Driving Permit for Uganda
Driving in Uganda on a foreign licence? Uganda recognises the 1949-convention IDP. Learn the IDP rules, the 90-day limit, driving on the left, and the documents you need to carry.
- Drive on
- Left
- Convention
- 1949 + 1968
- IDP validity
- 3 months (90 days)
- Processing time
- 24-48 hours
Do you need an IDP to drive in Uganda?
Uganda is a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, which it acceded to on 15 April 1965, and it recognises the International Driving Permit issued under that convention. For a short trip you do not need a Ugandan licence: you drive on your valid home-country licence, with the IDP alongside it as the internationally recognised translation. UK government advice states that you can drive in Uganda with a UK driving licence for up to 3 months, and that for longer you need either a Ugandan driving licence or a 1949 international driving permit. Canadian advice sets the same boundary at 90 days from the date of entry and describes an IDP as recommended.
So for most short-stay visitors the IDP is a recommendation rather than a border requirement, especially where the licence is already in English. It matters in two practical places: the rental desk and the roadside. Rental and self-drive operators set their own contract terms, and many require an IDP alongside the original licence, so check your rental agreement before you travel. Canadian advice lists what you should carry when driving in Uganda: a licence in English or with a certified translation, vehicle registration documents, proof of valid insurance and a valid vehicle inspection certificate.
Traffic drives on the left, a legacy of British administration shared with Kenya and Tanzania, worth planning for if you arrive overland from Rwanda, which drives on the right. The minimum age to drive is 18. Enforcement is real rather than nominal: UK advice states that speeding is illegal, that police enforce speed limit laws, and that you could get a fine, a prison sentence or both. Canadian advice states that penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol include immediate imprisonment. Both governments advise avoiding road travel outside the main towns after dark.
Uganda recognises the IDP under both the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Conventions.
Uganda 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 Uganda, plan on 3 months (90 days).
What you need to drive in Uganda
Have these ready before you pick up the keys.
Minimum age 18 to drive, per Canadian government guidance. Rental companies may set their own age and experience conditions, so confirm with your provider.
Always carry your original national driving licence. An IDP is a translation and must be presented together with the licence it translates, never on its own.
UK government guidance specifies the 1949-format IDP for Uganda and states an IDP is needed for stays longer than 90 days.
Canadian guidance says to carry a licence in English or with a certified translation, plus vehicle registration, proof of valid insurance and a valid vehicle inspection certificate.
Uganda acceded to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic on 15 April 1965, per the UN Treaty Collection.
Uganda also acceded to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic on 23 August 2022, but UK government guidance still lists Uganda under the 1949-format IDP.
Under the 1949 Convention an IDP is valid for one year from its date of issue; a 1968-convention permit can run up to three years, or until the national licence expires, whichever is earlier.
An IDP is not a licence in its own right and must be shown together with the original national driving licence it translates.
Traffic drives on the left in Uganda, as in Kenya and Tanzania, while neighbouring Rwanda drives on the right.
UK advice recommends avoiding road travel outside the main towns after dark, naming the roads between Kampala and Entebbe International Airport as the exception.
What to know before you turn the key
Uganda 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.
Rental and self-drive operators set their own contract terms; many ask for an IDP alongside the original licence, so check your rental agreement before you travel.
Traffic drives on the left, a genuine adjustment if you normally drive on the right.
The foreign-licence window is not open-ended: past roughly three months (90 days), UK guidance says you need either a Ugandan licence or a 1949 IDP.
Uganda enforces its traffic laws actively rather than nominally. UK government advice states that speeding is illegal in Uganda, that the police enforce speed limit laws, and that you could get a fine, a prison sentence or both if caught speeding. Canadian government advice states that penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol include immediate imprisonment. Canadian advice also sets out what you are expected to have with you when driving: a licence in English or with a certified translation, vehicle registration documents, proof of valid insurance and a valid vehicle inspection certificate. Specific fine amounts are not published consistently and are revised over time, so treat any figure quoted online as indicative rather than current, and confirm locally or with your rental provider.
Local rules to watch in Uganda
Low-emission zones, tolls, and city-specific rules that catch visiting drivers out.
Kampala: UK government advice warns against using boda-boda motorbike taxis, describing them as generally in poor condition and badly driven.
Entebbe: the roads between Kampala and Entebbe International Airport are the one exception UK advice makes to its warning about travel after dark.
The Jinja-Kampala and Kampala-Masaka roads are flagged in both UK and Canadian advice as roads where accidents regularly happen.
Signs you'll meet on the road
Eight internationally recognised signs — including which side of the road Uganda keeps.
Common questions about driving in Uganda
Drive Uganda, 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.