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Australians heading overseas can now pick up an International Driving Permit (IDP) at Sydney Airport, under a new program launched by the NRMA and car hire partner SIXT.
The service, available at the SIXT counter in the international arrivals terminal, allows travellers to have their permit issued for collection on a two-business day turnaround – a move designed to save time and help manage last-minute delivery delays.
Australians take approximately 5.5 million overseas trips each year. Many travellers drive while overseas, yet only around 10 per cent purchase an IDP – leaving a large number exposed to risk.
The NRMA is the only official issuer of IDPs in NSW and the ACT.
The new in-person service offers an alternative to postal delivery. For travellers who realise they need an IDP a few days before departure, it avoids the $11.60 postage fee and postal wait time.
The Sydney Airport counter joins other locations including:
The announcement comes on the heels of a string of scooter and moped accidents overseas that have left Australian travellers facing hefty medical bills with no insurance cover. In destinations such as Bali, Thailand and Italy, local traffic authorities require riders to hold both a valid Australian motorcycle licence and an International Driving Permit.
Without both documents, travel insurers can refuse to pay out for accidents – even when medical evacuation or hospital care runs into tens of thousands of dollars.
Recent crackdowns in Bali, for example, have seen police confiscate scooters and fine tourists found riding without the correct documentation. Insurers also warn that if a traveller isn’t licensed to ride a motorcycle in Australia, they won’t be covered for doing so overseas.
Both the NRMA and the Australian Automobile Association remind travellers that an IDP isn’t just for cars and campervans: along with the correct Australian vehicle licence, it’s also essential for hiring scooters, mopeds and motorbikes abroad.
Travellers with NSW and ACT licences can apply for an IDP online via the NRMA, but those flying soon can now collect in person at the SIXT counter in the international arrivals terminal in Sydney Airport or selected NSW and ACT outlets.
Drivers and riders in other states should visit their local motorist association, such as the RACV or RACQ, for an IDP.
