IDP Requirements by Country
Details of which IDP you need
Below are details of which IDP you need, and a list of countries for which a permit is required unless indicated otherwise. This information refers to UK driving licence holders only. We are unable to advise holders of overseas licences for travel outside the UK.
If the country you are visiting is not shown, please check the requirements through the appropriate tourist offices or embassies, and any relevant car hire company.
Generally, UK licences are accepted in other EU countries unless otherwise specified below. If you intend to hire a car overseas, see Important Notes (no. 4).
List of countries for which a permit is required
An IDP is required for the following countries.
Special conditions or requirements apply for those countries in the list below with one or more capital letters alongside. It is important that you refer to the corresponding note(s) at the foot of this page.
IDP 1926
Brazil (P)
Burundi (E)
Iraq
Somalia
IDP 1949
A B C E G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V Y Z
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Angola (D, A)
Argentina
Armenia
Australia (E)
Bahrain (G)
Bangladesh (E)
Belarus (L)
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia (E)
Botswana (A, E)
Brunei (A, E)
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso (E)
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Cambodia (Kampuchea)
Cameroon (E)
Canada (E)
Cape Verde (E)
Cayman Islands (C)
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
Colombia
Comoros
Congo (Democratic Republic of)
Congo (Republic of) (E)
Cote d\'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) (L)
Curaçao (Netherlands Antilles)
Czech Republic (D)
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Ecuador (E)
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea (E)
Eritrea (E)
Gabon (D)
Georgia (D)
Ghana (E, A)
Guam
Guinea Bissau (E)
Guinea Republic (E)
Haiti (E)
Hong Kong (E)
Hungary (F)
Iceland (F)
India
Indonesia (M)
Iran
Israel (A, E)
Italy (F)
Japan
Jordan
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Kazakhstan (E)
Kenya (E)
Korea (South)
Kuwait (A, C)
Kyrgyzstan (E)
Laos (E)
Lebanon (A, C)
Lesotho (E)
Macao (Macau)
Malaysia (A, E)
Mexico (A, E)
Montenegro (E)
Myanmar (Burma) (G)
Namibia (L, A)
Nepal (H)
Niger (E)
Nigeria
Oman (G)
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Pakistan
Peru (Q, L)
Philippines (A, K)
Portugal (F)
Qatar
Romania (I)
Russian Federation
Rwanda (L)
San Marino (F)
Sao Tome and Principe (E)
Saudi Arabia (B, E)
Senegal
Serbia (E)
Seychelles (A)
Sierra Leone
Slovakia (A)
Slovenia (L)
South Africa (A, J)
Spain (including Balearic and Canary Isles) (F)
Sri Lanka (N)
Sudan (E)
Surinam
Swaziland (D)
Syria
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Taiwan (Chinese Taipei)
Tanzania (E, G)
Thailand
Togo
Tunisia (D)
Turkey (I)
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
USA (J)
Vietnam (G)
Yemen (A, C)
Zambia (E)
Zimbabwe (L)
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Important Notes
A – Required for car hire.
B – Women not permitted to drive.
C – IDP required. Temporary local licence may be obtained on production of UK licence.
D – UK driving licences that do not incorporate a photograph must be accompanied by an IDP.
E – IDP recommended.
F – All valid UK driving licences should be accepted. Acceptance of driving licences that are not of the European Communities model cannot be guaranteed therefore drivers may wish to voluntarily update them before travelling abroad. Alternatively, older licences may be accompanied by an IDP.
G – National licence or IDP should be presented to the police who will issue a visitors licence.
H – IDP valid for 15 days – local licence must then be obtained.
I – UK driving licences valid for 90 days; licenses that do not incorporate a photograph must be accompanied by an IDP.
J – IDP recommended as, in the event of an accident, some insurance companies will insist on seeing one.
K – IDP only recognised for 3 months after which you must apply for a local licence.
L – An IDP is compulsory for holders of licenses not incorporating a photograph and also recommended for photocard licence holders.
M – IDP compulsory and must be certified by Indonesian Motor Association on arrival.
N – IDP must be accompanied by a recognition permit available for a small fee from the AA of Ceylon in Colombo.
P – Officially a certified translation is required from Brazilian Consulate. However, we are advised that the permit is accepted in principle although not guaranteed.
Q – For stays longer than 30 days. |