Can an American Drive in French Polynesia? — Yes, Right-Hand, IDP Advised

For an American, French Polynesia removes the usual overseas worry straight away: you drive on the right here, just as at home, so there is no side to relearn. This is a French overseas territory scattered across the South Pacific — Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and the rest — and its road rules follow the French model, which mainly shows up in the look of the signage rather than anything you have to retrain.

The licence verdict

Your US licence is accepted for visitors, and an IDP is recommended to carry with it. Because this is French territory, hire desks and any roadside check are happier seeing the international permit as a certified translation, so bring the IDP, your licence and your passport together. Arrange the IDP before you leave the States.

No side switch — one less thing to manage

Both the US and French Polynesia keep right-hand traffic, so your roundabout flow, overtaking side and junction instincts all carry over unchanged. The adjustment, such as it is, is to French-style signs and priority conventions rather than to sitting on the other side of the car.

What the driving actually looks like

The reality on the ground is island driving. Tahiti has a genuinely busy coastal road around the capital, Papeete, with the usual town congestion; the outer islands drop to narrow, quiet lanes where your speed is dictated by the surface and the scenery. Detailed posted limits across the islands are not well documented in our data, so rather than guess a number, the honest rule is to drive to the conditions — ease off through villages, expect scooters and pedestrians, and don’t treat a clear stretch as an invitation. The emergency number is 112, and offline maps are worth having where signal fades.

Check exactly what to carry with the Driving Permit Checker, read the wider rules on the French Polynesia driving guide, and use the Speed Limit Map for any mainland-France leg of the same trip.