Burundi 2026: IDP and Third-Party Cover Both Required
United States
Burundi
Burundi requires an International Driving Permit and third-party insurance, per the U.S. State Department. Traffic keeps right like the US; limits are 50 km/h in town, 80 outside.
Burundi is not a country most American visitors arrive at planning to self-drive, but for those who do, the licensing picture comes down to two documents — and one familiar habit carries straight over.
Two documents are compulsory. The U.S. State Department’s country page says: “An international driving permit and third-party insurance is required.” So your US licence needs an International Driving Permit beside it, and the car needs third-party cover; check the rental contract includes it. Burundi is francophone, and the IDP also gives an officer a translation of your licence. You cannot get an IDP locally, so arrange it through AAA or AATA before you fly.
Here is the part that works in your favour: Burundi drives on the right, exactly as the US does. The side switch is the single biggest thing that trips American drivers up across most of the world, and here it simply does not apply. Your instincts at junctions, roundabouts and when pulling out of a fuel stop are already correct. That lets you put your attention where it is genuinely needed — the roads themselves.
Posted limits are low: 50 km/h in towns, 80 km/h on the open road. Treat those as the ceiling rather than a target. Once you leave the main routes around Gitega and Bujumbura, surfaces become uneven, lane markings disappear, and you share the carriageway with pedestrians, bicycles and unlit vehicles after dusk. Night driving outside built-up areas is best avoided. The published blood-alcohol limit is 0.08 — the same as much of the US — but with thin enforcement and demanding roads, treating it as zero before you drive is the wiser line.
A few essentials to close. The emergency number is 112. Keep your passport, US licence, IDP, insurance papers and rental documents together and to hand, since checks are routine. Download offline maps before you set out, because mobile coverage thins quickly outside the cities. For the country-level detail see our Burundi driving guide, confirm your paperwork with the Driving Permit Checker, and if this is part of a wider regional trip, read up on who pays driving fines abroad before you set off.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State, Country Information, Burundi (“An international driving permit and third-party insurance is required.”), last updated October 01, 2026: cadataapi.state.gov
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Frequently Asked Questions
Only with an International Driving Permit alongside it. The U.S. State Department says an international driving permit and third-party insurance are required. Burundi is French-speaking, so the IDP also gives officers a translation they recognise. Get it from AAA or AATA before you leave.
Yes — both drive on the right, so you do not have to relearn the side of the road. That removes the single biggest hazard American drivers face in most overseas destinations.
Towns are limited to 50 km/h and the open road to 80 km/h. Road quality is the real constraint outside Gitega and Bujumbura, so the posted limit is often higher than conditions allow.