Driving abroad

How long you can drive abroad on a US license

Most countries that accept a US license set a time limit. It is counted differently from one country to the next.

Until when does your US license count?

Last day on the US license in United Kingdom

December 4, 2027

Rule12 months from entry
Days counted365
Also needednothing else by the rule read

Leaving and coming back may restart the count in some countries, not all: check the text cited on the country page.

Check every rule for the country →

Countries that accept a US license rarely accept it forever. Of the countries we classified, 43 set a time limit in the texts we read, on November 1, 2026. The limit is counted in three ways. From entry: Great Britain allows 12 months from the last time you entered, according to GOV.UK, so a new entry starts a new period. By length of stay: Portugal allows up to six months and Iceland up to 90 days of a visit, according to the State Department. From residence: Germany allows six months after a person takes up ordinary residence, under section 29 of its licensing regulation, and Italy one year, under article 135 of its road code; New South Wales in Australia requires temporary visa holders to convert after six months of living there. Once the limit has passed, neither the US license nor a permit lets you drive: a local license is needed.

How long will your IDP be valid?

Valid until

December 19, 2027

Validity1 year from the start date
Cut short by the licenseno
Earliest day to have it issuedJune 20, 2026

An IDP cannot be renewed: you apply for a new one. It is only valid with the US license, so it can never outlast it.

Plan the whole trip →

Rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources

Limits by country

State Department country pages and the national texts cited on each country page, read on November 1, 2026.
CountryLimit on the US licenseAlso needed
Albania1 year of a stayUS license OK
Angola1 month from entryIDP required
Australia6 months after you become a residentUS license OK
Austria6 months after you become a residentIDP or translation
Belize3 months from entryUS license OK
Brazil180 days of a stayUS license OK
Cameroon3 months of a stayUS license OK
Chile90 days from entryUS license OK
Croatia12 months of a stayUnclear
Denmark90 days from entryUS license OK
Ecuador90 days from entryUS license OK
El Salvador30 days from entryUS license OK
France6 months of a stayIDP or translation
Germany6 months after you become a residentIDP or translation
Greece185 days of a stayIDP required
Guatemala30 days from entryUS license OK
Hong Kong1 year of a stayUS license OK
Hungary1 year after you become a residentIDP or translation
Iceland90 days from entryUS license OK
Ireland1 year of a stayUS license OK
Italy1 year after you become a residentIDP or translation
Mongolia6 months from entryIDP required
Morocco1 year of a stayUS license OK
Namibia90 days from entryUS license OK
Palau30 days from entryUS license OK
Panama90 days from entryUS license OK
Peru30 days from entryUS license OK
Poland6 months of a stayIDP required
Portugal6 months of a stayUS license OK
Qatar14 days from entryUS license OK
Romania90 days of a stayIDP required
Russia60 days from entryIDP or translation
Serbia6 months of a stayIDP required
Slovakia90 days of a stayIDP required
Slovenia1 year after you become a residentIDP required
South Africa6 months of a stayUS license OK
Sweden1 year after you become a residentUS license OK
Switzerland1 year from entryUS license OK
Tanzania6 months of a stayUS license OK
Trinidad and Tobago90 days from entryUS license OK
Türkiye180 days of a stayUS license OK
Turks and Caicos Islands1 month from entryUS license OK
United Kingdom12 months from entryUS license OK

Visitor or resident

The tool at the top asks for the day the period starts. For a limit counted from entry or from the stay, that is your arrival. For a limit counted from residence, it is the day you register or take up residence, which can be well after arrival for a student or worker. Many countries treat a visitor and a resident under different rules, and the resident rule is usually the stricter one: GOV.UK sends residents to a separate set of questions, and Japan never accepts a foreign license alone for residents.

When the limit passes

The usual route is an exchange of the US license for a local one, where an agreement allows it, or a local test. Exchange rules often depend on the US state that issued the license. They are outside the scope of this site; the country pages say where to look. Switzerland adds a trap: it converts only a valid US license, so letting it expire means taking the Swiss test.

Questions people ask

Does leaving the country reset the time limit?

It depends on how the country counts. GOV.UK counts 12 months from the last entry into Great Britain, so a new entry restarts the period. A limit tied to residence, as in Germany or Italy, does not restart with a trip abroad. Where the text says "stay", the answer is less clear and the country page quotes it.

What happens if I keep driving after the limit on my US license?

You are then driving without a valid license in that country, which is usually a more serious offense than driving without a permit. Fines can be large, the car may be impounded and insurance may refuse to pay after an accident. In New South Wales, for example, a first offense carries a fine of 603 Australian dollars.

Does an IDP extend the time I can drive on my US license?

No. The permit translates the license and lasts one year, but it does not change a country's limit on foreign licenses. When the limit passes, a local license is needed whatever permit you hold. In some countries, such as Romania, the limit applies to the license and permit together.

Check next

Countries that require an IDP

Every country we classified, filtered by what a US license holder needs: IDP, translation, license alone, or local license.

IDP validity

One year from the start date, never past your US license, no renewal: the exact end date of your permit.

United Kingdom

Visitors drive on the US license for 12 months from the last entry into Great Britain; no IDP required.

Germany

Visitors may drive; a license not in German needs a translation or IDP (§ 29 FeV); residents have six months.

IDP by country

Pick a country and the length of your stay: whether a US license is enough, whether an IDP is required, and the official wording.

Official pages behind this page

Written by

Independent publisher of a country-by-country guide to driving abroad with a US license: International Driving Permit rules, the 1949 and 1968 road traffic conventions, rental ages and insurance

Country rules checked on · Editorial policy · Contact

Driving rules for US license holders 2026, read on State Department pages, national texts and the UN treaty records, last checked on