the EU<\/a>, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, or Liechtenstein. as long as you have a full UK licence photocard.<\/p>\nHowever, you may still need a permit if you only have a paper driving licence or if your licence was issued in Gibraltar, Jersey, the Isle of Man, or Guernsey, and it’s always worth double checking before you set off.<\/p>\n
International Drivers Permit for driving abroad<\/strong>![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_GettyImages-2178722238.jpg\")
Young woman with curly hair smiles happily while driving a car, enjoying the freedom of the open road on a summer day<\/p>\nIn most cases, you will likely need an International Drivers Permit (IDP) in order to operate a vehicle in the country you’re visiting. However, there is not one singular international permit so it’s important to check which one you need before applying.<\/p>\n
Overall, there are three types of IDP: 1926, 1949, and 1968. If you’re visiting more than one country on your holiday and plan to drive in them, you may need to apply for more than one type of IDP. Read below for a breakdown of countries that need an IDP as well as the type needed.<\/p>\n
Always double check what type of IDP you need with the embassy at the country you’re visiting or with a car hire company if you’re hiring a car.<\/p>\n
Countries that need an IDP<\/strong><\/p>\nBelow is a list of all the countries that need an IDP. If the country you’re visiting is not included, it’s advised that you double-check with the country itself.<\/p>\n
There may also be some exceptions to each individual country or you may need additional permits. For example, Sri Lanka requires a 1949 IDP as well as a Sri Lankan recognition permit from the Automobile Association of Ceylon, while only some car companies in Spain require an IDP, even if it’s not legally required in the country as a whole.<\/p>\n
![\"Couple](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_GettyImages-523536450.jpg\")
Some countries may have additional requirements aside from an IDP(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
To double-check, you can use the IDP checker at PayPoint<\/a> by simply entering the country you’re visiting.<\/p>\n\n- Albania – 1968<\/li>\n
- Algeria – 1949<\/li>\n
- Andorra – 1949<\/li>\n
- Argentina – 1949<\/li>\n
- Armenia – 1968<\/li>\n
- Australia – 1949<\/li>\n
- Austria – 1968<\/li>\n
- Azerbaijan – 1968<\/li>\n
- Bahamas – 1968<\/li>\n
- Bahrain – 1968<\/li>\n
- Bangladesh – 1949<\/li>\n
- Barbados – 1949<\/li>\n
- Belarus – 1968<\/li>\n
- Belgium – 1968<\/li>\n
- Benin – 1968<\/li>\n
- Bosnia and Herzegovina – 1968<\/li>\n
- Botswana – 1949<\/li>\n
- Brazil – 1968<\/li>\n
- Bulgaria – 1968<\/li>\n
- Burkina Faso – 1949<\/li>\n
- Cambodia – 1949<\/li>\n
- Canada – 1949<\/li>\n
- Cape Verde – 1968<\/li>\n
- Central African Republic – 1968<\/li>\n
- Chile – 1949<\/li>\n
- Congo – 1949<\/li>\n
- Cote d\u2019Ivoire (Ivory Coast) – 1968<\/li>\n
- Croatia – 1968<\/li>\n
- Cuba – 1968<\/li>\n
- Cyprus – 1949<\/li>\n
- Czech Republic – 1968<\/li>\n
- Democratic Republic of Congo – 1968<\/li>\n
- Denmark – 1968<\/li>\n
- Dominican Republic – 1949<\/li>\n
- Ecuador – 1949<\/li>\n
- Egypt – 1949<\/li>\n
- Estonia – 1968<\/li>\n
- Eswatini (previously Swaziland) – 1949<\/li>\n
- Fiji – 1949<\/li>\n
- Finland – 1968<\/li>\n
- France – 1968<\/li>\n
- French Polynesia – 1968<\/li>\n
- Georgia – 1968<\/li>\n
- Germany – 1968<\/li>\n
- Ghana – 1949<\/li>\n
- Greece – 1968<\/li>\n
- Guam – 1949<\/li>\n
- Guatemala – 1949<\/li>\n
- Guyana – 1968<\/li>\n
- Haiti – 1949<\/li>\n
- Hungary – 1968<\/li>\n
- Iceland – 1949<\/li>\n
