Montenegro on a UK Licence 2026: 1968 IDP and a 0.03 Limit
United Kingdom
Montenegro
Take your UK photocard licence plus a 1968 IDP, which GOV.UK lists for Montenegro. Keep right, and treat the 0.03 alcohol limit, under half of England's, as no drinking at all.
Your UK photocard licence works in Montenegro alongside an International Driving Permit: GOV.UK’s permit table lists Montenegro under the 1968 version. You can only buy an IDP in the UK, so sort it before you fly. The two things that catch British drivers once they arrive are the side of the road, right instead of left, and an alcohol limit of 0.03.
Your case: Collecting the car between 15 November and 1 April? Winter tyres with at least 4 mm of tread are then compulsory on any road in winter conditions and on the sections the government lists regardless of weather, and studded tyres are banned. More in Montenegro tyre laws.
The drink limit is the trap
At home in England, Wales and Northern Ireland you drive to 0.08. Montenegro runs 0.03, which the Foreign Office describes as less than half the English limit. Lunch with a drink and then a drive along the bay does not work here: if you are driving, do not drink. Police enforcement is visible on the coast through summer.
Right-hand traffic
The UK drives on the left; Montenegro on the right. The first day is the risk: pulling out of a forecourt, a roundabout that flows the other way, the glance over the wrong shoulder. Spend your first hour on quiet roads rather than on the Kotor seafront.
Roads and penalties
Limits are 50 km/h in towns, 80 km/h outside them and 130 km/h on the motorway. The coast roads are narrow and winding, with blind bends, and July and August jam the Budva-Kotor stretch. The Foreign Office warns that police can fine you for 10 km/h over the limit, that traffic penalties range from EUR 20 to EUR 6,000 or prison, and that excessive speeding or dangerous overtaking means automatic confiscation of your licence. The emergency number is 112, and the Auto-Moto Association of Montenegro gives roadside help on +382 19807.
For equipment and borders, see the Montenegro driving guide; check your paperwork with the driving permit checker.
Sources
- GOV.UK, check if you need an international driving permit (Montenegro: 1968): gov.uk
- GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Montenegro safety and security (alcohol limit, fines, licence confiscation, 112, AMSCG): gov.uk
- Government of Montenegro, winter season notice (15 November-1 April, 4 mm, studded tyres banned): gov.me
Speed limits, fines, equipment & license requirements
Your home country driving rules for reference
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Winter tyres in Montenegro — 2026–27 season
Winter tyres are compulsory on fixed dates in Montenegro: 15 Nov - 1 Apr on roads listed in the Interior Ministry order (regardless of weather); other roads only in winter conditions.
- Legal winter tread minimum: 4 mm — not the 1.6 mm figure most guides quote, which is the year-round minimum.
- Accepted marking: M+S (min 4 mm tread)
- Studded tyres: banned
Checked against national legislation, 30 Sep 2026 · Full Montenegro tyre law · Compare all countries
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, together with an international driving permit. GOV.UK's IDP table lists Montenegro under the 1968 permit, which you can only get in the UK, so buy it before you travel. Carry it with your photocard licence and passport, and check your hire company's own conditions.
Montenegro's limit is 0.03, which the Foreign Office describes as less than half the limit in England and Wales (0.08). The pint-with-lunch habit does not fit under it, so do not drink before driving.
From 15 November to 1 April winter tyres with at least 4 mm of tread are compulsory on every road in winter conditions, and on the road sections named in the government's regulation whatever the weather. Studded tyres are banned. A coastal hire desk will not always mention it.