Driving Permit for Guyana
Driving in Guyana: traffic keeps left and your foreign licence is valid for 60 days after entry. See why an IDP is recommended, Foreign Driver's Permit rules for longer stays, and rental tips for Georgetown.
- Drive on
- Left
- Convention
- 1968 Vienna
- IDP validity
- 60 days
- Processing time
- 24-48 hours
Do you need an IDP to drive in Guyana?
Guyana recognises the International Driving Permit under the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, and visiting drivers should treat the IDP as a strongly recommended companion document rather than an optional extra. Under Guyana's Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Regulations 2022, a non-resident holding a valid driver's licence issued by the competent authority in their country of residence may drive for up to 60 days after entry — and you must be able to show a passport or similar document proving your date of arrival. If your licence is not in English, the Guyana Revenue Authority expects an English translation, which is precisely the gap a 1949-format IDP fills.
Stay longer than 60 days and the rules change: you must apply to the Guyana Revenue Authority for a Foreign Driver's Permit, a short-term document valid for up to four weeks, before you can keep driving. In practice, rental desks in Georgetown will ask for your original licence and passport, and many prefer an IDP as well; police checkpoints are routine on highways and near borders, so keep your licence, IDP, passport and rental agreement with you whenever you drive.
Traffic in Guyana keeps to the left — it is one of only two countries on the South American mainland (alongside neighbouring Suriname) that does, a legacy of British rule, and most vehicles are right-hand drive. Conditions demand care: UK government travel advice flags reckless minibus drivers, poor street lighting and hazardous road surfaces, with particular caution urged at night. The paved network is concentrated along the coast, while interior routes such as the Georgetown–Lethem road are largely unpaved and generally require a 4x4. The blood-alcohol limit is 0.08%, and police carry out random breath testing.
Guyana recognises the IDP under the 1968 Vienna Convention.
Guyana is a signatory to the 1968 Vienna Convention. In practice, an IDP issued by another signatory country is recognised for your permitted visitor stay — in Guyana, plan on 60 days.
What you need to drive in Guyana
Have these ready before you pick up the keys.
Valid original driver's licence from your country of residence (usable for up to 60 days after entry)
IDP (1949 Geneva convention) recommended — effectively necessary if your licence is not in English
Passport (or equivalent) showing your date of entry into Guyana
Third-party motor insurance is mandatory for any vehicle you drive
Guyana and Suriname are the only countries on the South American mainland where traffic drives on the left — a legacy of British colonial rule.
The 60-day window for driving on a foreign licence is set by Guyana's Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Regulations 2022.
The GRA's Foreign Driver's Permit for stays beyond 60 days costs GYD 2,000 and is valid for up to four weeks at a time.
UK photocard driving licences are accepted directly; holders of older paper licences may need an IDP.
The legal blood-alcohol limit is 0.08% (80mg per 100ml of blood), and police conduct random breath tests.
Paved roads are concentrated along the coastal strip; the Georgetown–Lethem route through the rainforest interior is largely unpaved and normally driven in a 4x4.
What to know before you turn the key
Guyana drives on the left — the driver sits on the right, and roundabouts flow clockwise.
Carry your IDP and your original license together — rental desks and police checks will ask for both documents.
After 60 days you must obtain a Foreign Driver's Permit from the Guyana Revenue Authority (valid up to four weeks) to keep driving legally.
Traffic keeps left and most cars are right-hand drive; police checkpoints are routine, so carry licence, IDP, passport and rental agreement.
Rental desks in Georgetown want your original licence and passport, and many prefer to see an IDP alongside a non-English licence.
Driving without a valid licence — including overstaying the 60-day foreign-licence window without a Foreign Driver's Permit — is an offence under Guyana's road traffic law and can lead to fines, prosecution and the vehicle being detained. Police checkpoints are common, and driving over the 0.08% blood-alcohol limit can result in arrest; exact fine amounts vary, so treat any police stop with full documentation in hand.
Local rules to watch in Guyana
Low-emission zones, tolls, and city-specific rules that catch visiting drivers out.
Georgetown: watch for aggressive minibus drivers, open drainage canals beside the road, and poor street lighting after dark.
Cheddi Jagan International Airport (Timehri): UK travel advice warns against driving the airport road late at night or before dawn because of fatal accidents caused by erratic driving.
Lethem/interior: the Georgetown–Lethem road is unpaved for long stretches and can become very difficult in the rainy season — a 4x4 is strongly advised.
Signs you'll meet on the road
Eight internationally recognised signs — including which side of the road Guyana keeps.
Common questions about driving in Guyana
Drive Guyana, confidently.
Apply online in minutes and get instant digital access to your IDP translation — with an IDP PVC card option if you want one in your wallet.