North Macedonia on a British Licence — IDP, Side Switch & Winter Tyres

North Macedonia is an excellent self-drive country — the Mavrovo passes, Ohrid’s lakeside roads, the route up to Skopje — but it sits outside the EU, which changes the paperwork from what UK drivers are used to inside the bloc.

Start with the verdict: you can drive in North Macedonia on your British licence, and an International Driving Permit is recommended. Because the country is not in the EU, your photocard does not simply carry on its own authority the way it would in France or Spain; the IDP is the translation roadside police and rental desks expect. Arrange it through the Post Office before you fly and keep it with your licence and passport.

The biggest physical adjustment is the side switch. The UK drives on the left; North Macedonia drives on the right, so your first day is the risky one — roundabouts flow the other way, and your instinctive glance at a junction points the wrong direction. Take that first hour on a quiet road rather than in Skopje traffic.

Then there are two things that genuinely catch British drivers out. First, winter tyres are required in the cold-season months, so a winter trip means the right rubber fitted (or chains carried) — rental cars in season should be equipped, but confirm it at the desk. Second, police checkpoints are common, particularly on the intercity roads, and speed enforcement uses both fixed cameras and mobile patrols. Being caught around 10 km/h over typically costs MKD 3,000–6,000 (≈ €50–100), often settled at the roadside, so carry a card or cash.

On the numbers themselves, towns are 50 km/h, rural roads 80 and motorways a generous 130 — faster than the UK’s 70 mph, so the motorway is comfortable but the rural roads, where surfaces vary, are where to ease off. The drink-drive limit is 0.05, below the British 0.08, so treat the legal margin as gone. Fuel is around $1.35/litre and the emergency number is 112.

Check the country detail on our North Macedonia driving guide, confirm your paperwork with the Driving Permit Checker, and estimate any penalty with the Speeding Fine Calculator.