Jordan on a Dutch Licence — Same Side, an IDP for Arabic, a Faster Motorway

Dutch visitors get an easy start in Jordan, because the country drives on the right, just like home. There is no left-side switch to relearn — lanes, junctions and roundabouts all behave the way your reflexes expect — so the adjustment is in the details rather than the basics.

The first of those is language. Jordanian signs and police paperwork are in Arabic script, and this is where an International Driving Permit earns its keep: it presents your name, photo and licence class in a form an officer or rental clerk can read instantly. It is recommended rather than mandatory — your Dutch licence is valid for stays of up to three months — but carrying it with your licence and passport avoids friction at the desk. Confirm the detail with the Driving Permit Checker.

The second is pace. Where Dutch motorways cap at 100 (and 130 at quieter hours), Jordan’s run to 110 km/h, with 80 on rural roads and a strict 40 km/h through towns. The Desert Highway is long, fast and exposed; main surfaces are good, but drifting sand, stray livestock and slow-moving trucks on the grades reward a steady right foot. Speeding fines arrive quickly at fixed points — you can size one up with the Speeding Fine Calculator.

On equipment, Jordan is stricter than the Netherlands: the car must carry a warning triangle, first-aid kit and fire extinguisher, and checkpoints do verify them, so confirm all three before driving off. The alcohol limit is 0.08, above the Dutch 0.05, but policing is firm — keep it at zero behind the wheel.

Petrol is about $1.32/litre, all emergency services answer on 112, and signal fades between towns, so download offline maps in advance. Our Jordan driving guide covers everything else.