Can a British Driver Use a UK Licence in Taiwan? — IDP Required, and You Switch to the Right
United Kingdom
Taiwan
A British licence alone is not enough for Taiwan — you must carry an International Driving Permit with it. Taiwan also drives on the RIGHT, the opposite of the UK, and enforces a strict 0.03 alcohol limit, so the side switch and the near-dry rule are the two things that catch British drivers.
Taiwan is one of the easier places in Asia for a British visitor to consider driving — the road network is modern, signage carries English, and the scenery off the east coast is the reason to bother. But two things make it less plug-and-play than it looks, and both are worth sorting before you collect a car.
The verdict for a British licence holder
Unlike much of Europe, Taiwan requires an International Driving Permit — your UK licence is not valid on its own. The IDP, issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention, is what the rental company and the police will actually accept, and it runs for a limited validity, so do not let it expire mid-trip. Get it in the UK before you fly; you cannot obtain one in Taiwan. Carry IDP, British licence and passport together.
The biggest adjustment: switching to the right
The UK drives on the left; Taiwan drives on the right, and this is the single change most likely to catch a British driver out. The hazard is not the open road — it is the first day, at junctions, slip roads and the moment you pull away from a petrol station and your instincts point you the wrong way. Add Taiwan’s dense traffic of scooters filtering on every side and the first hour deserves your full concentration. Take it somewhere quiet, not central Taipei.
A strict alcohol limit and the roads themselves
Taiwan enforces a 0.03 blood-alcohol limit — well below what British drivers are used to, and effectively a no-drinking rule before you get behind the wheel. Enforcement is active and the penalties are not trivial.
On the road, town limits sit around 50 km/h, rural roads near 70 km/h and motorways 110 km/h, and the freeway network is genuinely good. The real character of Taiwan driving is the volume of scooters: they weave, stop in clusters at lights, and treat the inside of your lane as theirs. Mirror checks and patience matter more than speed. Fuel is inexpensive at roughly $0.92 a litre, and the emergency number is 112.
Check the wider rules on our Taiwan driving guide, confirm the IDP requirement with our Driving Permit Checker, and see how cross-border penalties are settled in our driving fines abroad guide.
Speed limits, fines, equipment & license requirements
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Frequently Asked Questions
Only together with an International Driving Permit. Taiwan requires the IDP alongside your British licence; the licence on its own is not accepted at rental desks or in a police stop. Arrange the IDP in the UK before you travel.
On the right — the opposite of home. Your danger window is the first day, especially pulling out of junctions and onto Taiwan's busy scooter-heavy roads, where reflexes from left-hand driving work against you.
0.03, much stricter than the British limit, with no realistic room for a single drink. Penalties are heavy and roadside testing is common, so keep it at zero.