Can a British Driver Use a UK Licence in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon? — IDP Advised, Drive on the Right
United Kingdom
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Yes — a British licence holder can drive in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, with an International Driving Permit recommended alongside it. This is a French overseas collectivity off Newfoundland, so it drives on the RIGHT (the opposite of the UK), and the islands are so small that careful low-speed driving matters more than any limit.
Saint-Pierre and Miquelon is a curiosity: a fragment of France sitting just off the coast of Canada, with French number plates, French shops and the euro, all a short ferry from Newfoundland. For a British visitor the driving is gentle, but two details are worth knowing before you pick up a car.
The verdict for a British licence holder
You can drive here on your UK licence, and an International Driving Permit is recommended to accompany it. This is a small French overseas collectivity, not a busy rental hub, so the IDP matters mainly as a recognised translation if a rental owner or a gendarme asks. Sort it in the UK before you travel — you will not arrange one on the islands. Keep your British licence, the IDP and passport together.
The adjustment that matters: driving on the right
Following French practice, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon drives on the right — the opposite of the UK. On islands this small there is no motorway to worry about; the switch bites in small moments instead, when you pull away from a kerb in Saint-Pierre town or reach one of the few junctions and your instincts point the wrong way. Be deliberate for the first day and it stops feeling backwards quickly.
What is honestly undocumented — and how to drive anyway
I will not invent a speed figure or an alcohol limit for these islands, because there is no reliable published set for tourists to quote. What is true is the scale: Saint-Pierre is a compact town, the road network is short, and distances are tiny. Drive to what you can see, keep your speed low in the town, and treat alcohol as zero before driving — French enforcement norms apply and the community is small enough that nothing goes unnoticed. The local emergency number is 911.
Confirm exactly what your trip needs with our Driving Permit Checker, see how foreign fines are handled in our driving fines abroad guide, and if your route also takes in mainland France, our guide to France’s Crit’Air zones and fines is worth a look.
Speed limits, fines, equipment & license requirements
Your home country driving rules for reference
Renting a Car?
Compare prices from all major rental companies. Free cancellation on most bookings.
Compare Car Rental PricesSome links on this page are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
More Free Tools
Explore TyreMap
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes for a tourist visit, with an IDP recommended as a companion. Because this is a small French territory rather than a mainstream rental market, carry your British licence, the IDP and your passport together to avoid any dispute.
The right, as in France — the opposite of the UK. The islands are tiny, so the side switch mostly bites at the few junctions and on first pulling away, rather than on any open highway.
There is no well-documented limit set we can quote for visitors, and the road network covers only a small town and short island routes. Drive slowly to the road and treat alcohol as zero before driving.