Driving in Greece with a Moldova Driving Licence: IDP Requirements and Rules
A valid driving licence issued by Moldova is recognised in Greece under the bilateral Greece–Moldova agreement that entered into force on 6 March 2025. The agreement directly recognises qualifying national licences for road travel, so an International Driving Permit (IDP) is not legally required for that recognition. Temporary, probationary and equivalent licences are excluded. No fixed visitor-day limit is stated in the bilateral agreement.
Quick answer
A holder of a valid qualifying Moldovan national licence can drive in Greece under the mutual-recognition agreement. The legal basis is pair-specific rather than merely Greece's general treatment of foreign licences.
How Greece treats a Moldova driving licence
Article 1 of the agreement between the Government of the Hellenic Republic and the Government of the Republic of Moldova provides that the two countries mutually recognise valid driving licences issued by the competent authorities of the other party under its national law whenever those licences are used for road travel in their territories. Temporary, probationary and other equivalent licences are expressly excluded. The agreement entered into force on 6 March 2025.
IDP requirement and the applicable model
The bilateral agreement makes the valid Moldovan national licence itself the recognised driving document and does not make an IDP a condition of recognition. Moldova's Public Services Agency separately issues an IDP conforming to the 1968 Vienna Convention to eligible holders of valid Moldovan national licences. That IDP is valid for international driving only together with the national licence. No official Greek recommendation specifically advising qualifying Moldova licence holders to obtain an IDP was identified in the sources checked.
Visitors and residents
The recognition provision applies to valid licences used for road travel and does not state a fixed maximum number of visitor days, so no numerical visitor limit is recorded here. A person who establishes ordinary residence in Greece can use the agreement's exchange mechanism, subject to the applicable conditions. Greece's official administrative procedure confirms that holders of qualifying Moldovan licences with ordinary residence in Greece may exchange them for corresponding Greek categories without theoretical or practical driving examinations.
Rental-car requirements
Greek legal recognition of a Moldovan licence does not determine every car-hire contract. No named rental-company policy was verified for this pair, so rental documentation requirements are unverified – confirm with official authority. Travellers should check the selected company's current terms before collection.
Documents, authorities and insurance
The original valid Moldovan national licence is the document on which the bilateral recognition is based. A separate pair-specific official rule establishing additional roadside documents was not verified. Pair-specific insurance conditions are also unverified – confirm with official authority. Rental documentation and insurance contract terms should not be treated as licence-recognition law.
Important exceptions
Temporary, probationary and equivalent licences do not receive the agreement's Article 1 recognition. For licence exchange, additional rules apply. The agreement excludes licences obtained by exchanging a licence issued by a third country, except where the underlying licence was issued by an EU or EEA state. Exchange is also subject to category equivalence, required age, medical fitness and residence conditions. An official English translation of the licence may be requested by the competent authorities when assessing an exchange application.
Official sources used
- Hellenic Parliament, Law 5175/2025 and the incorporated Greece–Moldova agreement, verifying mutual recognition, exclusions, exchange provisions, category treatment and translation provisions, https://www.hellenicparliament.gr/UserFiles/2f026f42-950c-4efc-b950-340c4fb76a24/12835226.pdf, checked 28 September 2026.
- Greek National Registry of Administrative Procedures, Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport procedure for conversion of a valid Moldova driving licence, verifying the current Greek exchange process and residence conditions, https://mitos.gov.gr/index.php/ΔΔ:Μετατροπή_ισχύουσας_άδειας_οδήγησης_της_Δημοκρατίας_της_Μολδαβίας_σε_αντίστοιχης_κατηγορίας_ελληνική_άδεια_οδήγησης, checked 28 September 2026.
- Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in the Hellenic Republic, verifying that the bilateral agreement entered into force on 6 March 2025, https://grecia.mfa.gov.md/en/content/agreement-between-government-republic-moldova-and-government-hellenic-republic-mutual, checked 28 September 2026.
- Public Services Agency of Moldova, international driving permit service, verifying that Moldova issues an IDP conforming to the 1968 Vienna Convention and that it accompanies the national licence, https://www.asp.gov.md/ro/servicii/conducatori-auto/permise-conducere/323, checked 28 September 2026.
Practical recommendation
For ordinary driving in Greece, carry the original valid Moldovan national driving licence. The bilateral agreement provides direct recognition without making an IDP a legal requirement. An eligible driver can obtain Moldova's 1968 Vienna Convention IDP if desired, but it does not replace the national licence. Confirm any additional documents directly with a rental company before hiring a vehicle.
Last verified
This Moldova-to-Greece licence information was checked against the listed sources on 28 September 2026.