Russia Issues 179,000 International Driver’s Licenses in 2022, Rebounding to Pre-Pandemic Levels

In 2022 the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs issued 179,000 international driver’s licenses, a figure more than double what was issued in the previous year and a return to pre-pandemic levels of issuance, according to the ministry’s press center as reported by TASS. By year’s end 2022, the total number of international driving licenses issued matched the levels seen in 2017 through 2019, with 68,000 licenses issued in 2020 and 83,000 in 2021. The dip in 2020 and 2021 is tied to the challenging epidemiological situation and travel restrictions that limited international travel. International driver’s licenses authorize the holder to operate a vehicle outside the issuing country and are governed by the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, adopted in 1968. Earlier reports noted that more than 70 percent of new cars were produced domestically in March 2023, with a notable increase in imports from China to Russia.