Driving Permit for Liechtenstein
Driving in Liechtenstein? See who needs an IDP, which licences are accepted, speed limits, the 0.8‰ alcohol rule and vignette tips for arriving via Switzerland or Austria.
- Drive on
- Right
- Convention
- 1949 + 1968
- IDP validity
- 12 months
- Processing time
- 24-48 hours
Do you need an IDP to drive in Liechtenstein?
Liechtenstein drives on the right and recognises the International Driving Permit under the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, to which it is a contracting party. If your licence was issued in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, it is accepted on its own. Visitors from elsewhere — the US, Canada, Australia, India and beyond — should carry a 1968-format IDP alongside their original licence: it is what police and rental desks expect whenever a licence is not in a language they can read, and the principality's own Road Traffic Office recommends an IDP for driving that involves countries outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland.
In practice, most visitors do not rent a car in Liechtenstein at all. The country is only about 25 km long, has just a handful of rental desks, and is usually reached with a car picked up in Zurich, St. Gallen or Feldkirch — which means Swiss or Austrian rental terms apply: typically a minimum age of 21, a licence held for at least a year, and young-driver surcharges below 25. Liechtenstein itself has no motorways, no tolls and no vignette, but you will almost certainly need a Swiss motorway vignette or an Austrian vignette on the way in.
Local rules closely mirror Switzerland's: 50 km/h in built-up areas, 80 km/h outside them, seatbelts for every occupant and hands-free-only phone use. One genuine quirk is the drink-drive limit of 0.8‰ — higher than in any neighbouring country — though enforcement is strict and professional drivers face near-zero rules. In winter, the alpine road up to Malbun calls for winter tyres, and snow chains where signposted.
Liechtenstein recognises the IDP under both the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Conventions.
Liechtenstein is a signatory to both the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Conventions. In practice, an IDP issued by another signatory country is recognised for your permitted visitor stay — in Liechtenstein, plan on 12 months.
What you need to drive in Liechtenstein
Have these ready before you pick up the keys.
Valid national driving licence — the minimum driving age is 18
IDP (1968 convention format) recommended for non-EU/EEA licence holders, and effectively expected when the licence is not in a language local police or rental desks can read
Proof of third-party insurance; a Green Card is advisable for vehicles registered outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland
Car rental typically requires age 21+ and a licence held for at least a year, with young-driver surcharges under 25
Liechtenstein is a contracting party to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, so 1968-format IDPs are recognised alongside your original licence.
There are no motorways — and therefore no tolls or vignette — anywhere in Liechtenstein; general speed limits are 50 km/h in built-up areas and 80 km/h outside them.
The drink-drive limit is 0.8‰, higher than Switzerland's 0.5‰ and one of the highest in Europe, though professional drivers are held to near-zero alcohol rules.
Road traffic law closely follows Switzerland's — a legacy of the two countries' customs union — and the currency is the Swiss franc.
The government's Road Traffic Office (Amt für Strassenverkehr) in Vaduz administers driving licences and recommends an IDP for driving involving countries outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland.
Arriving by road normally means crossing Switzerland or Austria first, so budget for the Swiss motorway vignette or the Austrian vignette even though Liechtenstein charges nothing.
What to know before you turn the key
Liechtenstein 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.
Liechtenstein itself has no motorways, tolls or vignette — but you will almost certainly arrive via Switzerland or Austria, whose motorway vignettes do apply.
Most visitors pick up their rental car in Zurich, St. Gallen or Feldkirch rather than in Liechtenstein, so Swiss or Austrian rental-desk rules apply in practice; an IDP smooths pick-up for non-EU licences.
Road rules closely mirror Switzerland's, and prices and fines are in Swiss francs.
Enforcement follows the Swiss model: police can issue on-the-spot fines for minor offences, while speeding fines scale with severity. Driving above the 0.8‰ alcohol limit can mean heavy fines, licence withdrawal and, in serious cases, imprisonment.
Local rules to watch in Liechtenstein
Low-emission zones, tolls, and city-specific rules that catch visiting drivers out.
Vaduz: the compact capital's centre, the Städtle, is pedestrianised — park in one of the central garages and explore on foot.
Malbun: the mountain resort at roughly 1,600 m is reached by a winding alpine road; check winter tyres and chains before heading up between late autumn and spring.
Schaan and Balzers: the main north–south road linking Feldkirch (Austria) with the Swiss border carries heavy cross-border commuter traffic at rush hour.
Signs you'll meet on the road
Eight internationally recognised signs — including which side of the road Liechtenstein keeps.
Common questions about driving in Liechtenstein
Drive Liechtenstein, 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.