Driving abroad
Check if you need an international driving permit (IDP)
You may need an international driving permit (IDP) to drive in some countries. The permit you may need depends on:
- which country you’re visiting
- how long you’re staying
You need to have a valid Great Britain (GB) or Northern Ireland driving licence to get an IDP.
Driving in Europe
You do not need an IDP to drive in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein.
Driving in Europe from 1 January 2021
The rules for driving, passports, EHIC cards, pet travel and more may change from 1 January 2021. Check if you need to act now to make sure you can travel as planned.
If your driving licence was issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man you may need an IDP to drive in some EU countries and Norway from 1 January 2021.
Check which IDP you need
Check the table to find out if you need an IDP. There are 3 types of IDP:
- 1926
- 1949
- 1968
The IDP you need depends on what country you’re visiting.
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 in the table, 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 or territory | Type of IDP | More information |
|---|---|---|
| Albania | 1968 | |
| Algeria | 1949 | |
| Andorra | 1949 | |
| Argentina | 1949 | |
| Armenia | 1968 | |
| Australia | 1949 | |
| Austria | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. |
| 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 | None | If you hold a driving licence from Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man, you may need a 1968 IDP from 1 January 2021. |
| 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 | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. |
| 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 | None | If you hold a driving licence from Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man, you may need a 1968 IDP from 1 January 2021. |
| Cuba | 1968 | |
| Cyprus | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here for visits up to 30 days. For visits longer than 30 days you will need a 1949 IDP. If you hold a driving licence from Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man, you may need a 1949 IDP from 1 January 2021 (for any length of visit). |
| Czech Republic | None | If you hold a driving licence from the Isle of Man, you may need a 1968 IDP from 1 January 2021. |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | 1968 | |
| Denmark | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. |
| Dominican Republic | 1949 | IDP needed for stays longer than 90 days. |
| Ecuador | 1949 | |
| Egypt | 1949 | |
| Estonia | None | If you hold a driving licence from the Isle of Man, you may need a 1968 IDP from 1 January 2021. |
| 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. |
| France | None | If you hold a driving licence from Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man, you may need a 1968 IDP from 1 January 2021. |
| French Polynesia | 1968 | |
| Georgia | 1968 | IDP needed for stays longer than 90 days. |
| Germany | None | If you hold a driving licence from the Isle of Man, you may need a 1968 IDP from 1 January 2021. |
| Ghana | 1949 | |
| Greece | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. |
| 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 | None | If you hold a driving licence from the Isle of Man, you may need a 1968 IDP from 1 January 2021. |
| Iceland | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. |
| India | 1949 | |
| Iran | 1968 | |
| Iraq | 1968 | |
| Ireland | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. |
| Israel | 1968 | |
| Italy | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. |
| 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 | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. |
| Lebanon | 1949 | |
| Lesotho | 1949 | |
| Liberia | 1968 | |
| Libya | 1949 | |
| Liechtenstein | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. |
| Lithuania | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. |
| Luxembourg | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. |
| Macao (Macau) | 1949 | |
| Madagascar | 1949 | |
| Malawi | 1949 | IDP needed for stays longer than 90 days. |
| Malaysia (Sabah) | 1949 | |
| Mali | 1949 | |
| Malta | None | If you hold a driving licence from Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man, you may need a 1949 IDP from 1 January 2021. |
| 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. |
| New Zealand | 1949 | |
| Niger | 1968 | |
| Nigeria | 1968 | |
| North Macedonia | 1968 | |
| Norway | None | If you hold a driving licence from Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man, you may need a 1968 IDP from 1 January 2021. |
| 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 | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. |
| Portugal | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. |
| Qatar | 1968 | |
| Romania | None | If you hold a driving licence from the Isle of Man, you may need a 1968 IDP from 1 January 2021. |
| 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 for visits up to 6 months (185 days). For visits longer than 6 months you’ll need a 1968 IDP. |
| Slovenia | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. |
| 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) | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. |
| 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 | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. |
| Switzerland | None | You do not need an IDP to drive here. |
| Syria | 1949 | |
| Tajikistan | 1968 | |
| Taiwan | 1949 | IDP needed for stays longer than 30 days. |
| 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 |