International Driving Permit in Liechtenstein

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

Driving in Liechtenstein: key facts

Do you need an International Driving Permit in Liechtenstein?

No IDP is required as such: VZV (LR 741.51) Art. 39 Abs. 1 Bst. a lets a driver from abroad drive in Liechtenstein on a valid national foreign licence alone. Art. 39 Abs. 1 Bst. b additionally recognises international driving permits issued under the 1926, 1949 (LGBl. 2020 Nr. 116) and 1968 conventions as amended by the 1971 European Agreement (LGBl. 2021 Nr. 75/77) — an IDP is only valid when shown together with the national licence. Liechtenstein acceded to both the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Conventions on 2 March 2020. An IDP becomes effectively necessary where the licence categories are not in Latin script (Art. 39 Abs. 2).

• 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: Carry the national licence at all times, plus passport/ID, vehicle registration and insurance documents and the rental agreement. Add a 1949 or 1968 IDP if the licence categories are not printed in Latin script, or if the licence is an old paper/non-standard format.
• EU / EEA licence holders: no IDP needed — Liechtenstein is an EEA/EFTA member.

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

What side of the road does Liechtenstein drive on?

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

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

No visitor time limit is set in the ordinance. A valid foreign national licence may be used for as long as it remains valid; the only cut-off is a residence clock — VZV Art. 39 Abs. 3a Bst. a requires a Liechtenstein licence from drivers from abroad who have lived in Liechtenstein for twelve months without an uninterrupted absence of more than three months. Holders of an EEA-issued licence are exempt from that duty altogether (Art. 39 Abs. 3b). (VZV (LR 741.51) Art. 39 Abs. 3a Bst. a and Abs. 3b)

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

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

Liechtenstein 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 Liechtenstein accepts from visitors is shown in the table above.

• 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic: accession on 2 Mar 2020.
• 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic: accession on 2 Mar 2020.

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 Liechtenstein with your country's licence?

This table is for tourists and temporary visitors. Moving to Liechtenstein as a resident? Different rules apply — see the residents section below. Find your licence's country of issue below. Liechtenstein recognises a valid national driving licence from any country: VZV Art. 39 Abs. 1 Bst. a lets a driver from abroad drive on the national licence alone, with no international permit and no treaty gate. One condition matters — Art. 39 Abs. 2 only recognises the vehicle categories printed on the licence in Latin script, so a licence in Arabic, Cyrillic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai or another non-Latin script should be backed by a 1949 or 1968 IDP. Visitors face no time limit; the 12-month clock is a residence clock, and EEA licence holders are exempt from it entirely. Minimum age 18 for unaccompanied car driving. Note the drink-drive limit is 0.08%, not the 0.05% of neighbouring Switzerland and Austria. 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] VZV (LR 741.51) Art. 39 Abs. 1 Bst. a, consolidated version in force 01.11.2024 — 'Motorfahrzeugführer aus dem Ausland dürfen in Liechtenstein nur Motorfahrzeuge führen, wenn sie: a) einen gültigen nationalen Führerausweis besitzen'

[2] VZV (LR 741.51) Art. 39 Abs. 2, in force 01.11.2024

[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 Liechtenstein? Liechtenstein's official IDPs are issued by Road Traffic Office (Amt für Strassenverkehr, ASV). 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 Liechtenstein? Rules for new residents

Two different clocks. Visitors: unlimited. Residents: a Liechtenstein licence becomes compulsory once a driver from abroad has lived in Liechtenstein for twelve months without an uninterrupted absence of more than three months (VZV Art. 39 Abs. 3a Bst. a). Holders of a licence issued by an EEA member state are exempt from that duty and only lodge a copy of their licence for registration when they register with the Ausländer- und Passamt or the Amt für Strassenverkehr (Art. 39 Abs. 3b). Official source.

