Colombia on a British Licence — IDP Recommended + a 0.02 Alcohol Limit

If you are searching whether your UK licence is enough for Colombia, the answer is yes for a tourist trip — and an International Driving Permit is recommended to carry with it. The IDP gives police and rental staff an official translation of your British licence, which smooths things considerably away from the main airports. Arrange it at home; it cannot be issued in Colombia.

The single number worth memorising is the alcohol limit: 0.02 BAC. That is effectively a ban — far stricter than the British 0.08 — and Colombia enforces it. Being over the line on a first offence runs to about COP 416,000 (≈ €95), and that is the low end before licence suspension comes into play. There is no “small glass with lunch” allowance here, so keep driving days completely dry.

The other adjustment is the side of the road. Britain drives on the left and Colombia on the right, and the first day is where that bites — roundabouts flow the other way and your reflexes point you the wrong direction at junctions. Speed limits sit around 60 km/h in towns, 80 on rural roads and up to 120 on motorways, but Colombia is mountainous: outside the toll motorways, expect slower real-world speeds, sharp altitude changes and stretches where the surface is far worse than the sign implies. Drive to the road in front of you.

A few solid facts rather than filler: fuel is cheap at around $0.68 a litre, the general emergency number is 123, and the capital is Bogotá, which sits at altitude — your car and your lungs both feel it. Carry your passport, licence and IDP within reach for checkpoints.

For the country’s full rules, see the Colombia driving guide. Confirm your permit with the Driving Permit Checker, and to understand how that drink-drive fine would be charged on the spot, read Driving Fines Abroad — Who Pays?.