Can a British Driver Drive in Guinea? — IDP Recommended + the Right-Side Switch

Guinea, on West Africa’s Atlantic coast, is not a mainstream self-drive destination, and most British visitors here are travelling for work rather than holiday. If you are going to be behind the wheel, the licence question and the side of the road are the two things to get straight first.

Your UK licence and the IDP

A British licence holder can drive in Guinea, and you should carry an International Driving Permit alongside it. Guinea inherited a French administrative tradition, which in practice means roadside police expect your documents to be complete and correct — and an IDP that translates your UK licence is exactly the kind of paperwork that keeps a checkpoint short. Bring the IDP, your photocard licence and your passport together. Arrange the IDP at a UK Post Office before you fly; it is not something you can obtain once you arrive in Conakry.

Right-hand traffic — the main adjustment

Guinea drives on the right. Coming from the UK, that is the reversal most likely to catch you, and the riskiest moment is your first day — joining a roundabout that flows the other way, the instinctive glance in the wrong direction, or drifting toward the left kerb after a turn. Be deliberate at every junction until it stops feeling wrong, and try to keep your first hour off the busiest Conakry roads.

Speeds, roads and what’s true

The posted limits are 50 km/h in town, 80 km/h rural and 100 km/h on the faster roads, with a 0.08 drink-drive limit on the books. Treat those numbers as the ceiling, not the target: away from the main highways, surfaces break up, lane markings disappear, and you will share the road with pedestrians, motorbikes and unpredictable overtaking. The sensible speed is usually well under the sign. The emergency number is 112.

Check exactly which documents you need before you go with our Driving Permit Checker, read the wider rules on the Guinea driving guide, and use the Speed Limit Map to plan any longer route.