Driving Permit for Comoros
Comoros drives on the right and accepts valid foreign licences for short stays — an IDP (1949 format) is the recommended companion, especially for paper or non-Latin-script licences.
- Drive on
- Right
- Convention
- Not a party
- IDP validity
- 3 months
- Processing time
- 24-48 hours
Do you need an IDP to drive in Comoros?
Comoros has not ratified either UN road-traffic convention, and for most visitors the paperwork is refreshingly light. A valid home-country licence is accepted for short stays — the UK Foreign Office confirms a UK photocard licence can be used for up to three months — and an IDP is the recommended companion document. If your licence is a paper document or printed in a non-Latin script, the IDP stops being optional in practice: it is the translation local officials and rental agents can actually read.
The rental scene is small and informal. None of the major international chains operate on the islands, so cars are hired through local agencies and hotels — mostly in Moroni on Grande Comore — and often with a driver included, a popular option given the state of the secondary roads. Whoever you rent from, expect to show your original licence, and keep it with your passport and IDP in the car, as police document checks do happen.
Traffic drives on the right, a legacy of French administration. The network is tiny — roughly 880 km of road, about 673 km of it paved — and it hugs the coasts, since the volcanic interior is largely roadless. Grande Comore's coastal ring road is of reasonable standard, but many other roads are potholed, narrow and unlit, so plan to be parked by dark. Shared taxis (taxis-brousses) remain the main way locals travel between towns on all three islands.
Comoros has not ratified either UN road-traffic convention.
Comoros is not a contracting party to the 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, so no treaty obliges it to recognise an International Driving Permit. That does not automatically make an IDP useless: rental companies and police often ask for a readable translation of a foreign license, and many drivers carry one for exactly that reason. Read the country detail below and confirm the current rules with your rental company before you travel.
What you need to drive in Comoros
Have these ready before you pick up the keys.
Original home-country driving licence (photocard format preferred — UK photocard licences are accepted for up to 3 months)
International Driving Permit (1949 format) recommended — effectively necessary alongside paper or non-Latin-script licences
Carry your passport, licence and IDP in the vehicle; expect occasional police document checks
Drivers are expected to be at least 18, in line with regional norms
Traffic keeps to the right and vehicles are left-hand drive, reflecting the country's French administrative heritage
The road network totals about 880 km, of which roughly 673 km are paved — one of the smallest networks of any country
Roads serve the coastal areas rather than the interior; mountainous terrain, including the Karthala volcano on Grande Comore, makes cross-island driving slow
The UK FCDO advises that a UK photocard licence is valid for up to 3 months; longer stays require an extension via local authorities or an IDP
Shared taxis (taxis-brousses) are the main form of intercity public transport on Grande Comore, Anjouan and Mohéli
Grande Comore's main ring road is of reasonable standard, but many other roads are in poor condition, per the UK Foreign Office
What to know before you turn the key
Comoros drives on the right — the driver sits on the left, and roundabouts flow anti-clockwise.
Carry your IDP and your original license together — rental desks and police checks will ask for both documents.
No major international rental chains operate in Comoros — cars are hired through local agencies and hotels, mostly in Moroni, often with a driver included
Grande Comore's coastal ring road is of reasonable standard, but many secondary roads are potholed, narrow and unlit — avoid night driving
Fuel stations and repair services thin out quickly outside the main towns, so fill up before leaving Moroni or other island capitals
Comoros publishes no widely available fine schedule. In practice, driving without a valid licence — or without an IDP when your licence cannot be read locally — risks on-the-spot fines at police checks and, more costly, a rejected rental-insurance claim after an accident.
Local rules to watch in Comoros
Low-emission zones, tolls, and city-specific rules that catch visiting drivers out.
Moroni (Grande Comore): the capital and main arrival point — nearly all car hire is arranged here, and the island's coastal ring road begins and ends in town
Mutsamudu (Anjouan): the country's second city; its old medina streets are steep and narrow, so park outside and explore on foot
Fomboni (Mohéli): the smallest island's main town — traffic is very light, but road quality deteriorates quickly beyond it
Signs you'll meet on the road
Eight internationally recognised signs — including which side of the road Comoros keeps.
Common questions about driving in Comoros
Drive Comoros, confidently.
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