the United Nations, including English, and serves as a translation to be used in conjunction with the visitor's valid driver's license. It can be useful in emergencies, such as traffic violations or auto accidents, particularly when a foreign language is involved.

Visitors from foreign countries must obtain their International Driving Permit in their native country prior to arrival in the U.S.

Countries party to the 1943 or 1949 conventions:
Afghanistan*	Albania	Algeria
Andorra	Angola*	Antigua*
Argentina***	Armenia*	Australia
Austria	Bahamas	Bahrain*
Bangladesh	Barbados**	Belgium
Belize	Benin	Bhutan*
Bolivia*/***	Botswana	Brazil (Inter-American Driving Permit Only)
Brunei*	Bulgaria	Burkina Faso* (formerly Upper Volta)
Cambodia (formerly Kampuchea)	Cameroon	Canada
Cape Verde Islands*	Cayman Islands*	Central African Republic
Chad*	Chile***	Colombia*/***
Comoros*	Congo, Republic and Democratic Republic (Brazzaville, Kinshasa)	Costa Rica*/***
Côte d'Ivoire	Croatia*	Cuba
Curacao	Cyprus	Czech Republic (formerly Czechoslovakia)
Denmark	Djibouti*	Dominica*/**
Dominican Republic***	Ecuador***	Egypt
El Salvador*/***	Equatorial Guinea*	Estonia*
Fiji	Finland	France (including overseas territories)
French Polynesia	Gabon*	Gambia
Georgia	Germany*	Ghana
Gibraltar	Greece	Grenada
Guadeloupe	Guatemala***	Guernsey
Guinea*	Guinea-Bissau*	Guyana
Haiti***	Honduras*/***	Hong Kong
Hungary	Iceland	India
Indonesia*	Iran*	Ireland
Isle of Man	Israel	Italy
Jamaica	Japan	Jersey
Jordan	Kazakhstan*	Kenya*
Korea, Republic	Kosovo (formerly Yugoslavia)	Kuwait*
Kyrgyzstan	Laos	Latvia
Lebanon	Lesotho	Liberia*
Libya*	Liechtenstein*	Lithuania*
Luxembourg	Macao*	Macedonia
Madagascar	Malawi	Malaysia
Mali	Malta	Martinique
Mauritania*	Mauritius	Mexico*/***
Moldova	Monaco	Montserrat
Morocco	Mozambique	Myanmar*
Namibia	Nepal*	Netherlands
New Caledonia	New Zealand	Nicaragua*/***
Niger	Norway	Oman*
Pakistan*	Panama*	Papua New Guinea
Paraguay***	Peru***	Philippines
Poland	Portugal	Qatar*
Romania	Russia	Rwanda
St. Christopher, Nevis & Anguilla*/**	St. Kitts	St. Lucia
St. Vincent & the Grenadines	San Marino	Sâo Tomé & Principe*
Saudi Arabia*	Senegal	Seychelles
Sierra Leone	Singapore	Slovakia
Slovenia*	South Africa	Spain
Sri Lanka	Sudan*	Suriname
Swaziland	Sweden	Switzerland
Syria	Taiwan	Tajikistan*
Tanzania	Thailand	Togo
Trinidad & Tobago***	Tunisia	Turkey
Turkmenistan*	Uganda	Ukraine
United Arab Emirates*	United Kingdom	Uruguay (Inter-American Driving Permit Only)
Vatican City (Holy See)	Venezuela***	Vietnam*
Western Samoa	Windward Islands	Yemen*
Zambia	Zimbabwe

* Not party to 1949 Convention – International Driving Permit honored.

** U.S. driver's license and IDP recognized on presentation to local police and payment of special registration fee upon arrival.

*** Geographical areas which honor Inter-American Driving Permits (Convention on Regulation of Inter-American Motor Vehicle Traffic, Organization of American States, Washington, D.C., 1943) as of June 1996.

These countries also made the convention applicable to their territorial possessions.

Questions? Contact us: Wisconsin DMV email service
Phone: (608) 266-2353