Chad 2026: a Chadian Licence, Not an IDP, Is Asked

Before the speed limits matter, the paperwork does. The FCDO’s advice for Chad is that you convert your licence to a Chadian one to drive here rather than travel on an international permit, and that any journey outside N’Djamena needs authorisation from the Ministry of the Interior (gov.uk). Police checkpoints are common and ask for passport, licence and vehicle registration together.

The driving rules themselves are conventional: right-hand traffic, 50 km/h in built-up areas, 80 km/h on the open road, 100 km/h where a road is built to motorway standard, and a blood alcohol limit of zero. police answer on 2020 and fire and ambulance on 1212.

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Emergency Numbers in Chad

Police: 2020 | Ambulance: 1212 | Fire: 1212

Save these numbers before you start driving. In Chad, emergency calls are free from any phone.

Speed Limits in Chad

The default speed limits for passenger cars in Chad are 50 km/h in built-up areas, 80 km/h on rural roads, and 100 km/h on motorways.

Heavy vehicles over 3.5 tonnes are held to lower limits; Chad’s exact truck figures are not in any official source we could check.

Important: Posted signs always override default limits. Watch for temporary restrictions in construction zones, near schools, and in residential areas.

Speeding Fines and Penalties

Speeding fines in Chad vary based on how much you exceed the posted limit. Fines increase sharply for higher violations and may include licence points or driving bans for serious offences.

Traffic Rules and Regulations

Drive on the right side of the road. Overtake on the left. At roundabouts, enter counter-clockwise and yield to traffic already circulating.

Seatbelts are mandatory for all occupants. Children must use appropriate restraint systems based on their age and height.

Using a hand-held phone while driving is prohibited. Hands-free systems are permitted.

Use headlights in poor visibility, tunnels, and at night. Some areas require headlights at all times.

At unmarked intersections, traffic from the right generally has priority unless signs indicate otherwise.

Drink-Driving Laws and Alcohol Limits

Chad enforces a zero-tolerance drink-driving policy. Any detectable alcohol in your blood while driving is illegal. There is no safe amount — even one drink can put you over the limit. Penalties include heavy fines, licence confiscation, and potential imprisonment.

The safest approach is to not drink at all if you will be driving. Alcohol affects reaction time and judgement regardless of the legal limit.

Tyre Requirements and Regulations

No seasonal tyre rule applies in Chad and none would make sense: studs and winter compounds have no use here, and the tyre question is entirely about durability.

Treat 1.6 mm as the point at which a tyre is finished and replace well before it. What ends tyres in Chad is not tread wear but sidewall damage from rock, rut and heat, so a full-size spare, a compressor and the tools to change a wheel are worth more than a new set of treads.

For detailed tyre law information, see our Tyre Laws in Chad guide.

Driving Licence Requirements

The FCDO position is a conversion, not a translation: to drive in Chad you are expected to hold a Chadian licence. Treat an international permit as a supporting document rather than the authorisation itself, carry the original of your national licence, and keep your passport with it — photocopies are not accepted at a checkpoint.

Parking and Fuel

Parking outside N’Djamena is informal rather than regulated. In the capital, look for attended parking near markets and hotels.

Plan fuel as a supply problem, not a payment one. Card acceptance cannot be assumed outside the capital, so carry CFA francs in cash, fill up whenever the tank drops below half, and carry a jerrycan for any long leg — distances between working stations are measured in hundreds of kilometres.

Seasonal Driving Conditions

The rains from roughly June to September turn unsealed roads in the south into mud and can cut routes for days at a time; the Sahelian north is dry, hot and dusty year-round, with heat that punishes cooling systems and tyres alike.

Plan every long journey around water, fuel and daylight. The FCDO advises against travelling by road after dark anywhere in the country, which in practice sets the length of a day’s driving more than the map does.

Practical Driving Tips for Chad

• Get the Ministry of the Interior authorisation before any journey out of N’Djamena, not at the first checkpoint.
• Do not drive after dark — the FCDO advises against it for crime risk and road conditions together.
• In N’Djamena, take particular care on the road in front of the Presidential Palace, where there have been shootings.
• Download offline maps before the trip; mobile coverage outside the main corridors is unreliable.
• Travel with water, fuel and a full-size spare on every leg, and tell someone your route.