A person who holds a driving licence issued by a country outside the European Union or the European Economic Area may drive in Italy only under certain conditions. First of all, the driver must not have been resident in Italy for more than one year. In addition, together with the licence, they must also carry an international driving permit or an official Italian translation of the licence. Both the licence and the international permit must still be valid. This means that the foreign licence alone is not always enough. A document is also needed that allows the Italian authorities to understand its content and verify its validity.
The international driving permit must be issued by the competent authority of the country that issued the licence and must comply with the international conventions recognized by Italy. It is therefore not a private or informal paper, but an official document that must meet precise legal standards.
If, in the country that issued the licence, certain vehicles may be driven only if the driver also has a professional qualification or another additional authorization, the driver must also hold those documents when driving in Italy. For example, if in the country of origin it is not enough to have a licence to drive a bus or a professional vehicle, but an additional qualification is required, that qualification must also be carried while driving in Italy.
Holders of licences issued by non-EU or non-EEA countries must comply with all the behavioural rules of the Italian road code. In general, the same penalties that apply to holders of Italian licences also apply to them. This means that a person driving in Italy with a foreign licence is not exempt from Italian traffic rules and is responsible for violations like any other driver.
When the offence committed is one that would lead to suspension of an Italian driving licence, the foreign licence is not technically suspended as such, but the driver is prohibited from driving in Italy. In this case, the licence is immediately withdrawn by the authority that detected the offence and sent to the prefect of the place where the violation occurred. The prefect then issues an order prohibiting driving in Italy for a period equal to the suspension that would apply to that offence. At the end of that period, the holder may request the return of the licence. If the person declares that they are leaving Italy before the period expires, they may request the return of the licence earlier, but the ban on driving in Italy still remains effective.
If the offence is one for which Italian law would provide revocation of the licence, the prefect issues an order prohibiting driving in Italy for two years. The period becomes three years if revocation would be required for particularly serious alcohol- or drug-related offences. In this case too, the licence is withdrawn and procedures similar to those for territorial suspension are applied.
If the driver continues to drive in violation of the prohibition order, the situation becomes more serious. If they drive despite an initial temporary ban, the more serious regime equivalent to revocation applies. If they drive despite the more serious prohibition, the penalties for driving without a licence apply.
Anyone who drives in Italy with a non-EU licence without carrying the international permit or the official translation is subject to a very high administrative fine, from 408 to 1,634 euros. The same fine applies to a person who does not have the required professional qualification for certain vehicles. If the international permit itself is not compliant with the legal requirements, a lower fine applies, from 80 to 317 euros.
Residence in Italy is extremely important. Once more than one year has passed from the acquisition of registered residence in Italy, it is no longer possible to continue driving freely with a licence issued by a non-EU country as if nothing had changed. If, after more than one year, the driver uses a licence that is no longer valid, the penalties for driving without a licence apply. If they drive with an expired professional qualification, the penalties for driving without the required professional authorization apply.
If the driver has had residence in Italy for no more than one year and drives with an expired licence, the penalty for driving with an expired licence applies. The same rule also applies to someone who is not resident in Italy but drives with an expired non-EU licence. In these cases, the licence is withdrawn and sent, through the prefect, to the authority of the country that issued it. The same rule also applies to an expired professional qualification, where required.
If instead the driver has been resident in Italy for more than one year and drives with a still valid licence issued by a non-EU country, an administrative fine still applies. In this case, the document is withdrawn and sent to the competent civil motorization office for conversion, if the licence is convertible. If it is not convertible, the licence is sent to the authority of the country that issued it.
In summary, a licence issued by a country outside the European Union or the European Economic Area allows driving in Italy only within strict limits. The document must be valid, the driver must have an international permit or official translation, any required professional qualifications must be held, and the one-year limit linked to residence in Italy must be respected. Once more than one year of residence has passed, the situation changes significantly and the driver must regularize their position according to Italian law.
🔗 Read the official text of Art. 135 on the ACI portal (Italian)
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