International driving permit Bangalore: get your IDP from a Karnataka RTO
An international driving permit Bangalore residents use abroad is issued by a Karnataka RTO, not by an embassy or a private agency. You apply on Sarathi with Karnataka as the state, enter your licence number, upload your passport, visa, photo and Form 1A, pay the fee (reported as ₹1,000) and collect the Form 6A booklet. It lasts one year or until your Indian licence expires.
Key takeaways
- Only a Karnataka RTO can issue the permit for a licence held in Bengaluru; private sellers cannot.
- The application runs on Sarathi with Karnataka chosen as the state, followed by an RTO visit if the office asks.
- Keep a valid licence, passport, visa where it applies, three photos and a Form 1A medical certificate ready.
- The fee is reported as ₹1,000; the payment screen shows the final Karnataka amount.
- The booklet is valid for one year, or less if your Indian licence expires sooner.
- Chennai applicants follow the same national route with Tamil Nadu selected instead.
On this page · 13 sections
What is an international driving permit Bangalore RTOs issue?
An international driving permit Bangalore offices issue is a small booklet in Form 6A that translates the categories on your Karnataka licence into several languages. Police and car rental firms in countries that ask for it can then read your licence. It is a companion document, never a licence of its own.
Why travellers from Bengaluru need it
Many Bengaluru residents rent cars on holidays or drive during work trips. A Karnataka smart card is printed mainly in English and Kannada, and some countries want a standard format they recognise. The IDP gives them that format.
What it does not do
It does not let you drive in India, and it does not stand alone abroad. You must carry the original Karnataka card with it. Some countries, and some rental firms, also have their own rules on how long a visitor may drive.
Who can apply for an international driving license Bangalore offices issue?
Anyone who holds a valid permanent driving licence from Karnataka, is an Indian citizen and holds a passport can apply for an international driving license Bangalore offices issue. The permit covers only the vehicle classes already on your licence, so a two-wheeler-only holder gets a permit for motorcycles alone.
Licence held in another state
If your card came from another state but you now live in Bengaluru, apply through the state that issued it, or first move the licence record to Karnataka with a change of address. The IDP follows the licence record.
Licence close to expiry
Renew first if your licence ends within the next few months. The permit can never outlast the licence behind it, so a renewal before travel gives you the full year.
Which Bengaluru RTO should you apply at?
Your application normally goes to the RTO that holds your licence record or covers your current address. Bengaluru city has nine offices, split by direction, and Sarathi shows the one linked to the details you enter. Check the office printed on the acknowledgement before you travel across the city.
| Code | Office | Part of Bengaluru |
|---|---|---|
| KA-01 | HSR Layout | Central |
| KA-02 | Rajajinagar | West |
| KA-03 | Kasturinagar | East |
| KA-04 | Yeshwantpur | North |
| KA-05 | JP Nagar | South |
| KA-41 | Jnana Bharathi | Western suburbs |
| KA-50 | Yelahanka | Northern suburbs |
| KA-51 | Electronic City | Southern suburbs |
| KA-53 | Krishnarajapuram | Eastern suburbs |
Can you choose any city office?
A 2021 account of a licence renewal says Bengaluru applicants could visit any city RTO. We could not confirm that this applies to an IDP, so follow the office Sarathi assigns. Our RTO Bangalore page lists every Karnataka code around the city.
Outer taluks
Devanahalli, Nelamangala and Ramanagara have their own offices outside the city list, and licences issued there are handled locally.
How do you apply online with Karnataka chosen on Sarathi?
You apply on Sarathi (sarathi.parivahan.gov.in), the national licence portal run by MoRTH and NIC. Pick Karnataka, open the licence services menu and choose the option for an International Driving Permit. Your licence details load from the state record, and you add travel papers and pay.
- Open Sarathi. Go to sarathi.parivahan.gov.in and select Karnataka as the state.
- Choose the IDP service. Under driving licence services, pick the option to apply for an International Driving Permit.
- Enter licence details. Type your DL number and date of birth, then check the record that loads.
- Upload and pay. Add the passport, visa, photo and Form 1A, then pay the fee shown.
- Visit the RTO or collect. Attend the slot if one is offered and collect the booklet or wait for the post.
Aadhaar-based contactless option
In March 2021 MoRTH listed the IDP among 18 contactless services that use Aadhaar authentication. Even so, offices often want to see the original passport, so do not assume you can skip the visit.
Save the acknowledgement
Download the application number and payment receipt. You need both if a scan is rejected or the office asks you to re-upload.
International driving permit form: which form do you fill?
The international driving permit form is the application in Form 4A under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, which Sarathi fills from your entries. The permit you receive is printed in Form 6A. If you apply at the counter, the office can give you the paper form.
Fields that cause trouble
Your name must match the passport exactly, including initials and spelling. Enter the countries you plan to visit and your travel date honestly. A mismatch between licence and passport names is the most common reason a file is sent back.
Paper copies online
Blank Form 4A copies circulate on many sites. Use them only to prepare your answers; the RTO decides which version it accepts. For the full form-by-form background, see our international driving license India guide.
Which documents does a Bengaluru RTO ask for?
