Turkey on a Spanish Licence — IDP Required, Istanbul at Full Tilt

Turkey is a superb country to drive across — fast modern otoyol motorways, dramatic Anatolian scenery and cheap fuel — but for a Spanish visitor it comes with one firm document requirement and one genuine test of nerve.

The document first. Turkey requires an International Driving Permit carried with your Spanish licence. Your EU licence alone is tolerated for short stays, but the IDP is what rental desks and roadside police actually expect to see, so treat it as compulsory rather than optional. It must be arranged in Spain before you fly — you cannot pick one up after landing. Carry the IDP, your Spanish licence and passport as a set, and confirm exactly what your trip needs with the Driving Permit Checker.

The test of nerve is the cities, above all Istanbul. Traffic is dense, quick and assertive: lane markings are advisory, merges are pushed rather than negotiated, and hesitation is read as an invitation to cut in. None of it is malicious, but it is a long way from the relaxed flow of a Spanish provincial road. The trick is to drive decisively — hold your line, signal early and commit to gaps — and let the chaos move around you rather than reacting to every car. Plenty of visitors collect the rental only after they have left the city by other means, and that is a sensible call.

Driving is on the right, the same as Spain, so there is no side to relearn. Out of town the otoyol network is excellent and runs to 120 km/h, with rural roads at 90 and towns at 50. Enforcement mixes fixed cameras and patrols, and a typical speeding overshoot costs around TRY 2,000 — payable promptly, and our Driving fines abroad — who pays guide covers what happens if a charge follows a rental back to you. The car must carry a warning triangle, reflective vest, first-aid kit and fire extinguisher.

The alcohol limit is 0.05, matching Spain, and best treated as zero before driving. Fuel is notably cheap at about €1.15 a litre, which makes long Anatolian distances affordable, and the emergency number is 112. For toll-tag rules on the otoyol, mountain-pass conditions and parking, read our full Turkey driving guide before you set off.