Réunion on a US Licence 2026: French Permit Rule, Cirques

Réunion is a French department in the Indian Ocean, a volcanic island of cirques, ridges and a live volcano, where a hire car is the natural way to reach the high mountain viewpoints around Cilaos and the Piton de la Fournaise. For an American visitor the licence side takes one piece of preparation; the terrain is where your attention belongs.

The paperwork French law asks for

Réunion is administered as part of France, so the national rule on short stays with a foreign licence applies. A licence issued outside the EU must be written in French, or be accompanied by an international driving permit or an official translation. A US licence is in English, so one of the two has to come with it. The permit is the easier option: AAA and AATA issue it in the 1949 Geneva format, the one the US uses and France accepts, but only in the US, so arrange it before you fly. If you choose a translation instead, French rules say one made abroad must be legalised or apostilled, and one made in France must come from an approved translator. Keep the licence, the permit and your passport together.

No side switch — but serious mountain roads

Réunion drives on the right, exactly like home and like mainland France, so there is no side switch to relearn. What does demand respect is the geography. The roads that climb into the cirques are steep, narrow and relentlessly winding, often with sheer drops and frequent hairpins; the coastal route has its own history of rockfall closures. None of that is about unfamiliar rules — it is about driving smoothly, using low gears on long descents, and not rushing blind bends.

Réunion’s posted speed limits follow the French pattern but are not always well signed on the mountain roads, so drive to the conditions rather than to a number — the terrain will set your pace more than any sign. The emergency number across the island is 112.

Check any other destination on your trip with the Driving Permit Checker; our driving guides hub covers the French rules that apply here and on the mainland, and the Speed Limit Map is a useful reference before you set off.

Sources

• Service-Public.fr, driving in France with a foreign licence during a short stay (licence in French, or with an international permit or an official translation; translation made abroad legalised or apostilled): service-public.gouv.fr
• Service-Public.fr, exchanging a licence issued outside the EU/EEA (residents): service-public.gouv.fr
• UN Treaty Collection, 1949 Convention on Road Traffic (United States and France parties): treaties.un.org
• U.S. Department of State, driving and road safety abroad (AAA and AATA as authorised IDP issuers): travel.state.gov