Under CMVR rule 14(2), the file needs your valid driving licence, the fee, three passport-size photographs, proof of Indian nationality, your passport, a visa where the destination requires one, and a Form 1A medical certificate. Secondary sources add an air ticket or itinerary.
The Form 1A medical
An MBBS doctor signs and seals Form 1A across your photo with a registration number. Get it from a clinic near your RTO a few days before you apply so the date stays recent.
Visa on arrival or e-visa
If your destination gives a visa on arrival, carry a confirmed ticket instead. For an e-visa, upload the PDF approval.
How much does an international license Bangalore applicants get cost?
The fee for an international license Bangalore applicants receive is reported at ₹1,000. The original CMVR rule 32 listed ₹500 before the 2016 revision. Karnataka may add a service or postal charge, so treat the Sarathi payment screen as the final figure before you pay.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| IDP fee (reported, current) | ₹1,000 |
| IDP fee in original rule 32 | ₹500 |
| Form 1A medical | Set by the doctor |
Paying through an agent
Agents near city RTOs add their own charge on top. The official fee does not change, and you can file the same form yourself in about half an hour.
How long is a Bengaluru-issued IDP valid?
A permit from a Karnataka RTO is valid for one year from issue, or until your Indian licence expires if that comes first, under CMVR rule 16(4). It cannot be extended; for a second trip after a year you apply again.
Country limits
A permit valid for a year does not mean a country lets you drive for a year. Many limit visitors to a set period from entry, after which residents need a local licence. Check the embassy or transport authority of your destination.
How long does the RTO take to hand it over?
Secondary sources report two to five working days after approval, but timing varies by office and season. Bengaluru RTOs see heavy summer travel demand, so apply at least two weeks before departure and keep the acknowledgement handy.
If it is delayed
Track the application number on Sarathi. If the status stays unchanged, visit the office named on the slip with your receipt rather than starting a fresh application.
International driving license Chennai: how does the Tamil Nadu route differ?
An international driving license Chennai residents need follows the same national process, but you select Tamil Nadu on Sarathi and the file goes to a Chennai office. The central rules, forms and validity are the same; only state charges and office routines may differ.
Chennai offices
Chennai’s codes run from TN-01 Ayanavaram through TN-02 Anna Nagar, TN-06 Mandaveli and TN-07 Adyar to TN-10 Virugambakkam, with no TN-08. Apply through the office that holds your licence.
Moved from Chennai to Bengaluru?
If you hold a Tamil Nadu licence but live in Bengaluru, apply with Tamil Nadu selected, or move the record to Karnataka first.
Why are IDP applications from Bengaluru held back?
Most delays come from name mismatches between licence and passport, blurred uploads, an expired Form 1A, or a licence record missing from the state database. In Karnataka a de-duplication error or missing record cannot be fixed online; you visit the issuing RTO with the original licence.
Old paper licences
A handwritten or laminated licence that was never digitised may not load on Sarathi. Ask the issuing office to enter it in the database first.
Can you get an IDP through an agent or online seller?
An agent can file the Sarathi form for you, but only the RTO issues the permit. Websites that sell an “international driving licence” by courier, without any RTO, offer a document that Indian law does not recognise and that foreign police may reject.
How to spot a fake
A real permit is issued in Form 6A by a licensing authority and carries the RTO’s seal. Anything ordered online without your licence number being checked is not an Indian IDP.
What should you carry when you drive abroad?
Carry the IDP booklet, your original Karnataka licence, your passport and the rental agreement. Keep scans in your phone too. For more on transport permits and taxes handled by RTOs, see our tax and permits guide.
Before you return
Keep the booklet after the trip. It stays valid until its expiry date if you travel again within the year.
Official links
Sarathi licence servicessarathi.parivahan.gov.in ↗Parivahan Sewaparivahan.gov.in ↗Karnataka Transport Departmenttransport.karnataka.gov.in ↗Tamil Nadu Transport Departmenttnsta.gov.in ↗International driving permit bangalore questions
Where is an international driving permit Bangalore residents need issued?
At the Karnataka RTO that holds or serves your licence record, after an online application on Sarathi with Karnataka selected. Embassies, travel agents and websites cannot issue it.
Can I apply for a Bengaluru IDP without visiting the RTO?
MoRTH added the IDP to its Aadhaar-based contactless service list in March 2021, but many offices still ask for a short visit to see the passport. Follow what your Sarathi acknowledgement says.
Is a learner licence enough for an IDP?
No. You need a permanent driving licence that is valid on the day you apply. A learner licence cannot be converted into an international permit.
Can I use the IDP to drive in Bengaluru?
No. An IDP is a translation of your licence for use abroad and is not valid in India. Carry your Karnataka licence at home.
Does the IDP replace my Indian licence abroad?
No. Show the permit together with your original Indian licence. Most rental desks and police ask for both, plus your passport.
How do Chennai residents apply for an international driving license?
The same way, on Sarathi, but with Tamil Nadu selected. The application goes to the Chennai RTO linked to the licence, such as TN-01 Ayanavaram or TN-07 Adyar.
Parivahan Sewa (parivahansewa-in.com) is an independent information website and is not affiliated with MoRTH, Parivahan or any state transport department. Confirm fees and rules on the official portal before you pay or apply.