Can a Brit Drive in Burundi? — Yes, But You Switch to the Right

Burundi is a small, hilly country in the African Great Lakes region, and very few British drivers ever look up its rules before arriving. The licence itself is straightforward — your UK card is accepted — but the road runs on the opposite side from home, and that is what deserves your attention.

The verdict for British licence holders

You can drive in Burundi on your British licence, with an International Driving Permit recommended as a translated companion. It is not always demanded, but carrying the IDP with your licence and passport keeps a rental desk or roadside officer satisfied. Sort it in the UK before you fly, since you cannot arrange one locally.

The real adjustment: switching to the right

Burundi drives on the right; the UK drives on the left. That reversal is the single thing most likely to catch a British driver out, and the danger window is the first day — pulling away from a kerb, taking a roundabout that now flows anticlockwise, or glancing the wrong way at a junction. Take your first hour on quiet roads rather than in the capital, Gitega, or the lakeside commercial hub of Bujumbura, and stay deliberate at every turn until right-hand driving stops feeling alien.

Speeds, roads and what to expect

Posted limits run to 50 km/h in towns, 80 km/h on rural roads and 100 km/h on the open road. The terrain is the bigger factor: Burundi is mountainous, many roads climb and twist, and surfaces deteriorate away from the main routes. Expect pedestrians, cyclists, livestock and unlit vehicles, and avoid long rural drives after dark. I will not quote an alcohol-fine figure I cannot verify — the prudent rule is simply not to drink before driving. The emergency number is 112.

Before you collect the car

• Carry your UK licence, an IDP and your passport together.
• Reset your instincts for right-hand traffic before you leave the rental lot.
• Confirm your documents with the Driving Permit Checker, see the rules on our Burundi driving guide, and read who pays driving fines abroad before you depend on your insurer.