International Driving Permit in Egypt

🗓 Facts checked against the best available secondary sources for Egypt; we could not independently verify the underlying road-traffic law. Research last updated: 28 July 2026. You may copy this information only if you provide a link back to this page.

⚠ This page is general information about driving rules, not legal advice. Rules change, and each authority applies its own — confirm your case with the relevant authority before you drive.

ℹ We are a private company. We are not a government body, a licensing or issuing authority, or a treaty organisation, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for any of them. The International Driver's Document we sell is a translation of your national driving licence: it is not a driving licence, and it is not a government-issued document.

• Driving in Egypt: key facts
• Do you need an International Driving Permit in Egypt?
• What side of the road does Egypt drive on?
• How long can you drive in Egypt with a foreign licence?
• Is Egypt a party to the 1949 or 1968 Road Traffic Convention?
• Why acceptance of your licence varies from place to place
• Can you drive in Egypt with your country's licence?
• Where to get an International Driving Permit
• Moving to Egypt? Rules for new residents
• Driving rules in Egypt tourists get fined for
• Read more about driving in Egypt
• Sources

Driving in Egypt: key facts

Do you need an International Driving Permit in Egypt?

Egypt's Traffic Law No. 66 of 1973 makes a foreign or international driving licence valid for the periods allowed by the international agreements in force in Egypt ('تسري رخصة القيادة الأجنبية أو الدولية للمدد المصرح بها طبقا للاتفاقات الدولية النافذة في البلاد'), and never beyond its validity in the issuing state (art. 39). Egypt is a party to both the 1949 Geneva Convention (since 1957) and the 1968 Vienna Convention (acceded 15 December 2023), so an IDP of either model is an international licence under an agreement in force there. The law's Executive Regulations recognise international licences issued abroad under the 1968 Vienna Convention, within their validity, and licences issued in member states of the League of Arab States, subject to reciprocity; no list of the states that reciprocate is published. Neither the law nor its regulations require an IDP, and neither says whether a national licence from outside the Arab League is enough on its own: check with the Egyptian traffic authorities before you travel. UK government travel advice tells UK drivers to carry 'the 1949 version of the international driving permit (IDP) and your UK driving licence'.

• Tourists and short-term visitors: carry your national licence together with the document named in the row for your country of issue, in the table below — for most origin licences that document is not an IDP, so read your own answer rather than assuming one.

No specific penalty for driving without the required document was verified from an authoritative source. Unofficial legal database.

What side of the road does Egypt drive on?

Egypt drives on the right-hand side of the road, and overtaking is done on the left. Cars in Egypt are left-hand drive.

How long can you drive in Egypt with a foreign licence?

Egypt's Traffic Law names no fixed visitor period: a foreign or international licence is valid for the periods the international agreements in force allow, and never beyond its validity in the issuing state (art. 39). An IDP is valid only within its own validity and for the vehicle categories it covers. UK government travel advice says: 'You can drive in Egypt using your UK licence and an IDP for up to 6 months. If you plan to stay longer, you must apply for an Egyptian driving licence.' (Interior Minister Decision, Articles 309-310; UK FCDO travel advice for Egypt (safety-and-security))

Planning to move to Egypt? Different rules apply once you become a resident — see the residents section below.

Is Egypt a party to the 1949 or 1968 Road Traffic Convention?

Egypt is a Contracting Party to both United Nations Conventions on Road Traffic — the Geneva Convention of 19 September 1949 and the Vienna Convention of 8 November 1968. International Driving Permits of both the 1949 and the 1968 type are therefore issued against its framework; which types Egypt accepts from visitors is shown in the table above.

• 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic: ratification on 28 May 1957.
• 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic: accession on 15 Dec 2023.

Why acceptance of your licence varies from place to place

Whether a foreign country accepts your driving licence hangs on a tangle of variables: three different road-traffic conventions signed decades apart (1926, 1949, 1968) — the oldest predates the United Nations itself, and only the latter two were concluded under it — countries at different stages of joining each (signed vs. accepted vs. ratified), licences printed in alphabets local police can't read, vehicle-category systems that don't line up between countries, document generations that may not meet a convention's format even when the country is a member, bilateral deals between individual states, and local laws that are looser in one place and stricter in the next. The same licence can be fine at one border and rejected at the next — even at the next rental desk. The International Driving Permit exists to cut through most of it: a standardized, multilingual presentation of your existing licence, with harmonized category symbols, that most officials can read at a glance. It doesn't replace your national licence or grant new rights — you carry both — and it doesn't guarantee acceptance: a handful of destinations still require a local permit alongside or instead of it, but for most it meaningfully improves your odds.

Can you drive in Egypt with your country's licence?

This table is for tourists and temporary visitors. Moving to Egypt as a resident? Different rules apply — see the residents section below. Find your licence's country of issue below. Egypt's Traffic Law (art. 39) makes a foreign or international licence valid for the periods allowed by the international agreements in force in Egypt, which is a party to both the 1949 Geneva and the 1968 Vienna Convention, so an IDP of either model is accepted. Licences from Arab League states are recognised subject to reciprocity, but no list of the states that reciprocate is published. For a licence from any other country covered by either convention, neither the law nor its regulations say whether the national licence alone is enough. Both groups of rows therefore read Not established: check with the Egyptian traffic authorities before you travel. EU/EEA status alone confers nothing extra. An IDP is limited by its own validity and vehicle categories. UK government travel advice is that UK drivers may use their licence and an IDP for up to 6 months and must apply for an Egyptian licence for a longer stay. Rules change — confirm with official sources before you travel. Last verified: July 2026.

