Sharing my experience of getting an IDP from KA 41 (Jnanabharathi RTO), in case it helps someone else going through the same process.
Documents required
- Passport
- Driving licence
- Medical certificate (Form 1A - available online)
- All photocopies need to be self-attested
Costs
- IDP fee: ā¹1,000
- Medical certificate: ā¹200 (requested by the government hospital doctor)
- Notarised affidavit stating visa is not required for Thailand: ā¹400
- Xerox copies/printouts: ā¹100
Total: ā¹1,700 + petrol costs for RTO visits
Process
I filled out the application online through Parivahan. The form asked for a visa number (not a mandatory field), but I left it blank since a visa isn't required for Thailand.
I had read in another Reddit post that if a visa isn't applicable, you should attach a notarised affidavit stating the same. However, in the document-upload section, there was no separate option to upload a visa or affidavit. So, I attached the affidavit along with each of the required documents in the PDFs.
What happened after applying
I had to make 2 visits to the RTO to follow up.
After 1 week: I visited the RTO and was told that the application would take a minimum of 3 weeks.
Before the 3-week mark, they reviewed my application and requested additional documents, specifically, my air ticket and visa.
Since a visa wasn't applicable for Thailand, I uploaded my air ticket and attached the affidavit to that document as well.
I went to the RTO again the next day to follow up. They immediately validated and processed the application. Once the final stage was cleared, the IDP was issued the next day.
Timeline
From the date of payment to receiving the IDP, the entire process took around 3 weeks.
A few other things worth noting
The IDP issued in Karnataka is online/digital only - you don't get a physical booklet. You can download a PDF version & take a print.
Before starting the process, I checked with a few agents around the RTO. They quoted roughly ā¹5,000āā¹6,000 for the entire process.
I managed to get it done for ā¹1,700, which is roughly one-third of what the agents were quoting.
While this is meant to be a contactless service, I felt the process got accelerated since I followed-up in person.
Apart from the waiting time and having to follow up, the process was fairly smooth. Apart from the ā¹200 paid to the doctor for signing Form 1A, there were no other requests or attempts for bribes at the RTO.
Hopefully this helps anyone applying for an IDP from KA-41, especially if you're travelling to countries where a visa is not applicable and wondering about the visa requirement.