Driving Permit for Cambodia

Cambodia recognises the International Driving Permit under the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, which it joined back in 1956 — so the 1949-format IDP, carried together with your original national licence, is the document to bring. Cambodia is not a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention, so a 1968-only permit is not the right match here; note that neighbouring Vietnam and Thailand are 1968-convention countries, which matters if your trip crosses borders overland. The UK government advises that you may be asked for the 1949 IDP alongside your licence when hiring a car or a motorcycle over 125cc, and that anyone driving long term needs to obtain a Cambodian driving licence — Canada's official advisory goes further still and tells drivers to carry a Cambodian licence.

In practice, enforcement at rental desks is uneven. Small scooters are the most common tourist rental and paperwork checks can be light, but that is no protection on the road: helmets are compulsory on motorcycles, police impose on-the-spot fines for riding without one, and an unhelmeted rider may find their insurance void. If you are involved in an accident and judged at fault, you can be detained until all fines are paid. Drink-driving is a frequent cause of crashes, especially around major holidays, so expect checkpoints and never drive after drinking. Many visitors sidestep all of this by hiring a car with a local driver, which remains the norm for intercity travel.

Traffic drives on the right, as in Vietnam and Laos — but not Thailand, which drives on the left. Road standards vary sharply outside the main highways, vehicle maintenance can be poor, and the accident rate is among the highest in Southeast Asia, with risk rising steeply after dark. Carry your licence and IDP, wear a helmet on two wheels, and keep journeys to daylight hours.