Côte d'Ivoire 2026 on a UK Licence: 1968 IDP or Local Card

Ivory Coast is one of West Africa’s more navigable self-drive countries, but for a British visitor two things reshape the trip: the side of the road, and the language on every document and sign.

Can a British licence holder drive in Ivory Coast?

Yes, with the right paper next to it. GOV.UK says you must have the 1968 International Driving Permit or a local driving licence. For a visit the IDP is the realistic choice: it cannot be bought outside the UK, so get it before departure. If police stop you, show your UK licence with the IDP (or the local licence) plus the car’s registration documents and insurance card. A local licence needs your UK licence authenticated by the DVLA first.

The FCDO advises against all travel within 40 km of the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali, and against all but essential travel near the Liberian border, so check its advice before driving north or west.

The side switch — your main hazard

The UK drives on the left; Ivory Coast drives on the right. This is the single thing most likely to trip you up, and the risk concentrates in your first day: rejoining a road from a fuel station, taking a roundabout that now turns the other way, or an instinctive glance in the wrong direction at a junction. Start on quiet roads, not in Abidjan, and stay deliberate at every turn until the new pattern sticks.

Alcohol, speeds and the road

The blood-alcohol limit is 0.08 BAC — the same figure British drivers know from England and Wales — but matching it would be unwise here. Outside the main routes you will meet pedestrians, slow trucks and unlit vehicles after dark, so a much lower personal limit is the realistic call. Posted speeds are 50 km/h in towns, 80 rural, 100 on the better highways, though surface quality drops sharply off the main corridors — drive to the road, not the sign. Keep some cash for fuel stops, and the emergency numbers are police 110, ambulance 185 and fire 180.

Confirm what you need on the Driving Permit Checker, read the country detail on our Ivory Coast driving guide, and for penalty exposure across borders see our guide to driving fines abroad.

Sources

• GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Cote d’Ivoire, safety and security (1968 IDP or local licence; documents to carry; DVLA authentication): gov.uk
• GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Côte d’Ivoire, warnings (border areas): gov.uk
• GOV.UK, International Driving Permits (which IDP version each country uses): gov.uk