Turkey on an Irish Licence — IDP Required, Plus the Side Switch

Most Irish drivers assume an EU-style trip when they book Turkey, then get a surprise at the rental desk. Turkey sits outside the EU, so your Irish licence does not work on its own — and the road itself runs the opposite way to home.

Two things to fix before you fly

First, the paperwork. You need an International Driving Permit carried with your Irish licence and passport; the licence alone will not satisfy a rental company or a police check. Apply through the AA or Prestige Network at home — there is no way to obtain one once you have landed.

Second, the side of the road. Ireland drives on the left, Turkey on the right, and that reversal is the single thing most likely to catch you out. The danger window is short but real: pulling out of a fuel station, taking a roundabout that now flows clockwise, or glancing the wrong way at a junction on day one. Take your first session somewhere quiet rather than central Istanbul, and check the full rules on our Turkey driving guide before you set off.

Istanbul traffic is its own category

Turkey’s road manner is assertive, road quality varies sharply once you leave the toll motorways, and Istanbul traffic is genuinely extreme — lane discipline is loose and gaps close fast. The coast and the interior are far calmer; if it is your first time, build confidence away from the big cities before tackling them.

Speeds, alcohol and the fine that bites

Town limit is 50 km/h, rural 90, motorway 120. Cameras are widespread — both fixed gantries and mobile radar — and a roughly 10 km/h overspeed runs to about TRY 2,000 (≈ EUR 50), often payable on the spot, so keep a card handy. You can estimate a penalty with the Speeding Fine Calculator, and if you are unsure who settles a camera ticket on a rental, our note on who pays driving fines abroad covers it.

The drink-drive limit is 0.05, identical to Ireland, so nothing new there. Fuel is cheap by Irish standards at around $1.15/litre, and the national emergency number is 112. Confirm exactly which documents you need with the Driving Permit Checker before you collect the car.