International driving permits – Africa
For almost every country in Africa you will require an international driving permit to drive within the country. There are three types of permits: 1926, 1949 and 1968. For UK citizens, international driving permits can be bought from the post office.
The table below shows which international driving permit is required for each African country.
The 1968 permit lasts for 3 years or until your UK driving licence expires, whichever comes first. A 1926 or 1949 permit lasts for 12 months.
You may also find it useful to refer to our other information on driving abroad, in particular our information on obtaining a Carnet de passage.
| Country | International driving permit | Notes |
| Algeria | 1949 | |
| Angola | 1949 | UK driving licences valid for 30 days |
| Benin | 1949 / 1968 | |
| Botswana | 1949 | Botswana driving license required after 90 days |
| Burkina Faso | – | UK driving licences valid indefinitely |
| Burundi | 1949 | UK driving licence valid for 6 months. Burundi driving licence required after 6 months. |
| Cabo Verde | 1968 | UK driving licence valid for 6 months. Cabo Verde driving licence required after 6 months. |
| Cameroon | 1949 | UK driving licence valid for 6 months. Cameroon driving licence required after 6 months. |
| Central African Republic | 1968 | |
| Chad | 1949 | |
| Comoros | 1949 | UK driving licence valid for 3 months. |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | 1968 | |
| Republic of the Congo | 1949 | |
| Cote d’Ivoire | 1968 | |
| Djibouti | 1949 | |
| Egypt | 1949 | UK driving licence valid for 6 months. Egypt driving licence required after 6 months. |
| Equatorial Guinea | 1949 | |
| Eritrea | 1949 | |
| Eswatini | – | UK driving licences valid indefinitely |
| Ethiopia | 1949 | |
| Gabon | 1949 | |
| Gambia | 1949 | UK driving licences valid for 3 months. Gabon driving licence required after 3 months. |
| Ghana | 1949 / 1968 | |
| Guinea | 1949 | All valid UK driving licences should be accepted |
| Guinea-Bissau | 1949 | |
| Kenya | 1968 | UK driving licences valid for 3 months. Kenya driving licence required after 3 months. |
| Lesotho | 1949 | UK driving licences valid for 3 months. Lesotho driving licence required after 3 months. |
| Liberia | 1968 | |
| Libya | 1949 | |
| Madagascar | 1949 | |
| Malawi | 1949 | UK driving licences valid for 90 days |
| Mali | 1949 | |
| Mauritania | – | UK driving licences valid indefinitely |
| Mauritius | – | UK driving licences valid indefinitely |
| Morocco | 1968 | UK driving licences valid up to a year |
| Mozambique | 1949 | UK driving licences valid for 90 days |
| Namibia | 1949 | |
| Niger | 1968 | |
| Nigeria | 1968 | UK driving licences valid for 3 months. Nigeria driving licence required after 3 months. |
| Rwanda | 1949 | UK driving licences valid up to a year |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 1949 | |
| Senegal | 1968 | UK driving licence valid for 6 months. Senegal driving licence required after 6 months. |
| Seychelles | 1968 | |
| Sierra Leone | 1949 | UK driving licence valid for 1 month. |
| Somalia | 1926 | |
| South Africa | 1968 | UK driving licences valid up to a year |
| South Sudan | 1949 | |
| Sudan | 1949 | UK driving licences valid for 3 months. |
| Tanzania | 1949 | |
| Togo | 1949 | UK driving licence valid for 6 months. |
| Tunisia | 1968 | |
| Uganda | 1949 / 1968 | UK driving licences valid for 3 months. |
| Zambia | 1949 | UK driving licences valid for 3 months. |
| Zimbabwe | 1968 | UK driving licences valid up to a year |