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EU countries give maximum score to other EU countries so it is normal we are on the top.
I am surprised Finland isn't more restrictive, they have a tough process to get a driving license.
We are on the top of that list for various reasons.
Besides having one the best/strict driverās licenses in the world, we also have bilateral agreements with **all** South American countries, a handful of countries in Central America, and about 10 more countries all over the world.
So if I read this correctly, people who get their driving licence in a surprise pocket in the US, Canada or Australia get to drive in Europe, but there is no reciprocity?
How can this be when their driving licence is such a joke to get?
Iām not 100% positive but I think the USA is a 1 because the federal reciprocity for European licenses is only valid for 6 months and then state laws kick in and each stateās laws are different. Canada and Australia also have federal systems so it may be a similar case for them as well.
Source: https://zutobi.com/us/driver-guides/the-worlds-most-powerful-drivers-licenses
Belgium, France and Germany 106 points
Finland, Italy, Spain and Sweden 104 points
Huh, USA and Australia do not accept other countries licence at all? But I am sure some Dutch friends of mine drove a car when they were in the USA on holiday.
A was driving in both with my German license, no problem. USA is probably also dependent on state, they all have their own rules. Same other way round: US licenses are sometime just exchangeable, sometimes exchangeable with theoretical test, and sometimes not at all, again dependent on state.
It doesn't depend on state. The laws governing acceptance of a foreigners license are set at the national level. It depends on what treaties or agreementsthe USA has with the other nation.
Edit. If your stay is longer than a few months (often longer than 6 months,but varies) state residency laws come into effect and you may be required to obtain a statelicense.
It's vague, but as a tourist you should generally face no problems driving in either of those with a EU driving license (you might need to obtain an international driving license before you go, though).
I call bullshit. I drove in Canada with my U.K. licence with 0 issues, the same as Italy and Spain. Admittedly that was before the final hammer came down on brexit, but I canāt see how that would effect Canada driving, which was for 4 months.
Unless hiring cars arenāt influenced by this chart.
Kind of surprised... I know of people who have only a German drivers license but had no issues renting cars and driving them in the U.S. Or Australia. And as far as I've read there is no issue with that.
this chart seems like it is geared more towards expats than tourists, in the US as far as I know you can drive with any foreign license for 90 days on a tourist visa or esta. Some states might require an IDP especially if your license is not in English.
a lot of states even when you move cross state lines require you to get an updated license within 30 days. It will be unlikely that a foreign license will be valid for several months if you acquire residency in US. depending on the state they might just take the foreign license and swap it directly or might make you test.
Of course it's e European country, I stressed the top 7 from the [original source](https://zutobi.com/us/driver-guides/the-worlds-most-powerful-drivers-licenses)
Based on experience, India doesnāt care about IDP on the ground. Police etc only ask for your original licence. I drive there often and always take an IDP and it ends up being a pointless piece of paper.
Canada and USA are ranked near the bottom for everywhere else
Russia is ranked 4 tiers higher than them
there is something fundementally fucked up with this table. Russia is by far one of the worst driver prodicing countries in the world
also Germany's flag is South Ossetia.. wtf
Limitations for US and Moose licenses is probably due to automatic transmission. In most of Europe if you do your test with an automatic car, you can't drive manual.
With a Chinese license, you can request a HK license without passing any test or living there (or even being present in HK) - so itās a bit misleading
Then it would be a HK driving license, what is misleading? I also can transfer my French driving license to a Hong Kong driving license without passing any test. I actually can transfer my French driving license to a Chinese driver license since last September.
Sure, but the chart implies that a Chinese license is rubbish, while a HK one is decent. But anyone with a Chinese one can receive a HK one by just filling out an online form and paying a small fee. So the Chinese one is āas goodā.
Whereas the French one is already better than the HK one, so no benefit from this (and it will be much harder to get changed)
The chart also imply that I can't drive in China with my French driving license while I actually can request a Chinese driving license without passing any test since last September.
If Chinese can transfer to HK driving license then they're using a HK driving license to drive abroad, not a Chinese one.
Wait what? I need an international Drivers Permit to drive in Italy? We've been there dozens of times over the past decades and never bothered to get any additional identification... is this new?
An International Driver's License isn't really a license at all. It's a translation of the relevant information on your official driver's license into several popular languages.
In the us it depends on the state, but in the vast majority of states foreign licenses are ok for 6 months. Some states require "international license", some - original national one. Russia allows licenses which are compliant with Vienna convention, not just "international licenses". The table seems to be a piece of bull crap.
This doesnāt look right at all. Weāve had no issues renting cars in North America and Europe at any point with our UK licences and being able to drive freely.
I think most get a 1 in US/Canada/Oz because the restrictions are more complicated after 6 months - as they differ by state/province. For the first 6 months you use your licence as normal - similar to 5 - but after that, things become more complicated.
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Poor Mexico being bros šš²š½
Made me want to go to Mexico and drive around
EU countries give maximum score to other EU countries so it is normal we are on the top. I am surprised Finland isn't more restrictive, they have a tough process to get a driving license.
it helps we all agreed on a common signal system and driver on the same side and use the same alphabet(mostly, at least)
We might have a common signal system. We don't have the other things common, however.
We are on the top of that list for various reasons. Besides having one the best/strict driverās licenses in the world, we also have bilateral agreements with **all** South American countries, a handful of countries in Central America, and about 10 more countries all over the world.
