Romania on an Australian Licence — Side Switch & Zero Alcohol

Romania asks more of an Australian driver than most European destinations, and it is worth knowing the four adjustments before you collect the car — none of which is unmanageable, but all of which catch people who assume it works like home. Carry an International Driving Permit with your Australian licence; arrange it through your state auto club before you fly, because it cannot be issued in Romania.

Changing sides

Australia drives on the left; Romania drives on the right, and the switch is the single most likely thing to catch you out. Your reflexes betray you in small moments — the wrong glance at a junction, drifting toward the kerb, joining a roundabout that now runs anticlockwise. Spend your first hour somewhere quiet rather than central Bucharest, and say “right” to yourself at every turn until it sticks. A left-hand-drive car also changes your road position, so give yourself room on narrow lanes.

Zero alcohol, and roads that demand attention

Romania runs a 0.0 BAC limit — a genuine zero, stricter than Australia’s 0.05, with no margin for a beer with dinner. Roadside breath tests are routine. The other surprise is the road itself: outside the motorway network, which is limited, you meet horse-drawn carts, slow agricultural vehicles and heavy lorries on the same single carriageways, often with poor markings and unlit traffic after dark. The 90 km/h rural limit is a ceiling, not a target — overtaking here needs patience and long sightlines.

Speeds, the road tax and the fine

Motorways are 130 km/h where they exist, rural roads 90, towns 50. Every vehicle on the main road network needs the rovinietă electronic road tax — a rental usually has it, but confirm with the desk, and see how it compares across the region on our vignette countries guide. A minor speeding fine runs about RON 290–725 (≈ €60–150); the speeding fine calculator gives the band.

Winter tyres are legally required in wintry conditions, fuel is about €1.42/litre, and the emergency number is 112. Confirm your paperwork on the driving permit checker and read the full rules on the Romania driving guide.