Israel on a British Licence — The Side Switch & a 0.05 Limit

Israel is a compact, drivable country where the distances are short and the variety is high. For a British visitor, the licence is simple — it is the side of the road and the alcohol rule that need attention.

The verdict for British licence holders

You can drive in Israel on your UK licence, valid for tourists for up to one year, with an International Driving Permit recommended to carry alongside it. The IDP is genuinely useful here because much signage and paperwork is in Hebrew, and it gives an officer a recognised translation of your entitlement. Arrange it in the UK before you fly and keep it with your licence and passport.

The side switch — your first-day hazard

The UK drives on the left; Israel drives on the right. This is the change most likely to catch a British driver out, and it concentrates in the first hours behind the wheel — pulling out of a fuel station, taking a roundabout that now flows anticlockwise, or glancing the wrong way at a junction. Take your first session on quiet roads, well clear of Tel Aviv or Jerusalem traffic, and stay deliberate at every turn until the new pattern feels natural.

Alcohol, speeds and city driving

Israel’s blood-alcohol limit is 0.05 BAC, below the 0.08 you know from England and Wales, and enforcement around cities is real — treat it as no alcohol before driving. A typical fixed penalty for a minor speeding offence runs around ILS 250 (≈ €60). Posted limits are 50 km/h in towns, 80 rural, 110 on motorways, with assertive urban driving and heavy congestion in the main cities, so leave margin and patience. Fuel is among the pricier in the region at around $1.95/litre, and the emergency number for police is 100.

Check your paperwork on the Driving Permit Checker, read the full rules on our Israel driving guide, and estimate any penalty with the Speeding Fine Calculator.