πΉπ· Drive in Turkey on a UK Licence? YesβIDP Required
United Kingdom
Turkey
A British licence holder can drive in Turkey, but you must carry an International Driving Permit (IDP) alongside it β Turkey requires the IDP for UK visitors, and it is the one document people forget. You also switch from the left to driving on the right, and the drink-drive limit drops to 0.05.
The honest answer for a British visitor is yes, you can drive in Turkey β but unlike most of Europe, your UK licence on its own will not do. Turkey is one of the countries that genuinely asks foreign drivers to carry an International Driving Permit, and the rental desk or a traffic officer is within their rights to ask for it.
The verdict on your British licence
You may drive in Turkey on your UK photocard, but you are legally expected to hold an International Driving Permit with it. The IDP is a translation of your licence into a format Turkish police recognise; carry it together with the photocard and your passport. Get the IDP from a UK Post Office before you travel β it costs a few pounds, takes minutes, and is impossible to arrange after you land. Without it, a rental company can refuse the car and an officer can treat you as undocumented.
The change that catches British drivers out
The UK drives on the left; Turkey drives on the right. This is the single biggest adjustment, and the danger is concentrated in the first hour β joining a roundabout in the wrong direction, drifting left after a turn, or glancing the wrong way at a junction. Take your first drive somewhere quiet rather than straight into Istanbul or Antalya traffic, and be deliberate at every turn until right-side driving stops feeling alien.
Speed, alcohol and the fines that bite
Town limits sit at 50 km/h, open roads at 90, and motorways at 120 km/h β faster than a British motorway, on roads where driving can be assertive and lane discipline loose, particularly around Istanbul. The drink-drive limit is 0.05 BAC, below the 0.08 of England and Wales; the sensible line is none at all before driving. Speeding is enforced by fixed and mobile cameras, and a typical 10 km/h-over penalty runs to around TRY 2,000 (β β¬50) β you can estimate yours with the Speeding Fine Calculator.
Before you set off
Petrol is roughly $1.15/litre, and the emergency number is 112. Read the full rules on our Turkey driving guide and confirm exactly what you must carry with the Driving Permit Checker before you collect the car.
Speed limits, fines, equipment & license requirements
Your home country driving rules for reference
Side-by-side driving rules comparison
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Winter tyres in Turkey β 2026–27 season
Winter tyres are required in Turkey whenever conditions are wintry — 15 Nov - 15 Apr (commercial passenger/goods vehicles: mandatory; private cars: not mandatory nationally, subject to provincial order).
- Tread minimum: 1.6 mm — Turkey sets no separate winter figure.
- Accepted marking: M+S
- Studded tyres: allowed
In Turkish the rule is kΔ±Ε lastiΔi, and snow chains are kar zinciri — that is the wording on signs, in hire-car paperwork and on any penalty notice.
Verified against national legislation, August 2026 · Full Turkey tyre law · Compare all countries
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but your British licence alone is not enough β Turkey requires an International Driving Permit (IDP) to be carried with it. Sort the IDP at a UK Post Office before you fly; you cannot get one once you arrive.
Turkey drives on the right, the opposite of the UK. Your first day is the risky one β pulling out of junctions and taking roundabouts the other way around.
The limit is 0.05 BAC, lower than the 0.08 you are used to in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Driving a private car with passengers tightens it further, so treat it as zero.