Can a British Driver Drive in Equatorial Guinea? — Yes, but You Switch to the Right

Equatorial Guinea is an unusual drive for a British visitor — a Spanish-speaking corner of Central Africa — and the licence is the straightforward part; the side of the road is not.

The verdict for British licence holders

You can drive in Equatorial Guinea on your UK licence, with an International Driving Permit advised alongside it. The reason is language: Equatorial Guinea operates in Spanish (with French and Portuguese also official), while your UK licence is in English only, so the IDP gives officials a translation they can read. Carry the IDP, your UK licence and your passport, and arrange the IDP at a UK Post Office before you fly — you cannot get a British-issued one locally.

The real adjustment: switching to the right

The UK drives on the left; Equatorial Guinea drives on the right. For a British driver this is the headline hazard, and it bites in the first day — pulling out of a hotel, joining a roundabout that flows the opposite way, the instinctive glance the wrong direction at a junction. Take your first hour somewhere quiet rather than central Malabo, and stay deliberate at every turn until right-hand traffic stops feeling backwards.

What governs the drive

Posted limits run about 50 km/h in towns, 80 on rural roads, 100 on the better highways, but condition matters more than the sign. Between the island capital of Malabo and the mainland around Bata, you’ll meet variable surfaces, limited lighting after dark, and local traffic that doesn’t always signal — drive well under the limit and avoid night driving where you can. The alcohol limit is 0.08 BAC, and the emergency number is 112.

As an oil-economy state with periodic security and entry sensitivities, this is a destination where you should check your government’s current travel advisory before planning any route. Confirm your paperwork with the Driving Permit Checker, read the local detail on our Equatorial Guinea driving guide, and the Driving Fines Abroad guide covers how penalties fall on a hire car overseas.