Argentina on a UK Licence 2026: 1949 IDP and Zero Alcohol

Argentina is built for long drives, from the wine roads around Mendoza to Ruta 40 and Patagonia. For a British driver, three things need sorting first: the permit, the side of the road and a drink-drive rule stricter than anywhere in the UK.

The permit

GOV.UK tells British drivers to carry both the 1949 version of the international driving permit and the UK licence in the car. The IDP cannot be bought outside the UK, so get it before you fly, and keep it with your licence and passport. The Driving Permit Checker covers Chile and Uruguay if you cross a border.

Left to right

The UK drives on the left; Argentina drives on the right. The first hour is the risky one: a roundabout that now turns the other way, pulling out of a fuel station, the glance in the wrong direction. Start on quieter roads rather than central Buenos Aires. GOV.UK warns that respect for speed limits and signals varies and drivers may turn or brake without warning, and advises keeping windows closed and doors locked in big cities.

Zero alcohol

Law 27.714, published on 3 May 2023, rewrote article 48 of the national traffic law: driving with a blood alcohol level above zero is prohibited. That is stricter than the 80 mg per 100 ml in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and Scotland’s 50 mg. One glass of Malbec at lunch is enough to break the law.

Speed limits

Article 51 of national traffic law 24.449 sets, for cars: 40 km/h on town streets and 60 km/h on avenues, 110 km/h on rural roads, 120 km/h on semi-motorways and 130 km/h on motorways. Where a highway runs through a town the limit is 60 km/h unless signed otherwise. Fines are set locally; the Speeding Fine Calculator gives a rough idea.

Numbers to save

Police 911 or 101, ambulance 107, fire 100. GOV.UK also advises care in Misiones province near the Paraguay and Brazil borders, a smuggling route. The Argentina driving guide has the rest.

Sources

• GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Argentina, safety and security (1949 IDP and UK licence both in the car; driving standards; Misiones): gov.uk
• GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Argentina, getting help (police 911 or 101, ambulance 107, fire 100): gov.uk
• Argentina, Ley 24.449 de Tránsito, updated text: art. 48(a) as substituted by Ley 27.714 (B.O. 3 May 2023, zero alcohol) and art. 51 (speed limits): infoleg.gob.ar
• GOV.UK, the drink-drive limit (80 mg England, Wales, Northern Ireland; 50 mg Scotland): gov.uk