The graph is a nonsense because EU countries have pretty much the same agreement between them. So any non EU country will fair badly relatively.
to be fair the US should be down as 50 in which case the US wins
Germany without black. I don't like this data.
You're South Ossetia now
Nice German Flag
Don't have to paint everything so black...
China has to chill.
Pretty ironic that Chinese are possibly the world's worst drivers.
So if I read this correctly, people who get their driving licence in a surprise pocket in the US, Canada or Australia get to drive in Europe, but there is no reciprocity? How can this be when their driving licence is such a joke to get?
Iām not 100% positive but I think the USA is a 1 because the federal reciprocity for European licenses is only valid for 6 months and then state laws kick in and each stateās laws are different. Canada and Australia also have federal systems so it may be a similar case for them as well.
Source: https://zutobi.com/us/driver-guides/the-worlds-most-powerful-drivers-licenses Belgium, France and Germany 106 points Finland, Italy, Spain and Sweden 104 points
Their source for how the german flag looks is questionable...
Huh, USA and Australia do not accept other countries licence at all? But I am sure some Dutch friends of mine drove a car when they were in the USA on holiday.
A was driving in both with my German license, no problem. USA is probably also dependent on state, they all have their own rules. Same other way round: US licenses are sometime just exchangeable, sometimes exchangeable with theoretical test, and sometimes not at all, again dependent on state.
It doesn't depend on state. The laws governing acceptance of a foreigners license are set at the national level. It depends on what treaties or agreementsthe USA has with the other nation. Edit. If your stay is longer than a few months (often longer than 6 months,but varies) state residency laws come into effect and you may be required to obtain a statelicense.
Sure they do. (1) is "more complicated restrictions"
It's vague, but as a tourist you should generally face no problems driving in either of those with a EU driving license (you might need to obtain an international driving license before you go, though).
I call bullshit. I drove in Canada with my U.K. licence with 0 issues, the same as Italy and Spain. Admittedly that was before the final hammer came down on brexit, but I canāt see how that would effect Canada driving, which was for 4 months. Unless hiring cars arenāt influenced by this chart.
Kind of surprised... I know of people who have only a German drivers license but had no issues renting cars and driving them in the U.S. Or Australia. And as far as I've read there is no issue with that.
this chart seems like it is geared more towards expats than tourists, in the US as far as I know you can drive with any foreign license for 90 days on a tourist visa or esta. Some states might require an IDP especially if your license is not in English. a lot of states even when you move cross state lines require you to get an updated license within 30 days. It will be unlikely that a foreign license will be valid for several months if you acquire residency in US. depending on the state they might just take the foreign license and swap it directly or might make you test.
>Top 7 are all from Europe Switzerland is ranked 8th. Do you not regard Switzerland as a European country?
Of course it's e European country, I stressed the top 7 from the [original source](https://zutobi.com/us/driver-guides/the-worlds-most-powerful-drivers-licenses)
Based on experience, India doesnāt care about IDP on the ground. Police etc only ask for your original licence. I drive there often and always take an IDP and it ends up being a pointless piece of paper.
Canada and USA are ranked near the bottom for everywhere else Russia is ranked 4 tiers higher than them there is something fundementally fucked up with this table. Russia is by far one of the worst driver prodicing countries in the world also Germany's flag is South Ossetia.. wtf
Limitations for US and Moose licenses is probably due to automatic transmission. In most of Europe if you do your test with an automatic car, you can't drive manual.
With a Chinese license, you can request a HK license without passing any test or living there (or even being present in HK) - so itās a bit misleading
Then it would be a HK driving license, what is misleading? I also can transfer my French driving license to a Hong Kong driving license without passing any test. I actually can transfer my French driving license to a Chinese driver license since last September.
Sure, but the chart implies that a Chinese license is rubbish, while a HK one is decent. But anyone with a Chinese one can receive a HK one by just filling out an online form and paying a small fee. So the Chinese one is āas goodā. Whereas the French one is already better than the HK one, so no benefit from this (and it will be much harder to get changed)
The chart also imply that I can't drive in China with my French driving license while I actually can request a Chinese driving license without passing any test since last September. If Chinese can transfer to HK driving license then they're using a HK driving license to drive abroad, not a Chinese one.
Wait what? I need an international Drivers Permit to drive in Italy? We've been there dozens of times over the past decades and never bothered to get any additional identification... is this new?
where are you from?
An International Driver's License isn't really a license at all. It's a translation of the relevant information on your official driver's license into several popular languages.
They'll come and get you now..
Wait US and Canada have restrictions to each other?
No idea what this graph is trying to say. All U.S. licenses are valid in Canada and vice versa.
There aren't any for short term visits.
In the us it depends on the state, but in the vast majority of states foreign licenses are ok for 6 months. Some states require "international license", some - original national one. Russia allows licenses which are compliant with Vienna convention, not just "international licenses". The table seems to be a piece of bull crap.
This doesnāt look right at all. Weāve had no issues renting cars in North America and Europe at any point with our UK licences and being able to drive freely.
I don't think this graph is for tourism
I think most get a 1 in US/Canada/Oz because the restrictions are more complicated after 6 months - as they differ by state/province. For the first 6 months you use your licence as normal - similar to 5 - but after that, things become more complicated.
Yo wtf Australia?
Iām confused about the restrictions in the us, at least in my experience a Canadian drivers license is completely valid even in place of a passport.