International Driving Permit in Cameroon or a Licence Translation: Which Do You Need?

International permit and translation: what is the difference?

The international driving permit is a booklet in the format set by the road traffic conventions of Geneva (1949) and Vienna (1968). It repeats your licence categories in several languages. You apply for it in the country that issued your national licence: Ontario’s official handbook speaks of a permit “from your own country”. It is never shown on its own, always with the national licence.

A translation covers your licence itself: front, back, categories, dates, stamps. It is done by a translator and then, depending on the country, legalised or apostilled.

The two do not always serve the same purpose. Some countries accept either for a short stay. To exchange your licence for a local one, it is usually a translation of documents that is asked for, not an international permit. It all depends on the country and on whether you are a visitor, a student or a resident.

The steps in order

The sequence below fits most departures. Translation only comes in at step 4, and only if the country asks for it.

1. 1

   Be clear about your status

   Visitor, student or future resident: the rules differ from one to the next, and so does how long your Cameroonian licence is recognised.

2. 2

   Read the destination country’s official page

   Note what it accepts: a licence written in its language, an international permit, an official translation. Note too whether the translation must be legalised or apostilled.

3. 3

   If an international permit is required, go to MINT

   You apply in Cameroon, before you leave, since it comes from the country that issued your licence. Ask the Ministry of Transport whether it issues one, which papers it needs and what it costs.

4. 4

   If a translation is required, have the licence translated

   Send CamerTrad the front and back of the licence. The sworn translator translates it in full, stamps included, and you receive a PDF, plus the paper original if the authority wants one.

5. 5

   Have it legalised if the country requires it

   For France, a translation made abroad must be legalised or apostilled. Ask the destination authority which body handles this.

6. 6

   Travel with the original

   Keep your original Cameroonian licence on you, with the international permit or the translation. Neither is valid on its own.

Who issues the international driving permit in Cameroon?

We found no Ministry of Transport page describing the procedure. The ministry’s online services portal (ssdtmint.cm) covers driving licences, vehicle registration and other road documents, but says nothing about the international permit.

A working document published in 2022 by the UN Economic Commission for Europe, on a register of international permits, lists the “Ministère des transports (MINT)” as the issuing body for Cameroon. In the UN Treaty Collection status tables we checked, Cameroon does not appear among the parties to the 1949 and 1968 conventions.

In practice: ask MINT or its regional delegation before you leave, and check with your destination country that it accepts a Cameroonian international permit. If the answer is unclear, an official translation is often the other route on offer.

What some destination countries ask for

This is what the official pages read on 28 October 2026 say. They change, so read them again before you travel.

• France, short stay: the licence must be written in French, or come with an international permit, or with an official translation. A translation made abroad must be legalised or apostilled; one made in France is done by an approved translator or by the embassy of the country that issued the licence.
• France, students: the page lists a licence written in French or accompanied by an official translation, with no mention of the international permit.
• France, residents: a non-European licence is only recognised for one year after you settle; after that, exchange is compulsory and foreign-language documents must be translated by an approved translator.
• United Kingdom: a visitor may drive a small vehicle for 12 months from when they last entered Great Britain. The page we read mentions neither the international permit nor translation.
• Ontario (Canada): a visitor from another country staying more than three months needs an international permit from their own country. A new resident may use their licence for 60 days.

Your licence may already be partly written in the host country’s language. Look at it before you order anything, and compare it with what the official page asks for.

Documents to translate for this procedure

To drive abroad or exchange your licence, these are the papers that most often need translating.

• Driving licenceThe core document. Front and back translated together: a licence card counts as one page.
• Passport and ID cardSometimes asked for with a licence exchange, to link the holder to the document.
• Translating from abroadIf you are already abroad: send photos on WhatsApp, get the translation as a PDF, paper by courier.

Translation: 10,000 FCFA per page, fixed price. Urgent 24 hours (French ⇄ English): 20,000 FCFA per page. Work out the total for my file

Mistakes that cost time

• Leaving without an international permit and planning to get one on arrival: it comes from the country that issued your licence.
• Showing the international permit on its own, without the original Cameroonian licence.
• Translating only the front: the categories and their dates are often on the back.
• Forgetting legalisation or the apostille when the country requires it for a translation made abroad.
• Mixing up a visit and a move: the leeway given to a visitor does not apply to a resident, who often has to exchange the licence.
• Buying an “international licence” from a website that is not a public authority.

What CamerTrad does, and what it does not

Our translations are done by a sworn translator of the Centre Court of Appeal. We translate your licence in full, front and back, with the translator’s seal. You receive a PDF by WhatsApp or e-mail; the paper copy can be collected by appointment in Yaoundé, at carrefour Tam-Tam, or sent by courier to other towns.

We do not issue international permits, we do not deal with MINT on your behalf and we do not legalise documents. We give no legal advice on your right to drive abroad. The authority in your destination country sets its own requirements; we cannot promise it will accept a translation.

Frequently asked questions