Iraq 2026 for British Drivers: 1968 IDP Plus the UK Licence

Iraq is not a routine holiday drive, and a straight account helps more than a glossy one. For British visitors the licence question is simple; the road environment and the side switch are where your attention belongs.

The verdict for British licence holders

A UK licence holder can drive in Iraq only with the 1968 International Driving Permit beside the licence: GOV.UK says you need both in the car. The 1949 version is not the one it names, and no IDP can be bought outside the UK, so arrange it before you travel and keep it with your licence and passport for checkpoints.

GOV.UK calls road travel within Iraq dangerous and reports fake checkpoints and carjacking, and the FCDO advises against all travel to several provinces, including Ninawa, Kirkuk and Salah al-Din. Read the current advice before planning any drive.

The change that needs real attention: left to right

Britain drives on the left; Iraq drives on the right. This is the single most likely thing to catch you out, and the risk is concentrated in your first hour — joining a roundabout that flows the opposite way, turning across oncoming traffic, or glancing the wrong direction at a junction. Where you can, take your first stretch on a quiet road and be deliberate at every turn until the new side stops feeling reversed.

A zero alcohol limit

Iraq’s blood-alcohol limit is zero, a long way below the UK’s 0.08. There is no “one drink” allowance to carry over from home — if you are driving, do not drink at all.

Speeds and what really matters

Motorways are signed at 120 km/h, rural roads around 80, and towns at 50, but signage and enforcement are uneven, so the figures are a guide rather than a guarantee. The real constraints are road condition, other traffic and security factors outside the scope of a driving rule. Fuel is cheap at roughly $0.55 a litre, and the emergency numbers are police 911, ambulance 122 and fire 115. Drive conservatively, avoid night driving, and treat your own caution as the safety system.

Check your paperwork with the Driving Permit Checker, see the wider notes on our Iraq driving guide, and read who pays driving fines abroad before you set off.

Sources

• GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Iraq, safety and security (1968 IDP plus UK licence; IDP only sold in the UK; road dangers): gov.uk
• GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Iraq, warnings (areas FCDO advises against): gov.uk
• GOV.UK, International Driving Permits (which IDP version each country uses): gov.uk