GOV.UK
Driving abroad
Check if you need an international driving permit (IDP)
You can use your Great Britain (GB) or Northern Ireland driving licence in all EU or European Economic Area (EEA) countries, and Switzerland, during stays of up to 12 months.
If you’re caught breaking the law, for example by a speed camera, the authorities can get the vehicle’s registered keeper’s details from DVLA.
You may need an international driving permit (IDP) to drive outside the EU or EEA.
Driving in Europe after Brexit
You will need an IDP to drive in some EU and EEA countries if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
The rules for passports, EHIC cards, pet travel and more may also change. Check if you need to act now to make sure you can travel as planned.
You will not need an IDP to drive in Ireland, even if there’s no deal.
Check which IDP you need
In some countries, you’ll only need to get a permit in certain situations. For example, if you’re hiring a car, or if you’ll be there for more than 30 days.
If you’re travelling through more than one country, you might need more than one type of IDP.
If the country you’re visiting is not included here, check with the embassy of the country you’re travelling to. If you’re hiring a car, check with your car hire company.
If you already have an IDP, make sure it’s still valid in the country you’re visiting.
| Country | IDP | Other requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Albania | 1968 | |
| Algeria | 1949 | |
| Andorra | 1949 | |
| Argentina | 1949 | |
| Armenia | 1968 | |
| Australia | 1949 | |
| Austria | 1968 | If you have a photocard licence, you only need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal and your stay is over 6 months. If you have an older, paper licence, you will need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, no matter how long you are staying. |
| Azerbaijan | 1968 | |
| Bahamas | 1968 | IDP needed for stays longer than 90 days. |
| Bahrain | 1968 | IDP needed for car hire, and for stays longer than 90 days. You must get your permit certified by local authorities when you arrive. |
| Bangladesh | 1949 | |
| Barbados | 1949 | |
| Belarus | 1968 | |
| Belgium | 1968 | You only need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal and your stay is over 185 days. |
| Benin | 1949 | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1968 | |
| Botswana | 1949 | IDP needed for car hire. |
| Brazil | 1968 | You need to get a certified translation of your IDP from the British consulate. |
| Bulgaria | 1968 | If you have a photocard licence, you only need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal and your stay is over 3 months. If you have an older, paper licence, you will need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, no matter how long you are staying. You must also take another form of photographic ID, such as your passport. |
| Burkina Faso | 1949 | |
| Cambodia | 1949 | |
| Canada | 1949 | |
| Cape Verde | 1968 | |
| Central African Republic | 1968 | |
| Chile | 1949 | |
| Congo | 1949 | |
| Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) | 1968 | |
| Croatia | 1968 | |
| Cuba | 1968 | |
| Cyprus | 1949 | You do not need an IDP unless the UK leaves the EU without a deal. |
| Czech Republic | 1968 | If you have a photocard licence, you only need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal and your stay is over 3 months. If you have an older, paper licence, you will need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, no matter how long you are staying. You must also take another form of photographic ID, such as your passport. |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | 1968 | |
| Denmark | 1968 | You only need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal and your stay is over 90 days. |
| Dominican Republic | 1949 | IDP needed for stays longer than 90 days. |
| Ecuador | 1949 | |
| Egypt | 1949 | |
| Estonia | 1968 | You do not need an IDP to drive here. If you have an older, paper UK driving licence, you will need an IDP to drive here when the UK leaves the EU. |
| Eswatini (previously Swaziland) | 1949 | If you have an older, paper UK driving licence, you must take another form of photographic ID, such as your passport. You may need to show an IDP to your insurance company if you’re involved in an accident. |
| Fiji | 1949 | |
| Finland | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. You will not need an IDP to drive here when the UK leaves the EU. |
| France | 1968 | You do not need an IDP unless the UK leaves the EU without a deal. |
| French Polynesia | 1968 | |
| Georgia | 1968 | IDP needed for stays longer than 90 days. |
| Germany | 1968 | If you have a photocard licence, you only need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal and your stay is over 6 months. If you have an older, paper licence, you will need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, no matter how long you are staying. |
| Ghana | 1949 | |
| Greece | 1968 | You do not need an IDP to drive here. If you have an older, paper UK driving licence, you will need an IDP to drive here when the UK leaves the EU. |
| Guam | 1949 | IDP needed for stays longer than 30 days. If you have an older, paper UK driving licence, you must take another form of photographic ID, such as your passport. You may need to show an IDP to your insurance company if you’re involved in an accident. |
| Guatemala | 1949 | |
| Guyana | 1968 | |
| Haiti | 1949 | IDP needed for stays longer than 90 days. |
| Hungary | 1968 | You do not need an IDP to drive here. If you have an older, paper UK driving licence, you must also take another form of photographic ID, such as your passport. If you have a paper licence, you will need an IDP to drive here when the UK leaves the EU. |
| Iceland | 1949 | You only need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal and your stay is over 1 month. If you have an older, paper UK driving licence, you must take another form of photographic ID, such as your passport. |
| India | 1949 | |
| Iran | 1968 | |
| Iraq | 1968 | |
| Israel | 1968 | |
