Driving Permit for Argentina
Driving in Argentina with a foreign license? An IDP translates your permit and is required if it is not in the Roman alphabet. Carry it with your home license. Argentina honors the 1968 Vienna Convention.
- Drive on
- Right
- Convention
- 1949 Geneva
- IDP validity
- 12 months
- Processing time
- 24 hours
Do you need an IDP to drive in Argentina?
Argentina drives on the right and welcomes visitors behind the wheel, but the paperwork depends on your license. Argentina is a contracting party to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic and also recognizes licenses issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention, which means it recognizes a valid International Driving Permit (IDP) when it is carried together with your original home-country driver's license. An IDP is not a stand-alone license; it is an official translation of your existing permit into multiple languages, and it must always be presented alongside the domestic license it accompanies.
Whether you strictly need an IDP to drive in Argentina comes down to your license. If your driver's license is not written in the Roman (Latin) alphabet, or if it lacks a photograph, an IDP is effectively required to make it recognizable to police and rental staff. Travelers whose licenses already use the Roman alphabet, such as those from the United States, the UK, the EU, Australia, or other Vienna Convention countries, may in practice drive on the home license during a tourist stay, but an IDP is still widely recommended. An IDP must be issued in your home country before you travel; it cannot be obtained in Argentina, and it is meant to be carried together with your original license.
On the ground, an IDP smooths two friction points: rental desks and roadside police checks. Major rental firms operate throughout Argentina, and while policies vary, most expect a valid home license in the Roman alphabet, a credit card in the driver's name, and often an IDP alongside it. Argentine police can and do check documents, so keep your IDP, original license, passport, and the vehicle's insurance and rental papers in the car. The US State Department notes that driving in Argentina is more dangerous than in the United States and that drivers can be aggressive, especially in Buenos Aires, so having your documentation in order lets you focus on the road.
Argentina recognises the IDP under the 1949 Geneva Convention.
Argentina is a signatory to the 1949 Geneva Convention. In practice, an IDP issued by another signatory country is recognised for your permitted visitor stay — in Argentina, plan on 12 months.
What you need to drive in Argentina
Have these ready before you pick up the keys.
Home license.
IDP advised.
An IDP is a translation of your existing license, not a replacement, and is only valid when carried with the original domestic license it accompanies.
An IDP must be obtained in the country that issued your driver's license before you travel; it cannot be issued to a foreign visitor inside Argentina.
Argentina's official guidance recognizes foreign national licenses issued under the 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna Conventions, and such licenses authorize driving for up to one year from your entry into the country.
With most major rental firms the minimum age to rent a car is around 21, drivers under 25 commonly face a young-driver surcharge, and a credit card in the driver's name is normally required.
Carry your original driver's license, your IDP, and your passport (or MERCOSUR identity document), along with the vehicle's insurance and rental documents, for police checks.
Seatbelts are mandatory, and driving with headlights on is required outside urban areas, including during the day.
What to know before you turn the key
Argentina drives on the right — the driver sits on the left, and roundabouts flow anti-clockwise.
Carry your IDP and your original license together — rental desks and police checks will ask for both documents.
Headlights on at all times on highways.
Drink-driving is enforced strictly, with a zero blood-alcohol limit on national routes and across most provinces under Argentina's Alcohol Cero law (the City of Buenos Aires retains a 0.5 g/L limit for cars), and failing to carry the required documents, including an IDP where your license is not in the Roman alphabet, can cause difficulty at police checks and rental desks.
Local rules to watch in Argentina
Low-emission zones, tolls, and city-specific rules that catch visiting drivers out.
In many Argentine cities you cannot turn right on a red light unless a sign specifically permits it, and one-way street grids often mean left turns are restricted.
Argentina's national 'Alcohol Cero al Volante' law (in force since 2023) sets a zero blood-alcohol limit on national routes, and most provinces apply zero tolerance on their roads; the City of Buenos Aires (CABA) did not adopt it and keeps a 0.5 g/L limit for cars. In practice, treat drinking and driving as effectively banned.
The US State Department notes that driving in Argentina is more dangerous than in the United States, that drivers are often aggressive, especially in Buenos Aires, and that gas stations can be far apart on rural routes.
Signs you'll meet on the road
Eight internationally recognised signs — including which side of the road Argentina keeps.
Common questions about driving in Argentina
Drive Argentina, confidently.
Apply online in minutes and get instant digital access to your IDP translation — with an IDP PVC card option if you want one in your wallet.