Amid the Jewish High Holidays and peak international travel season, all branches issuing international driving licenses in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area are closed except for one in Bnei Brak.
Ynet has received complaints that even operational branches are experiencing a "system-wide malfunction" linked to the Ministry of Transport. The issue, first reported at a single Tel Aviv branch on Sheinkin Street, has since spread to other branches across the country. The Ministry of Transport has not yet responded but is investigating the cause of the communication failure with its offices.
Travelers report the disruption has lasted several days. Avi Leventel, a resident of Mevaseret Zion, told Ynet: “I’ve been trying for three weeks to get an international license with no success. I thought it was just one branch, so I went to Be’er Sheva, then Beit Shemesh, and finally Modiin, only to hear it’s a nationwide communication problem with the Ministry.”
In some branches, licenses were eventually issued, but often only after long waits. Leventel, who is scheduled to fly to Spain in a few hours, said calls to the ministry were unhelpful. “I waited 45 minutes on the line and was told there’s no solution, just to send an email. What good is that if I’m flying in hours? Either I drive illegally or cancel our car reservation. This has been going on for a week — surely thousands of Israelis are in the same situation.”
According to previous Ynet reporting in late August, obtaining an international driving license has become increasingly difficult and inconvenient. Half of the branches listed on the Ministry of Transport’s website for this service have closed or stopped offering it over recent years.
Currently, about 30 branches are closed and roughly 40 remain open, leaving many Israelis struggling to find a nearby location. The situation is particularly severe in central Israel: in Tel Aviv, only one of four branches is operating, while branches in Holon and Ramat Gan have closed, and Bat Yam and Givatayim never offered the service. Branch availability is somewhat better in other regions of the country.
First published: 15:53, 10.03.25