Country driving guide · 2026
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into DR Congo: 11 legal requirements + 6 other things worth knowing.
Required
Recommended
Good to know
Tick before you go
11 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.
1949 Geneva IDP plus national licence
Carry a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit alongside your UK/EU photocard licence; DRC does not recognise the 1968 Vienna IDP.
Passport with valid visa
A passport valid for at least 6 months and a pre-arranged DRC visa are mandatory; visas on arrival are not available for UK or most EU nationals.
Carnet de Passage for own vehicle
Importing a foreign-plated car requires a Carnet de Passage en Douane; without it the vehicle will be impounded or refused entry at the border.
Local third-party insurance
UK/EU policies and Green Cards are not valid; buy compulsory third-party (assurance automobile) at the border or in Kinshasa from SONAS or a licensed insurer.
Drive on the right
Traffic drives on the right and overtakes on the left, the same as continental Europe.
Speed limits 60/80/100 km/h
Urban 60 km/h, rural 80 km/h, and 100 km/h on the few stretches of dual carriageway; lower limits are signed and enforced by police roadblocks.
Blood alcohol limit 0.8 g/L
Drink-driving limit is 0.80 g/L (higher than UK 0.80 / EU 0.50), but police bribes and arbitrary fines mean zero alcohol is the only safe approach.
Warning triangle and spare wheel
A reflective warning triangle, spare tyre, jack and basic tool kit are legally required in the vehicle at all times.
Avoid eastern provinces entirely
Do not drive in North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, Tanganyika or Kasai provinces due to armed conflict, kidnapping and active M23 hostilities; the FCDO advises against all travel.
Emergency number and roadblocks
Police 112 is rarely effective; expect frequent military and police roadblocks where small bribes (matabiche) of 1,000-5,000 CDF are routinely solicited despite being illegal.
Declare cash over 10,000 USD
Amounts over 10,000 USD (or equivalent) must be declared at the border; undeclared sums are confiscated and travellers face fines or detention.
The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to large parts of DRC including eastern provinces; self-driving by foreign visitors is not realistic and overland routes are extremely limited.
Carry a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit alongside your UK/EU photocard licence; DRC does not recognise the 1968 Vienna IDP.
A passport valid for at least 6 months and a pre-arranged DRC visa are mandatory; visas on arrival are not available for UK or most EU nationals.
Importing a foreign-plated car requires a Carnet de Passage en Douane; without it the vehicle will be impounded or refused entry at the border.
UK/EU policies and Green Cards are not valid; buy compulsory third-party (assurance automobile) at the border or in Kinshasa from SONAS or a licensed insurer.
Traffic drives on the right and overtakes on the left, the same as continental Europe.
Urban 60 km/h, rural 80 km/h, and 100 km/h on the few stretches of dual carriageway; lower limits are signed and enforced by police roadblocks.
Drink-driving limit is 0.80 g/L (higher than UK 0.80 / EU 0.50), but police bribes and arbitrary fines mean zero alcohol is the only safe approach.
Police 112 is rarely effective; expect frequent military and police roadblocks where small bribes (matabiche) of 1,000-5,000 CDF are routinely solicited despite being illegal.
A reflective warning triangle, spare tyre, jack and basic tool kit are legally required in the vehicle at all times.
Fuel stations are sparse outside Kinshasa and Lubumbashi; carry spare diesel/petrol in jerry cans, several litres of water, a first aid kit and a hi-vis vest.
DRC has no motorway network and no vignette; informal road-tax barriers (peage) charge a few thousand Congolese francs (around 1-2 EUR) per checkpoint on major routes.
Most roads outside cities are unpaved laterite; a high-clearance 4x4 is essential and many routes become impassable in the rainy seasons (Oct-Dec and Mar-May).
Do not drive in North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, Tanganyika or Kasai provinces due to armed conflict, kidnapping and active M23 hostilities; the FCDO advises against all travel.
Currency is the Congolese franc (CDF) but US dollars (clean, post-2013 notes) are accepted everywhere; cash is essential as cards work only in top-end Kinshasa hotels.
Petrol costs roughly 3,500-4,000 CDF (1.40-1.60 EUR) per litre and is often sold by the jerry can in rural areas; quality is variable so use branded stations where possible.
Amounts over 10,000 USD (or equivalent) must be declared at the border; undeclared sums are confiscated and travellers face fines or detention.
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Don't get caught out
Traffic drives on the right and overtakes on the left, the same as continental Europe.
Urban 60 km/h, rural 80 km/h, and 100 km/h on the few stretches of dual carriageway; lower limits are signed and enforced by police roadblocks.
Drink-driving limit is 0.80 g/L (higher than UK 0.80 / EU 0.50), but police bribes and arbitrary fines mean zero alcohol is the only safe approach.
Police 112 is rarely effective; expect frequent military and police roadblocks where small bribes (matabiche) of 1,000-5,000 CDF are routinely solicited despite being illegal.