Turkey on an Indian Licence — Switching to the Right, IDP Required

Turkey is a long-distance driver’s country — coast roads, mountain passes and ancient sites strung across huge distances. For an Indian visitor the paperwork is the simple part. What needs real care is the side of the road and the pace of the traffic.

You switch from the left to the right

India drives on the left; Turkey drives on the right. That reversal is the single thing most likely to catch you out, and the danger window is the first day — pulling out of a fuel station, joining a roundabout that now flows anticlockwise, the reflexive glance the wrong way at a junction. Take your opening hour on quiet roads rather than in city traffic, and be deliberate at every turn until it stops feeling backwards. The good news is that, unlike India, lane discipline on the motorways is more consistent once you’re settled.

The IDP and your documents

You must carry an International Driving Permit alongside your Indian licence. Apply in India before you fly — it can’t be obtained in Turkey — and your licence is valid for stays of up to six months. Keep the IDP, your licence and your passport together; rental desks and police both expect to see them. The car must also carry a warning triangle, reflective vest, first-aid kit and fire extinguisher, which a rental usually provides — check before you drive off. Confirm your licence position with our driving permit checker.

Pace, alcohol and the cameras

Turkish driving is assertive and overtaking is constant; Istanbul traffic is a step beyond that again. Limits are 50 in town, 90 rural and 120 on the motorway, watched by fixed cameras and mobile patrols. The alcohol limit is 0.05 BAC, looser than India’s 0.03, but with active enforcement treat it as zero. A speeding fine can reach around TRY 2,000 (≈ €50), which you can estimate on the speeding fine calculator.

Fuel is roughly $1.15/litre and the emergency number is 112. Read the full rules on our Turkey driving guide before collecting the car.