Driving Permit for Tanzania
Do you need an IDP in Tanzania? The UK FCDO gives UK licence holders 6 months, then an International Driving Permit is required. Traffic drives on the left; Zanzibar needs its own permit.
- Drive on
- Left
- Convention
- Not a party
- IDP validity
- 6 months
- Processing time
- 24-48 hours
Do you need an IDP to drive in Tanzania?
Tanzania looks simple on paper and is demanding in practice. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office states that you can drive in Tanzania on a UK driving licence for up to six months, and that an International Driving Permit is required for stays longer than that. Advice differs by nationality: the Government of Canada tells its citizens to carry an International Driving Permit alongside their own licence. Most visitors therefore carry an IDP from day one. It is the standardised booklet that presents your licence details in several languages, and the Automobile Association of Tanzania describes itself as the country's only authorised issuer. The FCDO advises confirming the correct IDP type with the Tanzanian High Commission before travelling.
Two things shape a Tanzanian road trip. Police checkpoints are frequent. If you are stopped, the FCDO advises asking to see identification; where a fine applies, police should give you a government control number for payment and should not ask for on-the-spot cash for traffic violations. Carry several copies of your driving licence, permits and insurance documents. Separately, Zanzibar is not covered by your mainland paperwork: the FCDO says driving in Zanzibar also requires a local Zanzibar driving permit, which your hire car company can obtain for you.
Traffic drives on the left, so vehicles are right-hand drive and you overtake on the right. The FCDO warns of poor attention to rules at roundabouts, so take extra care if you normally drive on the right. Beyond the main highways, conditions get harder: national park roads are mainly dirt tracks that can become impassable after heavy rain, and a four-wheel drive may be essential. The FCDO also states there are no roadside rescue or breakdown services, road maps are hard to come by, and service stations are infrequent and may not have fuel. Avoid driving outside major towns and cities at night.
Tanzania has not ratified either UN road-traffic convention.
Tanzania 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 Tanzania
Have these ready before you pick up the keys.
Your original national driving licence, carried at all times — the FCDO advises carrying several copies of your licence, permits and insurance documents
An International Driving Permit: the FCDO requires one for stays beyond 6 months, while Canada's travel advice tells its citizens to carry an IDP alongside their own licence at all times
A separate, locally issued Zanzibar driving permit to drive in Zanzibar, which the FCDO says you can obtain through your hire car company
Passport and vehicle insurance documents; rental companies set their own minimum driver age and young-driver surcharges, so check the terms before booking
Traffic drives on the left. The Government of Canada's travel advice for Tanzania states plainly that vehicles drive on the left, so cars are right-hand drive and you overtake on the right.
The Automobile Association of Tanzania describes itself as the country's only authorised issuer of International Driving Permits and the Carnet de Passage.
Police checkpoints are frequent. The FCDO says that where a fine applies, police should give you a government control number for payment, and that police should not ask you to make on-the-spot payments for traffic violations.
Zanzibar requires its own locally issued driving permit in addition to your licence, obtainable through your hire car company. An International Driving Permit does not replace it.
The FCDO states there are no roadside rescue or breakdown services, that road maps are hard to come by and not always up to date, and that service stations are infrequent and may not have supplies of fuel. The Automobile Association of Tanzania does advertise a roadside assistance service, so treat recovery cover as limited rather than guaranteed.
On IDP type: the FCDO advises confirming the correct IDP with the Tanzanian High Commission, and the UN treaty register does not currently list the United Republic of Tanzania among parties to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (only the pre-independence Tanganyika 'EAT' and Zanzibar 'EAZ' vehicle signs appear). Carrying the widely issued 1949-format IDP alongside your original licence is the safe approach.
What to know before you turn the key
Tanzania 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.
Police checkpoints are frequent. The FCDO says that if you are issued a fine, police should give you a government control number for payment and should not ask for on-the-spot cash for traffic violations.
Zanzibar is the common catch: an IDP does not replace the locally issued Zanzibar driving permit that the FCDO says you also need to drive there.
The FCDO states there are no roadside rescue or breakdown services, road maps are hard to come by, and service stations are infrequent and may not have fuel. National park roads are mainly dirt tracks and a 4x4 may be essential.
If you are stopped, the FCDO advises asking to see the officer's identification. Where a fine applies, the police should issue a government control number so the penalty can be paid through official channels, and the FCDO states that police should not ask you to make on-the-spot payments for traffic violations. Driving without the documents you are required to hold, including the separate Zanzibar permit on the islands, risks a fine and may put you in breach of your hire agreement, so check its terms. Specific fine amounts for visitors are not reliably published, so treat any cash figure quoted at the roadside with caution and ask for the official control number instead.
Local rules to watch in Tanzania
Low-emission zones, tolls, and city-specific rules that catch visiting drivers out.
Dar es Salaam: dense traffic shared with 'dala dala' minibuses, 'boda boda' motorbike taxis and 'bijaji' tuk-tuks, which the FCDO says are often poorly maintained and badly driven.
Arusha and Moshi: the usual staging posts for northern-circuit safaris, and where most self-drivers collect a 4x4 before Serengeti and Ngorongoro.
Zanzibar and Stone Town: the locally issued Zanzibar driving permit is required to drive here, and your hire car company can normally arrange it.
Signs you'll meet on the road
Eight internationally recognised signs — including which side of the road Tanzania keeps.
Common questions about driving in Tanzania
Drive Tanzania, confidently.
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