Can a British Driver Drive in Portugal? — IDP + the Side Switch

A British licence holder can drive in Portugal, and an International Driving Permit is recommended to carry alongside the licence. Since Brexit ended the automatic recognition UK licences once enjoyed across the EU, an IDP is the simple way to remove doubt at a rental desk or a roadside check — pick one up at a UK Post Office before you fly.

But the paperwork is not what catches British drivers out. The real adjustment is the side of the road. The UK drives on the left; Portugal drives on the right. Your reflexes — which way you look at a junction, which lane you fall into pulling away, which direction a roundabout turns — are all reversed, and the risk peaks in the first hour: at a petrol-station exit, a town roundabout, or an unfamiliar junction where habit takes over. Take that first stretch somewhere quiet and stay deliberate at every turn until “right” stops feeling backwards.

The second adjustment is alcohol. Portugal enforces 0.05 BAC, well below the 0.08 in England and Wales (and closer to Scotland’s stricter line). There is no comfortable margin for a pub-sized drink before driving — treat it as zero. Enforcement is steady, especially on the Algarve in summer where many British visitors holiday.

Beyond that, Portugal is straightforward and the motorways are genuinely good, with a 120 km/h limit, 90 on rural roads and 50 in towns. The one practical trap is tolling: many motorways use barrier-free electronic tolls, so confirm your rental’s transponder or card setup at the desk, or the charges will follow you home with a fee. A minor speeding fine typically falls in the EUR 60-300 band, caught by fixed and mobile cameras.

Fuel is around $1.88 per litre — supermarket stations are cheapest. The emergency number is 112.

Confirm everything with the Driving Permit Checker, read the full Portugal driving guide, and check any ticket against the Speeding Fine Calculator.