Can a British Driver Use Their Licence in Somalia? — IDP, Switch Sides

Somalia sits well outside ordinary self-drive territory, and the driving facts that can be stated honestly are few. If you’re a British licence holder who needs to drive here, this page sticks to what’s documented and resists padding it with numbers nobody can stand behind.

The licence question: carry an IDP

A British licence holder should pair their UK licence with an International Driving Permit and passport. The IDP matters more in places like this than in Europe — it gives a checkpoint or rental a standardised, recognised version of your licence to read alongside the home card. Sort it in the UK before you fly; it can’t be issued locally.

Somalia drives on the right — a full switch

For a British driver this is the headline change. The UK drives on the left; Somalia drives on the right. The entire flow reverses — your lane position, the direction of a roundabout, the reflex to glance left at a junction. The first day is the risky one, so take the opening stretch on the quietest roads you can and consciously check the new direction at every turn.

Zero alcohol, and not much else on paper

Somalia enforces a 0.00 blood-alcohol limit — far stricter than the UK’s 0.08 — so don’t drink at all before driving. Beyond the broad strokes (built-up areas near 50 km/h, open roads around 80), speed-enforcement and fine figures are not published for visitors. The reliable approach is the universal one: drive to the road, not the sign, keep well within what you can see, and save the emergency number 112.

To confirm exactly what permit your trip requires, use the Driving Permit Checker, and see Somalia’s place on the side-of-the-road map in our right-hand-drive countries guide.