Can an Indian Drive in Palestine? — Carry an IDP, Switch to the Right

If you’re an Indian driver looking into Palestine, the licence question is straightforward — but two practical realities will shape your trip more than the paperwork.

The licence verdict

You can drive in Palestine on your Indian licence, and carrying an IDP alongside it is strongly advised. It translates your details into a form officials recognise, which matters at the checkpoints you’ll encounter constantly. Keep the IDP, your Indian licence and your passport together, and arrange the permit in India before you travel — you cannot get one locally.

The biggest adjustment: switching to the right

India drives on the left; Palestine drives on the right, and that reversal is the single thing most likely to trip you up. The danger window is your first day — pulling out of a junction, joining a roundabout that now flows the other way, or a reflexive glance in the wrong direction. Take your first hour somewhere quiet, and be deliberate at every turn until right-hand driving stops feeling backwards.

A zero-alcohol limit, and journeys shaped by checkpoints

The alcohol limit is 0.0 — a genuine zero, below India’s 0.03, so don’t drive after any drink. Beyond that, the thing that defines driving here is movement: checkpoints, road closures and crossings can reroute or delay you without notice, and travel between areas isn’t always predictable. Build slack into every plan, keep your documents to hand at all times, and check current local conditions before you set out. Posted speed limits run around 50 km/h in towns, 80 on rural roads and up to 120 on the main routes — but drive to what the road and the situation actually allow, not just the sign.

Before you set off

Carry your IDP, Indian licence and passport at all times for checkpoints; the emergency number is 112. Plan routes with extra time and verify conditions locally before each leg. Confirm your paperwork with the Driving Permit Checker, and read the wider rules on our Palestine driving guide before you collect the car.