Island holders of the International Driving Permit have been told they may be breaking the Geneva Convention.

The International Driving Permit, often called an IDP, is required or recommended in more than 140 countries - including the USA, Brazil and Hong Kong.

In some countries it is a legal requirement to enable you to drive, while in others it may be a compulsory requirement by car hire companies.

Island residents intending to drive overseas outside of the UK are recommended to obtain an IDP as some countries may not recognise a Manx driving licence. A one year IDP required for Brazil, Burundi, Iraq and Somalia costs £11.

But a three-year permit recommended for all other countries outside of the UK was also offered for a price of £24.

But now the vehicle licensing section of the Department of Infrastructure has written to holders to alert them to a problem with their three-year permits, which is says could be in breach of the Geneva Convention.

The letter states: ’The department had been made aware of a problem relating to our current International Drivers Permits which are valid for a period of three years.

’Our legal advisors and the Department for Transport in the UK have confirmed that under the terms of the Geneva Convention an IDP can only be issued for a period of one year.’

It added: ’We would like to apologise for any incovenience this may cause.’

Holders are asked to comply with the Convention by returning their current permit along with the letter and it will be replaced by a valid one-year version.

Most people associate the Geneva Convention with the ill-treatment of prisoners of war. But there is also a convention on motor traffic, dating back to 1929 and updated in 1949. It’s been ratified by dozens of states including France, Spain and the US.

Isle of Man Post Office will accept returns over the counter or by post to Licensing Agent, PO Box 367, IM99 3HA.