International Driving Permit in Iran

🗓 Facts checked against the best available secondary sources for Iran; we could not independently verify the underlying road-traffic law. Research last updated: 29 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 Iran: key facts
• Do you need an International Driving Permit in Iran?
• What side of the road does Iran drive on?
• How long can you drive in Iran with a foreign licence?
• Is Iran a party to the 1949 or 1968 Road Traffic Convention?
• Why acceptance of your licence varies from place to place
• Can you drive in Iran with your country's licence?
• Where to get an International Driving Permit
• Moving to Iran? Rules for new residents
• Driving rules in Iran tourists get fined for
• Read more about driving in Iran
• Sources

Driving in Iran: key facts

Do you need an International Driving Permit in Iran?

Iran is a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention only (signed 8 Nov 1968, ratified 21 May 1976) and does not appear in the 1949 Geneva Convention party list, so the 1968 IDP is the only IDP type Iran is treaty-bound to honour. But an IDP is not the legal basis for a visit: Article 22 of the Regulation on Issuance of Driving Licences lets the holder of any valid foreign licence — Iranian or foreign national — drive in Iran for up to six months after entry. Treat a 1968 IDP as strongly advised rather than statutory: the UK expressly states "You must have a 1968 international driving permit (IDP) when using a UK driving licence to drive in Iran", Iranian sources say the original licence plus an official translation must be carried, and rental firms and police checkpoints work in Persian. Drivers from 1949-only states (for example the United States of America, Japan, Canada, Australia, India) hold an IDP type Iran is not bound by — their national licence is still covered by Article 22 for six months, but a certified Persian translation is the safer companion document. Iranian-issued IDPs come only from the Touring and Automobile Club of the Islamic Republic of Iran; that concerns outbound Iranian drivers, not inbound recognition.

• 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.
• Car renters: Traffic keeps right. Speed limits vary by road class and vehicle; follow posted signs and ask the rental operator for a briefing on Persian-language road signs and numerals.
• EU / EEA licence holders: no IDP needed — EU/EEA licences are valid in Iran for the six-month visitor window — but not because of any EU-specific privilege.

No specific penalty for driving without the required document was verified from an authoritative source. Foreign-government travel advice.

What side of the road does Iran drive on?

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

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

6 months from entry. Article 22 of the Regulation on Issuance of Driving Licences provides that holders of a valid foreign driving licence — whether Iranian nationals or foreigners — may drive in Iran for up to six months after entering the country, and must convert to an Iranian licence if they wish to keep driving beyond that. (Article 22, Regulation on Issuance of Driving Licences (1390/2012), quoted identically by multiple Iranian outlets)

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

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

Iran is a Contracting Party to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, but not to the 1949 Geneva Convention.

• 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic: ratification on 21 May 1976.

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 Iran with your country's licence?

This table is for tourists and temporary visitors. Moving to Iran as a resident? Different rules apply — see the residents section below. Find your licence's country of issue below. Iran recognises any valid foreign driving licence for six months from entry. Article 22 of the Regulation on Issuance of Driving Licences lets holders of a valid foreign licence — Iranian nationals and foreigners alike — drive in Iran for up to six months after entry, after which an Iranian licence is required. Iran is a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention only, so a 1968 IDP is the accepted permit type; it is strongly advised rather than statutory, because Iran works in Persian script and the alternative is a certified Persian translation carried with the original licence. 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:

• National licence OK — the destination lets a visitor drive on the national licence itself. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, gives the basis, and any period or condition that qualifies it.
• National licence OK — IDP advised — the destination does not require an IDP for this licence, but carrying one is advised. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, gives the reason and any conditions attached.
• IDP or translation — your national licence needs a supporting document alongside it. Which ones the destination accepts, and whether an official IDP can be issued for your licence at all, are in the row for your country of issue, in the table below.
• 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.
• National licence OK — IDD/translation advised — the destination does not require an IDP for this licence, and no official convention IDP can be issued for it; carry an IDD or a certified translation instead. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, gives the reason and any conditions attached.

Sources and notes for the table above

[1] Article 22, Regulation on Issuance of Driving Licences: "دارندگان گواهینامه معتبر خارجی اعم از ایرانی و خارجی می‌توانند تا شش ماه پس از ورود در ایران رانندگی کنند"

[2] Iranian guidance on driving with a foreign licence; 1968 Vienna Convention IDP multilingual fields

[a] Licence categories do not follow the convention A–E scheme — rental staff may ask for an IDP to map them.

[b] IDD = International Driver's Document, a standardized translation of your national driving licence. You can apply here: https://idaoffice.org/apply-now/.

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 Iran? Iran's official IDPs are issued by Touring & Automobile Club of the Islamic Republic of Iran (TACI). 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 Iran? Rules for new residents

The six-month Article 22 window is a single threshold, not two clocks: it is measured from entry and it is also the point at which the conversion duty begins. There is no separate longer residence allowance — once six months from entry have passed, a foreign licence no longer authorises driving in Iran and an Iranian licence is required. News report.

Driving rules in Iran tourists get fined for

• Mandatory equipment: Treat seat belts and motorcycle helmets as mandatory. Confirm the vehicle carries the warning triangle, first-aid kit, fire extinguisher and any winter or mountain equipment needed for the route. The UK notes it is not widely accepted for women to ride motorbikes on public roads, with a risk of arrest.
• Drink-driving: Treat the operational limit as zero. Alcohol is broadly prohibited in Iran; there is no visitor drink-driving allowance. No current Iranian traffic-penalty schedule was verified. Alcohol-related penalties in Iran can be severe and are not limited to traffic sanctions.
• Speed limits: Follow posted limits. A single verified nationwide urban/rural/motorway set was not established for this dossier.
• Carry the original national licence plus either a genuine 1968 IDP or a certified Persian translation, together with passport and the entry stamp proving when the six-month clock started, vehicle papers and insurance. A digital photo of the licence or a privately sold "international licence" is not acceptable.
• The six-month allowance runs from the date of entry, so keep the passport entry stamp with the licence — it is the document that proves you are still inside the window.
• Traffic keeps right. Speed limits vary by road class and vehicle; follow posted signs and ask the rental operator for a briefing on Persian-language road signs and numerals.
• The UK FCDO advises against all travel to Iran and states "You must have a 1968 international driving permit (IDP) when using a UK driving licence to drive in Iran." It also warns of a high road-accident rate, informal roadblocks in cities and on highways, and instructs drivers not to leave the scene of any accident until police have written their report. Check advice specific to your nationality immediately before travel.

Read more about driving in Iran

• 10 Interesting Facts About Iran
• Best places to visit in Iran
• What is Iran Famous For?

Watch what driving in Iran looks like

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

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Sources

1. National road-traffic law
2. Article 22, Regulation on Issuance of Driving Licences (1390/2012), quoted identically by multiple Iranian outlets
3. Resident licence conversion rule
4. UN Treaty Collection XI-B-19, 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic — Iran (Islamic Republic of), signature 8 Nov 1968, ratification 21 May 1976; 36 signatories, 91 parties
5. UN Treaty Collection XI-B-1, 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic — Iran is not listed (participant list runs India then Ireland); 19 signatories, 103 parties
6. Touring & Automobile Club of the Islamic Republic of Iran (TACI) — authorized IDP issuer in Iran
7. UN Treaty Collection — 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic
8. UN Treaty Collection — 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic