Can a British Driver Use a UK Licence in Romania? — IDP Recommended Post-Brexit & a Side Switch

For British drivers, Romania changed slightly the day the UK left the EU — and the side of the road has always been a real adjustment. Both are worth getting right before you collect a car.

The verdict on your UK licence

A British licence holder can drive in Romania as a visitor, and an International Driving Permit is recommended. This is the post-Brexit shift: where an EU licence travels freely, the UK now sits outside the bloc, so an IDP is the sensible companion document — it gives Romanian police and hire desks a standardised translation of your licence. Carry it with your photocard licence and passport, and arrange the IDP at home before you fly.

The side switch is the bigger hurdle

Britain drives on the left; Romania drives on the right. This is the single thing most likely to catch you out, and the risk window is your first day — pulling out of junctions, joining roundabouts that now circulate the other way, and the reflex glance in the wrong direction. Take your opening hour somewhere quiet rather than in Bucharest traffic. Romania’s roads also blend new motorways with rural stretches where horse-drawn carts and slow farm vehicles share the road, so the side switch arrives alongside conditions that demand patience.

Zero alcohol, winter tyres and the figures

Romania enforces an effectively zero alcohol limit (0.0), far below the 0.08 of England and Wales — no drink at all before driving. Winter tyres are required in cold-weather conditions, so check the seasonal dates if you travel in the colder months. Limits run 50 km/h in town, 90 rural and 130 on motorways, enforced by fixed cameras and mobile patrols, with a typical speeding fine of RON 290–725. Fuel costs around USD 1.42 a litre.

Confirm your paperwork with the Driving Permit Checker, estimate any penalty with the Speeding Fine Calculator, and read the full rules in our Romania driving guide.