Can a Japanese Driver Drive in Egypt? — Yes, IDP Required + a Side Switch to the Right

Japanese visitors face two adjustments in Egypt before the traffic even starts: the paperwork and the side of the road. Both are manageable — the roads themselves are the part to take seriously.

Can you drive in Egypt on a Japanese licence?

Yes, with an International Driving Permit, which is required. Japan issues 1949-convention IDPs, accepted in Egypt, and you must carry the IDP alongside your Japanese licence and passport — the national licence on its own is not enough. Arrange the IDP at a licence centre in Japan before you fly, as you cannot get one in Egypt.

You switch to the right

Japan drives on the left; Egypt drives on the right. This is a genuine adjustment for Japanese drivers, and the danger window is your first day — pulling out of a hotel forecourt, joining a roundabout that now flows the other way, or a reflex glance in the wrong direction. Take your first hour somewhere quiet and be deliberate at every turn.

The traffic is the real challenge

Egypt rates as very challenging to drive. After Japan’s orderly, lane-disciplined roads the contrast is stark: lanes are largely ignored, traffic improvises right-of-way, and the horn is used constantly to signal “I am here.” Cairo is the most intense of all. Many visitors who could legally drive choose a car-with-driver, and for a first trip that is a sensible option.

Zero alcohol, cheap fuel, defensive driving

Egypt enforces a flat 0.0 alcohol limit — zero, stricter than Japan’s 0.03. Posted limits are 60 in town, 90 rural and 100 on motorways, though traffic rarely follows them. Fuel is very cheap at about $0.35/litre. A speeding fine is small — roughly EGP 300-500 (about EUR 6-10) — but the real risks are junctions, night driving and pedestrians. Avoid rural roads after dark.

See the full rules on our Egypt driving guide and confirm the IDP requirement with the Driving Permit Checker. The emergency number is 122.