I will be traveling to the UK soon and I will be carrying along my international drivers license. Is the license acceptable ID to use when going out with friends or will I need my passport?
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What nationality are you? And do you look young enough to expect to be carded?– DTRTCommented Sep 15, 2017 at 17:50
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Related (not duplicate): Visiting Japan, what foreign proofs of ID are acceptable (for non-official purposes)?, What kind of ID does the US accept when visiting bars or drinking age events?, and Can I use a passport card as ID in a bar? among others.– chosterCommented Sep 15, 2017 at 18:57
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1Here in the UK a driving licence with photo ID is usually good. We don't carry our passports around, but when out of your own country, it is a good idea to have it with you anyway.– Weather VaneCommented Sep 15, 2017 at 19:37
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@Johns-305 I'm lebanese and 24 years old.– lj0239Commented Sep 15, 2017 at 19:51
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1@Weather Vane but many retailers are part of the Challenge 25 scheme and will ask customers to prove their age if they look 25 or less in the opnion of the staff. wsta.co.uk/challenge-25 . This means a 24 year old person may still need to prove their age.– SarriesfanCommented Sep 16, 2017 at 6:36
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2 Answers
An international drivers license is for convenience of translation from your actual (Lebanese) drivers license.
Your Lebanese license is the real one, but the reality is that outside the middle East, few people are able to look at it and understand it. Nor will most people in the world be able to verify its authenticity. The IDL translates your DL information to multiple working languages and provides some assurance that someone else familiar with Lebanese drivers licenses agrees the license is valid.
Clearly this is not an ironclad system but it helps with suggesting authenticity.
To answer your question, you can try using your IDL, but also present it with your drivers license. If I were you, I would then be ready to display a passport for confirmation. After a few times, you'll learn which is sufficient.
An IDP is not an ID. Your passport is your main id when traveling outside your country. A drivers license is sometimes an acceptable back up. An IDP is only a translation of license information and is not an acceptable id by itself. It must be accompanied by your DL (which as mentioned is only a back up form of id).