Legend: "1949" — Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (IDP valid up to 1 year); "1968" — Vienna Convention (IDP valid up to 3 years).

What the Status column means on this page:

• Not recognised — the record shows no route to drive here as a visitor on this licence; ask the local authorities about conversion or a temporary permit. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, says what stands in the way.
• Not established — the record does not settle whether you may drive here on this licence; confirm with the destination's licensing authority before you rely on it. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, says what could not be confirmed.

Sources and notes for the table above

[1] Traffic Law No. 66 of 1973, art. 39; Executive Regulations of the Traffic Law (Interior Minister Decree No. 1613 of 2008), arts. 315-316

[2] UN Treaty Collection, Multilateral Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General — status of the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (chapter XI-B-1) and of the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (chapter XI-B-19) — XI-B-1, XI-B-19

Where to get an International Driving Permit

An International Driving Permit must be obtained before you travel, and only certain countries may issue one to you — you cannot buy an official IDP from an unrelated country. Under the 1968 Vienna Convention it may be issued only by the Contracting Party where you normally reside and which issued or recognizes your licence — by that Party's competent authority or by an association it has duly empowered. Under the 1949 Geneva Convention it is issued by the competent authority of a Contracting State, or by an association that authority has duly empowered. Which body that is varies by country: a government agency in some, an authorized motoring club in others.

• Travelling from Egypt? Egypt's official IDPs are issued by Automobile and Touring Club of Egypt (ATCE). Official site.
• Travelling from another country? Ask that country's driving-licence authority which body it authorizes to issue IDPs — a government agency in some countries, an authorized motoring club in others.

Separately, IDA offers a digital International Driver's Document — a translation of your national licence that you carry alongside it. It is not an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 or 1968 conventions by the body your country authorizes for that purpose, and it is not a certified, sworn or otherwise official translation: no authority certifies it, and where a country requires an official or certified translation by law, our document does not satisfy that requirement. It is a private translation meant to make your national licence readable at rental desks and roadside checks.

Moving to Egypt? Rules for new residents

Article 309 permits a qualifying international-licence holder to obtain an Egyptian private licence without the technical and traffic-rules tests, subject to domestic licensing conditions. Article 310 provides a comparable reciprocity route for qualifying Arab League licence holders. Consular guidance adds the trigger: an Egyptian licence is required for stays longer than 6 months. Official source.

Driving rules in Egypt tourists get fined for

• Mandatory equipment: The official vehicle-licensing material requires a reflective warning triangle and first-aid kit. Seat belts are mandatory for driver and front passenger (FCDO-corroborated); motorcycle helmets should be worn; keep rental documents and insurance in the vehicle.
• Drink-driving: Driving under the influence of alcohol or another intoxicant is a criminal offence. No dependable numeric BAC threshold is published in official material — the safe operational rule is zero alcohol before driving. Official material describes imprisonment and licence consequences for intoxicated driving; the exact current monetary schedule is not quoted here.
• Speed limits: 60 km/h in cities for ordinary vehicles and 40 km/h in residential, industrial and tourist communities; 90 km/h for ordinary cars on main and governorate highways and 100 km/h on specified desert roads (e.g. Cairo-Alexandria desert road), subject always to posted limits and lower vehicle-class limits. The 40 km/h figure rests on the portal FAQ, which is no longer externally fetchable.
• Whether your national licence is enough on its own is not established (for an Arab League licence, no list of the states that reciprocate is published), so check with the Egyptian traffic authorities before you rent; UK government advice is to carry the 1949 IDP with your UK licence. Make sure your licence and any IDP cover the vehicle category you drive.
• Do not rely on a foreign renewal completed while remaining in Egypt; Articles 309 and 310 say such renewal is not recognized. For stays beyond 6 months, obtain an Egyptian licence (conversion route, Arts. 309-311).
• Temporarily importing your own vehicle requires a carnet de passage; import may be refused. Carry vehicle documents and insurance, expect checkpoints, and avoid night driving outside well-lit urban areas.

Read more about driving in Egypt

• 10 Interesting Facts About Egypt
• Best Places to Visit in Egypt
• What is Egypt Famous For?

Watch what driving in Egypt looks like

A few minutes of real POV footage is the fastest way to feel confident before your first drive in Egypt:

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Sources

1. National road-traffic law
2. Interior Minister Decision, Articles 309-310; UK FCDO travel advice for Egypt (safety-and-security)
3. Resident licence conversion rule
4. Egyptian Ministry of Interior Traffic Portal FAQ and speed limits (blocked to external fetches by an access check)
5. Egyptian Traffic Portal licence and vehicle-equipment provisions (blocked to external fetches by an access check)
6. UK FCDO — emergency numbers for Egypt
7. UN Treaty Collection — Egypt a contracting party to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic
8. Egypt a contracting party to the 1968 Vienna Convention (acceded 15 December 2023); Art. 48 replaces 1949 only between mutual parties
9. Youm7 (2026-01-02) — a government bill to amend Law 66/1973 that would set EGP 2,000 to 5,000 for driving without a licence; no law enacting it was found
10. Executive Regulations of the Traffic Law, Interior Minister Decree No. 1613 of 2008, consolidated to 27 July 2023 — arts. 315-317, international and foreign driving licences (unofficial text)
11. Automobile and Touring Club of Egypt (ATCE) — authorized IDP issuer in Egypt
12. UN Treaty Collection — 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic
13. UN Treaty Collection — 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic