Nepal on an Indian Licence 2026: Carry an IDP, Drink Nothing

Crossing from India into Nepal by car opens up Pokhara, the Terai and the hill roads towards the Annapurna foothills. Nothing about the traffic side changes, which makes it easier than most trips abroad. The paperwork and the mountain roads are where the planning goes.

Bring the permit as well as the licence

Nepal has signed neither the 1949 Geneva nor the 1968 Vienna road traffic convention, so no treaty settles which foreign licences it accepts. The governments that publish advice are clear for their own citizens: Global Affairs Canada says visitors must carry an International Driving Permit, and the UK Foreign Office says a permit is needed alongside the home licence. Neither gives Indian licences an exception, so carry the Indian licence, an IDP from your RTO and your passport together, and ask the hire company or your tour operator in writing what it accepts. The Driving Permit Checker covers onward countries.

Same side of the road

Nepal drives on the left, exactly like India. Junctions, overtaking and the driver’s seat all sit where you expect, and mixed traffic with buses, motorbikes and pedestrians will look familiar. What differs is the road itself.

Zero alcohol and slow roads

Canada’s advice describes zero tolerance for driving after drinking. India’s Motor Vehicles Act allows 30 mg per 100 ml of blood, so a habit that is legal at home is not legal here.

The WHO profile lists a 40 km/h maximum in towns. Outside towns the cap is 80 km/h, and there are no motorways. On hill roads those ceilings are rarely reachable. Canada warns that roads are poor and that mountain routes become impassable at times during the monsoon because of landslides; the UK adds that speeding and low driving standards cause many crashes. Avoid driving after dark, and allow far more time than the distance suggests.

In an emergency call 100 for police, 102 for an ambulance and 101 for the fire service. The Nepal driving guide has more.

Sources

• Global Affairs Canada, Nepal travel advice (IDP, left-hand traffic, zero tolerance for alcohol, road conditions, 100/102/101): travel.gc.ca
• GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Nepal safety and security (IDP plus licence, road conditions): gov.uk
• WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, Nepal profile (40 km/h urban, 80 km/h rural maximum): who.int
• UN Treaty Collection, 1949 and 1968 Conventions on Road Traffic (Nepal not a party to either): treaties.un.org, treaties.un.org
• India Code, Motor Vehicles Act 1988, section 185 (30 mg per 100 ml): indiacode.nic.in