- India – 1949<\/li>\n
- Indonesia – 1968<\/li>\n
- Iran – 1968<\/li>\n
- Iraq – 1968<\/li>\n
- Ireland – 1949<\/li>\n
- Israel – 1968<\/li>\n
- Italy – 1968<\/li>\n
- Jamaica – 1949<\/li>\n
- Japan – 1949<\/li>\n
- Jordan – 1949<\/li>\n
- Kazakhstan – 1968<\/li>\n
- Kenya – 1968<\/li>\n
- Kuwait – 1968<\/li>\n
- Kyrgyzstan – 1968<\/li>\n
- Laos – 1949<\/li>\n
- Latvia – 1968<\/li>\n
- Lebanon – 1949<\/li>\n
- Lesotho – 1949<\/li>\n
- Liberia – 1968<\/li>\n
- Libya – 1949<\/li>\n
- Liechtenstein – 1968<\/li>\n
- Lithuania – 1968<\/li>\n
- Luxembourg – 1968<\/li>\n
- Macao (Macau) – 1949<\/li>\n
- Madagascar – 1949<\/li>\n
- Malawi – 1949<\/li>\n
- Malaysia (Sabah) – 1949<\/li>\n
- Mali – 1949<\/li>\n
- Malta – 1949<\/li>\n
- Mexico – 1926<\/li>\n
- Moldova – 1968<\/li>\n
- Monaco – 1968<\/li>\n
- Mongolia – 1968<\/li>\n
- Montenegro – 1968<\/li>\n
- Morocco – 1968<\/li>\n
- Myanmar (previously Burma) – 1968<\/li>\n
- Namibia – 1949<\/li>\n
- Nepal – 1968<\/li>\n
- Netherlands – 1968<\/li>\n
- New Zealand – 1949<\/li>\n
- Niger – 1968<\/li>\n
- Nigeria – 1968<\/li>\n
- North Macedonia – 1968<\/li>\n
- Norway – 1968<\/li>\n
- Pakistan – 1968<\/li>\n
- Papua New Guinea – 1949<\/li>\n
- Paraguay – 1949<\/li>\n
- Peru – 1968<\/li>\n
- Philippines – 1968<\/li>\n
- Poland – 1968<\/li>\n
- Portugal – 1968<\/li>\n
- Qatar – 1968<\/li>\n
- Romania – 1968<\/li>\n
- Russian Federation – 1968<\/li>\n
- Rwanda – 1949<\/li>\n
- San Marino – 1968<\/li>\n
- Saudi Arabia – 1968<\/li>\n
- Senegal – 1968<\/li>\n
- Serbia – 1968<\/li>\n
- Seychelles – 1968<\/li>\n
- Sierra Leone – 1949<\/li>\n
- Singapore – 1949<\/li>\n
- Slovakia – 1968<\/li>\n
- Slovenia – 1968<\/li>\n
- Somalia – 1926<\/li>\n
- South Africa – 1968<\/li>\n
- South Korea – 1949<\/li>\n
- Spain (including Balearic and Canary Isles) – 1949<\/li>\n
- Sri Lanka – 1949<\/li>\n
- St. Lucia – 1949<\/li>\n
- St. Vincent – 1949<\/li>\n
- Sweden – 1968<\/li>\n
- Switzerland – 1968<\/li>\n
- Syria – 1949<\/li>\n
- Tajikistan – 1968<\/li>\n
- Taiwan – 1949<\/li>\n
- Thailand – 1968<\/li>\n
- Togo – 1949<\/li>\n
- Trinidad & Tobago – 1949<\/li>\n
- Tunisia – 1968<\/li>\n
- Turkey – 1968<\/li>\n
- Turkmenistan – 1968<\/li>\n
- Uganda – 1949<\/li>\n
- Ukraine – 1968<\/li>\n
- United Arab Emirates – 1968<\/li>\n
- United States – 1949<\/li>\n
- Uruguay – 1968<\/li>\n
- Uzbekistan – 1968<\/li>\n
- Vatican City – 1949<\/li>\n
- Venezuela – 1949<\/li>\n
- Vietnam – 1968<\/li>\n
- Zimbabwe – 1968<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A wide variety of countries have different rules for British travellers Kieran Isgin Money & Lifestyle writer 13:52,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":181192,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5312],"tags":[2000,299,1230,104,183],"class_list":{"0":"post-181191","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-spain","8":"tag-eu","9":"tag-europe","10":"tag-motoring","11":"tag-spain","12":"tag-travel"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114676319206734985","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=181191"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181191\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/181192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=181191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=181191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=181191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Coast](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_GettyImages-2184381534.jpg\")
Many holidaymakers like to hire cars while abroad(Image: MEDITERRANEAN\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n