Driving Permit for Russia

Russia drives on the right and recognises the International Driving Permit under the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. If your licence was issued by another 1968-convention country — most of Europe and much of Latin America — it is accepted on its own for the length of a temporary visit. Licences from countries outside the convention, most notably the United States, must be paired with an IDP or a certified Russian translation, because Russian law requires a foreign licence to either follow the convention format or be accompanied by an official translation.

In practice, an IDP is worth carrying whatever your licence's origin. Traffic-police checkpoints are a routine part of Russian driving, and officers may not read Latin-script documents; the IDP's Russian pages settle most roadside questions quickly. The rental market changed sharply after 2022: Hertz, Avis, Sixt and Europcar have all left Russia, so you will rent from local companies, which typically require drivers to be at least 21 with around two years of experience (older for premium cars) and ask for a passport, visa or migration card, your licence and an IDP. The legal minimum driving age is 18.

Russian road rules are stricter than many visitors expect. The drink-drive limit of 0.3 g/L effectively means no drinking at all, winter tyres are compulsory from December through the end of February, and dipped headlights or daytime running lights should be on when driving. Standard speed limits are 60 km/h in towns, 90 km/h on rural roads and 110 km/h on expressways, with speed cameras widespread. Major intercity motorways such as the M-11 Moscow–St Petersburg and M-12 Moscow–Kazan are tolled, with modern sections using camera-based free-flow tolling.