Can an Indian Driver Drive in Iran? — IDP Recommended + a Zero-Alcohol Rule

For Indian travellers asking whether their licence is enough: yes, you can drive in Iran on your Indian licence for a visit, and an International Driving Permit is recommended to carry with it. Arrange the IDP at home and keep it with your licence and passport. The two adjustments that actually matter for Indian drivers are below, and neither is the licence itself.

First, the side of the road. India drives on the left and Iran drives on the right. That is a real switch — roundabouts flow the other way, you keep right, and your reflexes at junctions point the wrong way for the first while. Iranian city traffic, particularly in Tehran, is busy and assertive, so do not make your first right-hand-drive hour a rush-hour one. Find quieter roads to recalibrate before you take on the capital.

Second, alcohol. Iran applies a zero limit (0.0 BAC), and that is not just a traffic rule — alcohol is prohibited in the country generally. There is no margin and no exception, so this one is simple: do not drink, full stop.

On the practical numbers that are verified: posted speeds run roughly 50 km/h in towns, 85 on rural roads and 120 on motorways, though real-world city pace is dictated by dense, fast-moving traffic rather than the sign. Fuel is extraordinarily cheap at around $0.05 a litre — Iran is one of the cheapest places in the world to fill a tank. The emergency number is 110. I have not invented a speeding-fine figure, because none is in the verified data; treat the limits as firm and drive conservatively.

For the country’s full rules, see the Iran driving guide, confirm exactly what you must carry with the Driving Permit Checker, and use the Speed Limit Map to check limits against the roads you plan to take.