Driving rules in Liechtenstein tourists get fined for

• Mandatory equipment: Compulsory: a warning triangle (Pannensignal), easily reachable in the vehicle (VRV Art. 25 Abs. 1, Art. 55 Abs. 1); helmets for motorcycle and moped riders and passengers (VRV Art. 3b). A reflective vest is sensible but no carriage obligation was found in the SVG, VRV or VZV. Winter tyres and snow chains are advisory in Liechtenstein but should be fitted for Alpine conditions and may be legally required in neighbouring Austria.
• Drink-driving: 0.08% (0.8 g/kg, 0.8 Gewichtspromille) — unfitness through alcohol is conclusively established at 0.8 promille or above (VRV Art. 2 Abs. 2). This is not the Swiss/Austrian 0.05%, so a driver transiting Switzerland or Austria on the way in is under the stricter 0.05% limit there. A near-zero 0.10 promille cap applies to professional passenger and heavy-goods drivers, dangerous-goods drivers, driving instructors, learner-permit holders and accompanying persons (VRV Art. 2; SVG Art. 31 Abs. 2a-2b). Driving can still be an offence below 0.8 promille if the driver is in fact unfit (VRV Art. 2 Abs. 1). Zero alcohol is the safe rule. Alcohol offences are prosecuted under the SVG; penalties escalate with the reading and combine fines, licence withdrawal (Führerausweisentzug) and, for serious cases, criminal sanctions. A foreign licence is withdrawn for Liechtenstein by way of Aberkennung under the same rules that apply to withdrawal of a Liechtenstein licence (VZV Art. 42 Abs. 1). Exact tariffs were not retrieved.
• Speed limits: Drive on the right. General limits: 50 km/h in built-up areas and 80 km/h outside built-up areas under favourable conditions (VRV Art. 6 Abs. 1). Municipalities may set 30, 40 or 50 km/h generally on communal roads (SVG Art. 30 Abs. 2). Signed limits override the general ones, and lower limits apply to heavy vehicles, trailer combinations and vehicles on studded tyres (VRV Art. 7). Liechtenstein has no motorway. Mountain and winter conditions require lower speeds.
• Carry the national licence at all times, plus passport/ID, vehicle registration and insurance documents and the rental agreement. Add a 1949 or 1968 IDP if the licence categories are not printed in Latin script, or if the licence is an old paper/non-standard format.
• A breakdown warning triangle (Pannensignal) is compulsory equipment and must be kept easily reachable inside the vehicle; the driver must check before setting off that required accessories are on board.
• Fit winter tyres and carry snow chains for Alpine conditions and check road and avalanche information before departure. Note this is safety advice, not a Liechtenstein statutory mandate — no winter-tyre obligation appears in the SVG, VRV or VZV — but you can be held liable for obstructing traffic, and Austria does impose a legal winter-equipment requirement on the approach roads.
• Liechtenstein itself charges no motorway toll, but you must buy and display a motorway vignette in Switzerland or Austria if you use their motorways to get there, or risk a large on-the-spot fine.
• Rental desks routinely apply their own rules — minimum age 21-25, minimum licence-held period, and an IDP demanded even where the law does not require one. Check the supplier's terms before booking.

Read more about driving in Liechtenstein

• 10 Interesting Facts About Liechtenstein

Watch what driving in Liechtenstein looks like

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

Open the video on YouTube if the player does not load.

Sources

1. National road-traffic law
2. Verkehrsregelnverordnung (VRV), LR 741.11 — consolidated, in force 01.09.2025; Art. 2 alcohol, Art. 6-7 speed, Art. 25/55 equipment
3. Strassenverkehrsgesetz (SVG), LR 741.01 — consolidated, in force 01.01.2026; Art. 30 speed, Art. 31 fitness to drive
4. UN treaty status, 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic — Liechtenstein acceded 2 March 2020
5. UN treaty status, 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic — Liechtenstein acceded 2 March 2020
6. UK FCDO travel advice — road travel, winter conditions, enforcement, Swiss/Austrian vignette
7. UK government 'Living in Liechtenstein' — 12-month resident exchange (see open question on the no-test claim)
8. UK IDP table — lists 1968 for Liechtenstein; no IDP needed with a UK photocard
9. Landespolizei Liechtenstein — emergency numbers 112 / 117 / 118 / 144
10. Road Traffic Office (Amt für Strassenverkehr, ASV) — authorized IDP issuer in Liechtenstein
11. UN Treaty Collection — 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic
12. UN Treaty Collection — 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic