Driving Permit for Czech Republic

The Czech Republic drives on the right-hand side of the road and is party to both the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna conventions on road traffic, so International Driving Permits issued under either convention are recognised. If your licence was issued in the EU or EEA, you can drive on it directly with no IDP. Visitors from outside the EU — including from the US, Canada, Australia and most of Asia — are strongly advised to carry an IDP alongside their original national licence, and it is effectively essential if your licence is printed in a non-Latin script such as Arabic, Japanese, Chinese or Cyrillic, since Czech police must be able to read it.

At rental desks in Prague, Brno and Ostrava, the major international firms (Hertz, Avis, Sixt, Europcar) accept EU and UK licences on their own; non-EU renters may be asked to show an IDP or an official translation, so having one avoids being turned away at the counter. Remember that an IDP is only a translation of your licence — it is valid only together with the original, and both should be carried whenever you drive. The minimum driving age is 18, and rental companies generally require drivers to be at least 21.

A few local rules catch visitors out. Motorways and expressways require a digital vignette (e-znamka) registered to your number plate — buy it online before you drive, as there is no physical sticker. The Czech Republic enforces a strict zero-tolerance alcohol limit of 0.0%, headlights must be switched on day and night all year round, and winter tyres are mandatory from 1 November to 31 March in wintry conditions. Every car must also carry a warning triangle, a first-aid kit and a reflective vest.