UK Drivers in Kuwait: Photocard Works, Switch to the Right

The question most British visitors ask is whether they need an International Driving Permit. According to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the answer depends on which licence you carry. The rest of the preparation is about the side of the road, the alcohol rule and the way people drive.

Your licence: photocard or paper

GOV.UK’s Kuwait travel advice says that if you have a visit visa, you can drive in Kuwait using a UK photocard driving licence. If you still have an old paper licence, you may need to update it to a photocard, or get the correct version of the international driving permit as well. Our own records list an IDP as required, so the cautious route is to bring an up-to-date photocard and, if you are at all unsure about your visa category or your car hire firm’s rules, an IDP too. You cannot obtain one in Kuwait, so decide before you fly.

The side switch

Britain drives on the left. Kuwait drives on the right. The danger window is the first day: joining a roundabout that now flows the other way, pulling out of a forecourt, glancing the wrong way at a junction. Start somewhere quiet rather than in the city, and be deliberate at every turn until right-hand driving feels natural. The driver will be seated on the left of a car built for this system.

Speeds, in miles per hour

Limits in Kuwait are posted in km/h. For a British driver used to 30, 60 and 70:

Motorways here are faster than at home by 5 mph, and towns are much slower than you might expect from the wide roads. The reverse applies to the countryside, where 80 km/h is well below the British 60 mph.

Alcohol: any amount

The British limit is 0.08 in England and Wales. Kuwait’s is effectively zero. GOV.UK says drink-driving is a serious offence: if you are tested and found to have any alcohol in your system you may be fined, imprisoned, or deported and have your driving licence withdrawn. Do not drink before driving, at all.

Heavier penalties than home

Kuwait has introduced stricter traffic laws, with significantly increased fines and penalties, according to GOV.UK. Speeding, using a mobile phone while driving and running red lights can result in heavy fines, imprisonment or deportation. The comparison is stark: in Britain a phone offence is GBP 200 and 6 points, and a red light GBP 100 and 3 points. In Kuwait the consequences can include imprisonment or removal from the country.

Insurance and accidents

You must have third-party insurance before you drive, and keep the document with you at all times. A hire company can usually arrange cover; if you borrow a relative’s or friend’s car, getting the insurance is your responsibility. After a major accident, with serious injuries or a car that cannot be driven, stay with the vehicle if it is safe, call 112 and do not move it before the police arrive. After a minor crash, photograph the damage and note the plates if it is safe, move the car so as not to block traffic (you can be fined if you do not), call 112, and follow their instructions.

How people drive

GOV.UK calls driving conditions hazardous. Many drivers pay little attention to other road users, and may drive faster than speed limits, switch lanes without warning, ignore traffic lights and use mobile phones at the wheel. Leave a large gap, avoid sudden moves, and keep out of the fast lane unless you need it.

One number for everything

In Kuwait 112 reaches police, ambulance and fire. The British 999 is not the number to dial. Save 112 in your phone and read the Kuwait driving guide before you travel, then confirm your documents on the Driving Permit Checker.

Sources

• GOV.UK, Foreign Travel Advice: Kuwait, Safety and security (road travel, driving offences, insurance, accidents, drink-driving, conditions): gov.uk