Jordan on a Canadian Licence — IDP for the Arabic Signs, Not the Side

The good news for Canadian visitors is the one most people worry about: Jordan drives on the right, exactly as you do at home, so there is no left-side switch to unlearn. The wheel, the lanes and the roundabouts all run the way your reflexes expect. That removes the single biggest hazard tourists face in much of the region.

What an International Driving Permit actually does for you here is translation. Jordanian road signs and police paperwork are in Arabic script, and an IDP presents your name, photo and licence class in a form an officer or rental clerk can read at a glance. It is recommended rather than legally mandatory — your provincial licence is accepted for stays of up to three months — but carrying it alongside your licence and passport heads off awkward conversations at the desk. Check exactly what applies with the Driving Permit Checker.

The equipment rule is stricter than at home. A Jordanian rental must carry a warning triangle, a first-aid kit and a fire extinguisher, and roadside checks do happen — confirm all three are in the car before you drive away rather than discovering a gap at a checkpoint.

On the open road, the Desert Highway and the Dead Sea routes are fast and long, with a 110 km/h motorway limit, 80 on rural stretches and a low 40 km/h in towns. Surfaces are good on the main arteries but drifting sand, stray livestock near Bedouin areas and sudden slow trucks reward a cautious pace. The alcohol limit sits at 0.08, the same as much of Canada, though enforcement is firm — keep it at zero if you are driving.

Petrol runs about $1.32/litre, the all-services emergency number is 112, and signal thins out fast between towns, so download offline maps. Our Jordan driving guide covers the detail.