Driving Permit for Mongolia

Mongolia recognises the International Driving Permit under the 1968 Vienna Convention, and for visiting drivers it is a genuine requirement rather than a nice-to-have. The UK government's travel advice is explicit: you need a 1968-format IDP together with your home driving licence, and the older 1949-format IDP is no longer accepted. Canadian government guidance likewise states that drivers must carry an IDP. Traffic drives on the right-hand side of the road, although a large share of imported cars are right-hand drive — a quirk that makes overtaking on two-lane roads one of the country's biggest driving hazards.

In practice, most visitors drive little inside Ulaanbaatar, where congestion is heavy, and instead rent for trips into the countryside. Self-drive hire is concentrated in the capital and dominated by 4x4s, and many travellers choose a vehicle with a local driver, which remains the most common way to tour rural Mongolia. Whichever option you take, expect the rental desk to ask for your passport, original home licence and IDP — and keep all three with you on the road, since paperwork questions at police stops are far easier to resolve with a 1968 IDP in hand.

Conditions outside the capital demand planning: only around 10% of Mongolia's roads are tarmacked, signposting is minimal, and government advisories flag a high accident rate driven by speeding, low driving standards and poorly maintained vehicles. Winter snow can cut off access to rural areas entirely. Carry GPS, fuel, water and a backup means of communication, share your route before setting off, and avoid driving at night. Treat alcohol as completely off-limits behind the wheel — advisories note drink-driving is already prevalent among local drivers, and it makes Mongolia's difficult roads even more dangerous.