Monaco Wants a 1968 IDP From UK Drivers in 2026; Keep Right

Monaco is tiny, hemmed in by France on every land side, and famous for a street circuit you will partly drive on. For a British visitor the paperwork is stricter than the size of the place suggests, and the answer to the question most people type first is simple: no, Monaco is not left-hand drive. It keeps to the right.

The licence answer

UK travel advice says you need both the 1968 version of the International Driving Permit and your UK driving licence with you in the car. The permit cannot be bought outside the UK, so get it before you travel, and keep your passport and the vehicle’s papers with it. GOV.UK also points drivers to the RAC’s Monaco guide for the rules of the road. Hire companies often add their own conditions on top: a year of driving experience, a higher minimum age and holding an IDP are the examples GOV.UK gives. Read the rental terms before you pay a deposit. For other stops on the same trip, the Driving Permit Checker shows each country’s permit rule.

The side switch, in a very small space

The UK drives on the left; Monaco drives on the right, as does surrounding France. The usual first-hour hazard is compressed here: the principality is steep and dense, threaded with tunnels and tight harbour-side junctions, and has no motorways, only urban roads, so there is little room to ease in. Take the first stretch slowly, watch your road position in the tunnels, and be deliberate at every turn. Roundabouts and pulling out of side streets are where British drivers drift back to the left.

UK and Monaco at a glance

The emergency number matters more than it looks. 112 reaches every service in Monaco, as Canada’s advice confirms. The UK’s 999 is not what you dial there.

Driving to Monaco from the UK

If you bring your own car, the journey is mostly through France. Carry the IDP and licence, the vehicle documents and your passport, and check whether you need a UK sticker on the car outside the UK, as GOV.UK advises. French motorway tolls and rules apply before you arrive, and parking in Monaco itself is tight, so confirm with your hotel where the car will stay. For many visitors, a short rail or coach hop into the principality and a hire car only for specific days is simpler than a long drive in.

Why the permit version matters

IDPs come in more than one model, and the UK issues several. For Monaco, GOV.UK names the 1968 version specifically. A permit bought for another destination may be the wrong one, so check the model printed on the cover before you leave. Because the permit cannot be bought outside the UK, a lost or wrongly chosen one cannot be fixed from a hotel in Monaco. Put it in the same wallet as the licence, and take a photo of both pages for your records. Ask the post office or motoring organisation that sells it to confirm the 1968 model in writing if the staff seem unsure.

Alcohol and the practical bits

Canada’s advice says penalties for drinking and driving are severe, with heavy fines and jail sentences, so treat it as no alcohol before driving. This page gives no speed or alcohol figures for Monaco because none are officially sourced, so drive to the signs and keep well below any limit on the steep, tight streets.

Arrival plan

Collect a hire car in daylight, photograph the bodywork, set the map before you move, and make your first drive short. The Monaco driving guide has the country detail.

Sources

• GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Monaco safety and security (1968 IDP plus UK licence; IDP not sold outside the UK; hire-company conditions; RAC guide; UK sticker): gov.uk
• Global Affairs Canada, Monaco travel advice (severe drink-driving penalties; dial 112): travel.gc.ca
• UN Treaty Collection, 1968 Convention on Road Traffic (Monaco a party): treaties.un.org