Can an Indian Drive in Somalia? — IDP Recommended, Zero Alcohol, Drive Right

A practical note before the rules: Somalia is a high-risk destination, and most visitors travel with drivers or fixers rather than renting a car. If you do drive, here is the honest licence position and the two facts that actually matter.

The licence verdict

In legal terms you can drive in Somalia on your Indian licence, and an International Driving Permit is recommended to carry alongside it as a recognised translation. There is no automatic EU-style recognition, so the IDP is worth having for any checkpoint. Arrange it in India before you fly — you can’t get one locally — and keep it with your Indian licence and passport. Confirm what applies to you with the Driving Permit Checker.

You drive on the right

India drives on the left; Somalia drives on the right. If you take the wheel, this reversal is the main mechanical adjustment — roundabouts and junctions flow the opposite way to home, and the reflex glance goes the wrong direction for the first day. Be deliberate at every turn until right-side driving settles in.

Zero alcohol, and let the road set your speed

The blood-alcohol limit is 0.0 — a flat zero, stricter than India’s 0.03. Don’t drink at all before driving. On speed, the figures we hold are 50 km/h urban, 80 km/h rural and 100 km/h on the fastest roads, but road condition and security, not posted signs, should govern how and where you drive here. The emergency number is 112, and the capital is Mogadishu. For the broader country detail see our Somalia driving guide, and you can check any speed figure against our Speed Limit Map.