Your Indian driving license works perfectly fine here at home, but the moment you land in another country and think about renting a car, it suddenly isn't enough. That's where RTO Form 6A comes into the picture — it's essentially your International Driving Permit (IDP), the document that makes your Indian license legally usable outside the country.
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Download form 6A
What Exactly Is Form 6A?
Form 6A is the actual IDP booklet you receive once your application — Form 4A — gets approved. Under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, this is the document you're required to carry if you plan to drive in a foreign country. It's recognised in more than 150 countries that are part of either the 1949 Geneva Convention or the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, which covers a huge chunk of the world, including the US, UK, Canada, and most of Europe.
Form 6A vs Form 4A: Clearing Up the Confusion
People often use these two names interchangeably, but they're not quite the same thing:
Feature | Form 6A | Form 4A |
|---|---|---|
What it is | The actual IDP, issued by the licensing authority | The application you submit to request the IDP |
Used for | Driving in a foreign country | Applying for permission to get the IDP |
Depends on | Your Form 4A application being approved | A valid Indian driving license |
Validity | Usually 1 year | Just the application itself |
In short — you fill out Form 4A to apply, and once it's processed, you're handed Form 6A, your actual international driving permit.
Who Needs to Get Form 6A?
If any of these situations sound like you, this is worth sorting out before you travel:
You're planning to rent a car or bike on a trip abroad
You need to drive between offices or cities in another country for work
You're relocating abroad for a short stint and need a legal way to drive without applying for a completely new local license
Are You Eligible?
Before applying, make sure you tick these boxes:
You're an Indian citizen
You're at least 18 years old
You hold a valid, permanent Indian driving license
Your current address on your license matches the RTO jurisdiction you're applying through
You have a valid Indian passport, and a visa for your destination country if one's required
What Details Are Actually on Form 6A?
Once issued, the IDP booklet includes:
Permit details – Validity period, issuing authority's name and designation, place and date of issue, your DL number, and the official seal and signature
Personal details – Your full name, father's or husband's name, place of birth, address, date of birth, signature, and blood group
Vehicle category – The specific class of vehicle you're authorised to drive internationally, like LMV or MCWG
Photograph – A passport-sized photo of you
It's a small physical booklet, and you're expected to carry it along with your original Indian driving license whenever you're driving abroad — not just one or the other.
How to Download Form 6A
While Form 6A itself is issued to you after approval (not something you fill out blank), you can view or download the official format directly from Parivahan:
👉 Download Form 6A (Parivahan Sewa)
How to Apply for Form 6A
Thanks to the Parivahan Sewa portal, the whole process can be done online without needing to physically visit an RTO in most cases:
Go to "Driving Licence Related Services" under "Online Services" on the Parivahan Sewa website.
Select the state where your original driving license was issued.
Click on "Apply for International Driving Permit (IDP)," review the information shown, and hit "Continue."
Enter your driving license number, date of birth, and the verification code to pull up your record.
Fill in the remaining required details.
Upload scanned copies of your documents — license, passport, and so on.
Pay the applicable fee online to complete your application.
Documents You'll Need
Keep these ready before you start:
Your completed Form 4A (the application)
Permanent driving license
Passport
Visa, if applicable for your destination
Flight ticket, for verification purposes
Form 1A (medical certificate)
Three passport-size photographs
The IDP fee
How Much Does It Cost, and How Long Does It Take?
The standard fee is generally ₹1,000 across most states, though a few RTOs may add small extra charges depending on local rules. Once your application is submitted and verified, it typically takes about 3 to 5 working days to actually get your IDP issued, though this can vary slightly by RTO.
How Long Is It Valid?
Your IDP is valid for one year from the date of issue, or until your Indian driving license expires, whichever happens first. If it expires while you're already abroad, there's some good news — as per an MoRTH notification, you can get it renewed at an Indian embassy in that country, so you're not left stranded.
Why Bother Getting This at All?
A few genuinely practical reasons make this worth doing before you travel:
Legal compliance – It proves to local authorities that you hold a valid license back home.
Car rentals – Most international rental agencies simply won't hand you the keys without a valid IDP.
Insurance protection – If you're in an accident abroad without one, your travel or car insurance could be voided.
Clearing the language barrier – Local traffic police in a non-English-speaking country can still understand your license details, vehicle category, and expiry through your IDP.
Final Word
If international travel with any driving involved is on the horizon, don't leave your RTO Form 6A for the last minute. Get your Form 4A application in early, gather your documents, and once your international driving permit is in hand, you can travel knowing you're legally covered to get behind the wheel wherever you land.