| Italy | 1968 | You do not need an IDP unless the UK leaves the EU without a deal. If you have an older, paper UK driving licence, you must take another form of photographic ID, such as your passport. |
| Jamaica | 1949 | |
| Japan | 1949 | |
| Jordan | 1949 | |
| Kazakhstan | 1968 | |
| Kenya | 1968 | IDP needed for stays longer than 90 days. |
| Kuwait | 1968 | |
| Kyrgyzstan | 1968 | |
| Laos | 1949 | |
| Latvia | 1968 | You do not need an IDP to drive here. If you have an older, paper UK driving licence, you will need an IDP to drive here when the UK leaves the EU. |
| Lebanon | 1949 | |
| Lesotho | 1949 | |
| Liberia | 1968 | |
| Libya | 1949 | |
| Liechtenstein | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. You will not need an IDP to drive here when the UK leaves the EU. |
| Lithuania | 1968 | If you have a photocard licence, you only need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal and your stay is over 185 days. If you have an older, paper licence, you will need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, no matter how long you are staying. |
| Luxembourg | 1968 | You only need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal and your stay is over 185 days. |
| Macao (Macau) | 1949 | |
| Madagascar | 1949 | |
| Malawi | 1949 | IDP needed for stays longer than 90 days. |
| Malaysia (Sabah) | 1949 | |
| Mali | 1949 | |
| Malta | 1949 | You do not need an IDP to drive here. If you have an older, paper UK driving licence, you will need an IDP to drive here when the UK leaves the EU. |
| Mexico | 1926 | |
| Moldova | 1968 | |
| Monaco | 1968 | |
| Mongolia | 1968 | |
| Montenegro | 1968 | |
| Morocco | 1968 | |
| Myanmar (previously Burma) | 1968 | |
| Namibia | 1949 | IDP needed for car hire. If you have an older, paper UK driving licence, you must take another form of photographic ID, such as your passport. You may need to show an IDP to your insurance company if you’re involved in an accident. |
| Netherlands | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. You will not need an IDP to drive here when the UK leaves the EU. |
| New Zealand | 1949 | |
| Niger | 1968 | |
| Nigeria | 1949 | You’ll need a 1968 permit instead to drive here on or after 18 October 2019. |
| North Macedonia | 1968 | |
| Norway | 1968 | If you have a photocard licence, you only need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal and your stay is over 90 days. If you have an older, paper licence, you will need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, no matter how long you are staying. |
| Pakistan | 1968 | |
| Papua New Guinea | 1949 | IDP needed for stays longer than 30 days. |
| Paraguay | 1949 | |
| Peru | 1968 | |
| Philippines | 1968 | IDP needed for car hire, and for stays longer than 90 days. |
| Poland | 1968 | If you have a photocard licence, you only need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal and your stay is over 185 days. If you have an older, paper licence, you will need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, no matter how long you are staying. |
| Portugal | 1968 | You only need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal and your stay is over 185 days. If you have an older, paper UK driving licence, you must take another form of photographic ID, such as your passport. |
| Qatar | 1968 | |
| Romania | 1968 | You do not need an IDP unless the UK leaves the EU without a deal. If you have an older, paper licence, you will need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, no matter how long you are staying. |
| Russian Federation | 1968 | |
| Rwanda | 1949 | |
| San Marino | 1968 | |
| Saudi Arabia | 1968 | IDP needed for car hire. |
| Senegal | 1968 | |
| Serbia | 1968 | |
| Seychelles | 1968 | |
| Sierra Leone | 1949 | |
| Singapore | 1949 | IDP needed for car hire, and for stays longer than 30 days. |
| Slovakia | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. You will not need an IDP to drive here when the UK leaves the EU. |
| Slovenia | 1968 | You only need an IDP if the UK leaves the EU without a deal and your stay is over 90 days. |
| Somalia | 1926 | |
| South Africa | 1968 | If you have an older, paper UK driving licence, you must take another form of photographic ID, such as your passport. You may need to show an IDP to your insurance company if you’re involved in an accident. |
| South Korea | 1949 | |
| Spain (including Balearic and Canary Isles) | 1949 | If the UK leaves the EU without a deal on 31 October 2019, you’ll be able to drive here without an IDP until 31 July 2020. From 1 August 2020 onwards, you will need an IDP if you’re staying in Spain for more than 6 months. If you have an older, paper UK driving licence, you must take another form of photographic ID, such as your passport. |
| Sri Lanka | 1949 | As well as the IDP, you must get a Sri Lankan recognition permit from the Automobile Association of Ceylon (AAC) in Colombo. |
| St. Lucia | 1949 | Show your UK driving licence or IDP to the police to get a visitor’s licence. |
| St. Vincent | 1949 | Show your UK driving licence or IDP to the police to get a visitor’s licence. |
| Sweden | 1968 | You do not need an IDP to drive here. If you have an older, paper UK driving licence, you will need an IDP to drive here when the UK leaves the EU. |
| Switzerland | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. You will not need an IDP to drive here when the UK leaves the EU. |
| Syria | 1949 | |
| Tajikistan | 1968 | |
| Thailand | 1949 | |
| Togo | 1949 | |
| Trinidad & Tobago | 1949 | IDP needed for stays longer than 90 days. |
| Tunisia | 1968 | |
| Turkey | 1968 | |
| Turkmenistan | 1968 | |
| Uganda | 1949 | IDP needed for stays longer than 90 days. |
| Ukraine | 1968 | |
| United Arab Emirates | 1968 | |
| United States | 1949 | If you have an older, paper UK driving licence, you must take another form of photographic ID, such as your passport. You may need to show an IDP to your insurance company if you’re involved in an accident. |
| Uruguay | 1968 | |
| Uzbekistan | 1968 | |
| Vatican City | 1949 | |
| Venezuela | 1949 | |
| Vietnam | 1968 | |
| Zimbabwe | 1968 |