Jordan on an Indian Licence: Carry a 1949 IDP, Keep Right

The two questions Indian visitors should settle before Jordan are the permit and the side of the road. The first is paperwork you can finish at home. The second takes an hour of care on the day.

The permit: a 1949 IDP, and only for hire cars

Earlier versions of this page called the International Driving Permit a courtesy that “translates” your licence into Arabic. That undersold it. GOV.UK says drivers need the 1949 IDP together with their licence, and Global Affairs Canada says a foreign licence or an IDP covers rental cars only; any other vehicle needs a Jordanian licence.

For an Indian driver that is workable. India issues the 1949 permit, which is the version being asked for. Apply before you leave, and carry the permit, your Indian licence and your passport together. We could find no official source for a “three months” limit on using a foreign licence, so we have dropped it: ask the rental company what period its insurer allows.

Left to right

India drives on the left. Jordan drives on the right. Every habit built over years is reversed: which way to look at a junction, which lane a roundabout feeds you into, which shoulder you drift toward under pressure. The risky stretch is the first hour, pulling out of the rental yard or joining Amman traffic. Take the first stint somewhere quiet and talk through each turn until right stops feeling backwards.

Limits that differ from India

GOV.UK says limits range from 40 km/h in some urban areas to 120 km/h on some highways, so read each sign. The town figure is the big change: Indian urban limits are far higher on paper, and Jordanian towns are slower. On-the-spot fines run from JOD 15 to JOD 150 according to GOV.UK, so a small lapse in a town is not a small bill.

Alcohol

Our record shows Jordan’s limit at 0.08, numerically above India’s 0.03. Do not read that as permission. If you are driving, drink nothing.

What the car must carry

Jordan expects a warning triangle, a first-aid kit and a fire extinguisher in the vehicle, and checkpoints may ask to see them. India has similar rules for the extinguisher and first-aid kit, so this will not feel foreign, but check all three at the rental desk before you set off.

Emergency number

Jordan uses 911 for police, ambulance and fire. In India you would dial 112, or 100 for police and 108 for an ambulance. Put 911 in your phone at the rental counter.

A first-day routine for the rental lot

Ask to see the permit requirement written in the contract, then check the car before you drive. Walk round it and photograph existing damage. Find the fire extinguisher, the first-aid kit and the triangle and make sure each is in date and within reach. Adjust the mirrors for the right-hand lane, and set your route in the map app before moving off, not while you wait at a junction.

Plan the first drive outside peak hours. Amman is a good place to arrive, but not a good place to learn right-hand traffic. A quiet road gives you time to notice the small things: which lane a roundabout puts you in, where to look before pulling out, and how it feels to overtake with the car’s centre line on your left.

Two practical reminders

Because the permit covers rental cars only, borrowing a friend’s car or buying a vehicle is a different matter and needs a Jordanian licence. If someone offers you their car for a day, decline unless you hold the right papers. And since on-the-spot fines can reach JOD 150, keep some cash for a ticket and ask for a receipt. A calm approach and the right documents make a roadside stop short and uneventful.

Before you go

Check your documents on the Driving Permit Checker. The Jordan driving guide covers the remaining road rules.

Sources

• GOV.UK, Foreign Travel Advice: Jordan, Safety and security (1949 IDP plus licence; limits from 40 to 120 km/h; on-the-spot fines of JOD 15-150): gov.uk
• Global Affairs Canada, Jordan travel advice (foreign licence or IDP valid for rental cars only): travel.gc.ca