Driving Permit for Sudan
Driving in Sudan: it is on neither road traffic convention party list, so an IDP has no treaty status — it works as a licence translation. Right-hand traffic; UK licences valid 3 months.
- Drive on
- Right
- Convention
- Not a party
- IDP validity
- 3 months
- Processing time
- 24-48 hours
Do you need an IDP to drive in Sudan?
Sudan sits outside the international driving permit treaty system. UN depositary records list 103 parties to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic and 91 to the 1968 Vienna Convention, and Sudan appears on neither — unlike Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria, which are all parties. No treaty therefore obliges a Sudanese officer to recognise an IDP. Even so, Canadian government advice tells visitors they should carry one, and its value is practical rather than legal: it renders your licence details in a standardised multi-language format.
What you actually drive on is your own national licence. FCDO guidance says a UK photocard licence can be used in Sudan for up to 3 months and advises paper-licence holders to update to a photocard; drivers of other nationalities should check with their own authorities, as no single published limit covers everyone. Traffic drives on the right — Sudan switched from left-hand traffic in 1973, and all its neighbours now drive on the right. Arrange motor insurance locally, through whoever supplies the vehicle.
The practical picture matters more than the paperwork. The FCDO advises against all travel to Sudan because of the ongoing military conflict, so ordinary tourist self-drive is not realistic; vehicles are generally arranged through employers, tour operators or hotels. Canadian government advice calls road conditions poor, notes that many routes outside the capital are sand tracks needing four-wheel drive, and warns that unpredictable local driving habits, pedestrians and roaming animals pose serious risks. Roadblocks are common, so keep identity and vehicle documents to hand; the FCDO also reports demands for money at checkpoints. By law you must carry photographic ID at all times, register with the Aliens Department within three days of arrival, and hold a permit to leave Red Sea State. Mobile phone use while driving is illegal.
Sudan has not ratified either UN road-traffic convention.
Sudan is not a contracting party to the 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, so no treaty obliges it to recognise an International Driving Permit. That does not automatically make an IDP useless: rental companies and police often ask for a readable translation of a foreign license, and many drivers carry one for exactly that reason. Read the country detail below and confirm the current rules with your rental company before you travel.
What you need to drive in Sudan
Have these ready before you pick up the keys.
Full, valid home driving licence, carried in the original.
An IDP carries no treaty standing in Sudan — it is on neither convention's party list — but Canadian government advice still tells visitors to carry one, and it serves as a standard translation of your licence.
Motor insurance arranged locally, through whoever supplies the vehicle.
Photographic ID such as a passport must be carried at all times by law; keep identity and vehicle documents to hand for roadblocks.
Sudan drives on the right and switched from left-hand traffic in 1973; every one of its neighbouring countries now drives on the right as well.
Sudan is on neither IDP treaty list — UN depositary records show 103 parties to the 1949 Geneva Convention and 91 to the 1968 Vienna Convention, with Sudan absent from both. Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria are regional states that are parties.
FCDO guidance permits a UK photocard driving licence to be used in Sudan for up to 3 months, and advises paper-licence holders to update to a photocard.
It is a legal requirement in Sudan to carry photographic ID such as a passport at all times, which applies while driving.
Foreign visitors must register with the Aliens Department at the Ministry of Interior within 3 days of arrival, with 2 passport-size photos and a fee; failing to register within 3 days may result in a fine.
Canadian government advice says roadblocks are common and that you should have identity and vehicle documents readily available, and warns of widespread fuel shortages on overland journeys.
What to know before you turn the key
Sudan 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.
FCDO advises against all travel to Sudan because of the ongoing military conflict, so ordinary tourist self-drive is not realistic — vehicles are generally arranged through employers, tour operators or hotels.
Movement is permit-controlled as well as licence-controlled: FCDO states you will not be allowed to leave Red Sea State without a travel permit, applied for once in country, with different amounts and processes depending on your destination.
Sudanese law prohibits the use of mobile phones while driving, and you should not photograph government buildings, military installations, petrol stations, bridges or airports from the road.
No reliable published schedule of fixed traffic fines could be found for Sudan, and no published blood-alcohol limit could be verified either, so treat any specific figure quoted online with suspicion. What is documented is enforcement by encounter rather than by posted tariff: Canadian government advice says roadblocks are common and that you should have identity and vehicle documents readily available, while the FCDO lists demands for money at checkpoints among the crime risks travellers face. Sudanese law prohibits the use of mobile phones while driving. Failing to register with the Aliens Department within 3 days of arrival may result in a fine. On alcohol, the FCDO states that non-Muslims are allowed to drink in Sudan but not in the presence of Muslims, and that you may still be arrested for drinking regardless of the circumstances — so treat drinking and driving as a serious criminal risk rather than a metered offence with a known threshold.
Local rules to watch in Sudan
Low-emission zones, tolls, and city-specific rules that catch visiting drivers out.
Khartoum: the FCDO cites ongoing military conflict in Khartoum and other parts of the country, so normal road conditions, fuel availability and services in the capital cannot be assumed.
Port Sudan / Red Sea State: you will not be allowed to leave Red Sea State without a travel permit — apply once in country and pay a fee, with different amounts and processes depending on your destination.
Inter-city and desert routes: Canadian government advice says routes outside the capital are largely sand tracks needing four-wheel drive, apart from the Khartoum–Kassala–Port Sudan, Khartoum–Atbara and Khartoum–El Obeid highways, and that desert travel needs a shovel, metal ramps, GPS, spare fuel and water.
Signs you'll meet on the road
Eight internationally recognised signs — including which side of the road Sudan keeps.
Common questions about driving in Sudan
Drive Sudan, 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.