Driving Abroad

It depends on the licence and the destination. EU and EEA licences are valid across the EU/EEA with no IDP. Outside the EU, the answer comes from two treaties: the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic and the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. The US, Japan, and Australia accept the 1949 IDP; most of continental Europe, Brazil, and South Korea accept the 1968 IDP. China accepts neither and requires a temporary Chinese permit. The UK AA and Spanish DGT both publish current country-by-country tables — check those before you fly. The IDP is only valid alongside your original national licence.

Yes. Article 2 of Directive 2006/126/EC requires mutual recognition of driving licences issued by EU and EEA member states. You may drive anywhere in the EU/EEA on your national licence with no exchange, no IDP, and no additional permit. If you take up residence in another EU country, you keep using your licence until it expires; at renewal you apply through the host country's authority (Article 7(1)(e)). The UK is no longer part of this scheme since 1 January 2021. UK licence holders driving in the EU rely on the 1968 Vienna Convention and do not need an IDP for tourist visits.

Visitors with a non-EU licence may drive in most European countries on their national licence plus an IDP for stays up to six months. In Spain the limit is six months from entry (DGT, Reglamento General de Conductores Article 21); in Germany it is six months (FeV §29); in France it is one year from residency (Service-Public.fr, foreign licence exchange). The UK accepts non-British licences for 12 months for visitors (DVLA INF38). Once you become resident, you must exchange — Spain, Germany, and France maintain bilateral exchange lists and will require a full theory and practical test if your country is not on the list. Carry the original licence and the IDP together.

You typically need: valid driving license (held for minimum period, often 1-2 years), IDP if required, credit card for deposit, minimum age (usually 21-25), and booking confirmation. Read rental terms carefully regarding insurance, fuel policy, and cross-border travel restrictions.

Compulsory motor third-party liability follows your vehicle across the EU under the Motor Insurance Directive 2009/103/EC (codified from the 1972 Green Card Directive), so the legal minimum is covered automatically in all EU/EEA states. Comprehensive cover does not always travel — many UK and continental policies drop to third-party only once you cross the border, or cap foreign use at 30, 60, or 90 days. Ask your insurer in writing and request a Green Card if driving outside the EU (Albania, Türkiye, Morocco, Ukraine). For hire cars, the Collision Damage Waiver excess often runs €1,000–€2,500; a standalone excess-reimbursement policy is usually cheaper than the rental desk's upgrade.

Drive slowly for the first hour and keep the road's centre line near your right shoulder when driving on the left (UK, Ireland, Malta, Cyprus), or near your left shoulder when driving on the right (continental Europe). At junctions, look right-then-left in the UK and left-then-right in the EU. Roundabouts run clockwise in the UK and anticlockwise in the EU — give way to traffic already on the roundabout (Highway Code Rule 185 in the UK; Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic for most of continental Europe). Hiring a left-hand-drive car in left-hand-drive countries makes lane positioning and overtaking far easier.

Research before you travel: speed limits, priority rules, required equipment (triangles, vests, spare bulbs), alcohol limits, and toll systems. Many rules differ significantly from your home country. Keep a summary handy. Some rental companies provide country guides. When in doubt, drive cautiously.

Call 112, the single European emergency number established by Council Decision 91/396/EEC and now mandatory in all EU/EEA states plus the UK and Switzerland. Operators answer in the local language and usually English. In Spain, accidents involving injury must be reported to the Guardia Civil or local police (Reglamento General de Circulación, Article 129). In France, the formulaire de constat amiable is the standard accident form. In Germany, you must summon police for any injury (StVO §34). Keep your rental contract, breakdown number, insurance Green Card, and passport with you at all times.