Travel
Driving abroad in a car registered to someone else
Check the destination's rules and carry written authorisation when required; the international permit does not prove your right to use the vehicle.
A valid licence and, where required, an international permit do not by themselves prove that you may take another person's car abroad. Check the destination and transit-country rules, the owner's written authorisation requirements, vehicle documents and insurance cover. Rental contracts and cross-border rules can impose separate conditions.
Separate driving permission from permission to use the car
Your licence establishes which categories you may drive; it does not establish ownership or permission to take a vehicle across a border. ACI advises drivers to check the documents required for travel abroad and notes that, for a vehicle not registered to the driver, written delegation may be requested. Requirements can depend on the country, the vehicle and who owns it.
Ask the vehicle owner to provide written authorisation identifying the driver, vehicle and travel period, and check whether the destination requires a particular form, signature certification or translation. A rental company has its own contract conditions, including cross-border permission and additional-driver registration. Confirm those terms before collecting the vehicle rather than assuming an ordinary booking covers every country.
Check insurance and carry the vehicle papers
Verify that compulsory liability insurance and any optional cover apply in every country on the route and to the named driver. Ask the insurer or rental company about exclusions, territorial limits and assistance. A Green Card or other insurance evidence can be relevant for some destinations, but it is not proof of permission to use someone else's vehicle.
Carry your valid driving licence, international permit or official translation where required, registration documents and written owner or rental authorisation. Keep a copy accessible if the original is retained by the owner. For Italian theory and licence-category study, Quiz Patente Ufficiale offers chapters and quizzes.
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Frequently asked questions
Does my international permit let me drive any borrowed car abroad?
No. It addresses licence recognition, not the owner's permission, vehicle registration or insurance.
What should written authorisation contain?
Check the destination's requirements. A practical document identifies the owner, driver, vehicle and period, with any required certification.