Can a British Driver Use Their Licence in South Sudan? — IDP Recommended, Drive on the Right

Before any rule about speed or alcohol, the honest headline for South Sudan is that this is one of the harder places in the world to drive as a foreign visitor. A British licence is valid here in principle, but the realistic advice is built around conditions and security rather than a tidy rulebook.

The licence verdict

A British driver can use their licence in South Sudan provided they carry an International Driving Permit with it and their passport. That said, genuinely independent self-drive is uncommon: most foreigners move with organised transport or a hired local driver, both because of road conditions and because of the wider security situation. If you do drive, the documentation above is the baseline, not the whole story.

You switch to the right — on roads that punish mistakes

The UK drives on the left; South Sudan drives on the right. Ordinarily the side switch is the main thing to flag, and it is here too, but it lands on top of difficult roads. Outside the capital, Juba, the network is largely unsealed — gravel, dirt and sand that turn to mud in the rains. Add livestock, pedestrians sharing the carriageway and few road markings, and the safe approach is slow, defensive driving with plenty of daylight margin. Avoid driving after dark.

Speed limits exist, but the road sets the pace

Where limits are posted, expect about 50 km/h in towns, 80 km/h on rural roads and 100 km/h on the small number of better highways. Treat these as ceilings you will rarely reach: surface quality, not the sign, decides a sensible speed on most routes. The drink-drive limit is recorded as 0.08, but with enforcement and road conditions both unpredictable, zero alcohol before driving is the only defensible rule. The emergency number is 112, though response outside Juba can be limited — carry water, fuel and a means of communication on any longer trip.

For the document side, the Driving Permit Checker confirms the IDP requirement, and our South Sudan driving guide covers the wider picture before you commit to any self-drive plan.