Can an American Drive in Tunisia? — Yes, IDP Recommended + a 0.03 Limit

Tunisia makes a rewarding self-drive — Roman ruins, the Sahara fringe, the Mediterranean coast — and for an American the rules are easy to stay on the right side of with a little forethought.

The verdict for US licence holders

You can drive in Tunisia on your American licence, with an International Driving Permit recommended to carry with it. The IDP isn’t always demanded, but rental companies and roadside police prefer to see one, and it provides a clean translation of your US licence. Your home licence covers stays of up to around 12 months; arrange the IDP at home before you fly, and keep it with your licence and passport.

Helpfully, Tunisia drives on the right, the same as the US — no side switch, none of the first-day rewiring that catches American drivers heading to the UK, Japan or Australia.

The detail that catches Americans: a 0.03 alcohol limit

Tunisia’s drink-drive limit is 0.03, well under the 0.08 used across most of the US. That’s effectively no margin for a drink before driving. As a predominantly Muslim country alcohol is in any case less freely available, but the simple rule for a driver is to leave it out entirely.

Speeds and what the roads are like

Limits run 50 km/h in town, 90 on rural roads and 110 on the motorway, broadly familiar territory. The toll motorway between Tunis, Sousse and Sfax is good and fast; away from it, surfaces vary, towns get busy and assertive, and in the south you’ll meet long empty stretches where fuel stops are spaced out — fill up when you can. Police checkpoints are routine on intercity roads, which is exactly why carrying the IDP with your licence is worth it.

Fuel is cheap at around $0.72 a litre, and the general emergency number is 112.

Read the full rules on our Tunisia driving guide, confirm your documents with the Driving Permit Checker, and check any penalty with the Speeding Fine Calculator.