Romania on a UK Licence 2026: Photocard Valid, No Alcohol
United Kingdom
Romania
A UK photocard licence is enough in Romania; only old paper licences may need an IDP. Buy a rovinieta for national roads, drive on the right, and drink no alcohol at all.
The licence is the easy part for a British driver in Romania. The FCDO states plainly that a UK photocard licence can be used to drive there. Only holders of an old paper licence may need an International Driving Permit, and that must be bought in the UK before travel.
The side switch
Britain drives on the left and Romania on the right. Your first day is when the reflex errors happen: turning out of a junction, joining a roundabout that now runs the other way, or looking the wrong way before you pull out. Get the feel of the car on a quiet road before you tackle Bucharest traffic.
Before you set off
National roads need a rovinieta, the road vignette, sold at border points and most petrol stations. The car must carry a first aid kit, fire extinguisher, red warning triangle and fluorescent jacket. Winter tyres are required whenever snow, ice or sleet is on the road, which usually means November to March, though the law sets no fixed dates.
Limits and points
In towns the limit is 50 km/h. Outside them, a car may do 90 km/h on ordinary roads, 100 on expressways and European roads, and 130 on motorways. Speeding fines are calculated in penalty units, and points follow the size of the excess: 2 for 10-20 km/h over, 3 for 21-30, 4 for 31-40 and 6 for 41-50. Beyond 50 km/h over, the licence is suspended for 90 days.
Alcohol is the sharpest difference from home. The FCDO warns that any alcohol found in your system can bring a fine and possible imprisonment, so drink nothing before driving. The emergency number is 112. The Romania driving guide has the rest, and the Driving Permit Checker confirms the paperwork.
Sources
- FCDO travel advice, Romania: safety and security (photocard licence, paper licence IDP, rovinieta, alcohol, winter tyres, equipment): gov.uk
- Emergency Ordinance 195/2002, art. 49 and 50 (speed limits): lege5.ro
- Emergency Ordinance 195/2002, art. 108 (penalty points for speeding): lege5.ro
- GOV.UK, the drink drive limit (80 mg; Scotland 50 mg): gov.uk
Speed limits, fines, equipment & license requirements
Your home country driving rules for reference
Side-by-side driving rules comparison
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Winter tyres in Romania — 2026–27 season
Winter tyres are required in Romania whenever conditions are wintry — No fixed dates — required whenever the road is covered in snow, ice or black ice.
- Tread minimum: 1.6 mm — Romania sets no separate winter figure.
- Accepted marking: M+S / M.S. / MS / M&S required ("all seasons" alone is not enough; 3PMSF not required)
- Studded tyres: rules could not be verified from an official source
- Penalty: Class IV penalty: 9-20 penalty points plus seizure of the registration certificate (OUG 195/2002 art. 102(1) pt. 28)
In Romanian the rule is anvelope de iarnă, and snow chains are lanțuri de zăpadă — that is the wording on signs, in hire-car paperwork and on any penalty notice.
Checked against national legislation, 1 Oct 2026 · Full Romania tyre law · Compare all countries
Frequently Asked Questions
Not with a photocard. The FCDO says you can use a UK photocard driving licence to drive in Romania. If you still hold an old paper licence, you may need the correct version of the International Driving Permit, which has to be bought in the UK before you travel.
Effectively zero. The FCDO warns that if you are tested and found to have any alcohol in your system, you may get a fine and possible imprisonment. England, Wales and Northern Ireland allow 80 mg per 100 ml and Scotland 50 mg, so none of the UK margins apply.
With a fine set in penalty units plus penalty points under article 108 of Emergency Ordinance 195/2002: 2 points for 10-20 km/h over, 3 for 21-30, 4 for 31-40 and 6 for 41-50. More than 50 km/h over brings a 90-day suspension instead of points.
Whenever snow, ice or sleet is on the road, the FCDO says, and in practice that usually means November to March. There are no fixed calendar dates. You must also carry a first aid kit, fire extinguisher, warning triangle and fluorescent jacket.