Country driving guide · 2026
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into Guinea: 8 legal requirements + 8 other things worth knowing.
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Recommended
Good to know
Tick before you go
8 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.
1949 International Driving Permit required
Guinea recognises the 1949 Geneva Convention IDP, which must be carried alongside your UK or EU photocard licence and passport at all times.
Source: AA IDP guide →Carry passport and visa at checkpoints
Police and gendarmerie checkpoints are frequent on all major routes. Keep passport, visa and licence accessible but never hand over originals without seeing ID.
Local third-party insurance (Carte Brune CEDEAO)
UK/EU green cards are not valid; buy ECOWAS Brown Card third-party cover at the border or in Conakry: expect roughly GNF 400,000-800,000 (EUR 40-90) for short stays.
Drive on the right
Guinea drives on the right and overtakes on the left, same as continental Europe.
Speed limits 110 / 90 / 60 km/h
Default limits are roughly 110 km/h on the few dual-carriageway sections, 90 km/h on rural roads and 60 km/h in towns: signage is sparse so assume the lower limit.
Blood alcohol limit 0.8 g/L
BAC limit is 0.8 g/L but enforcement is erratic and any drink-driving at a checkpoint typically results in heavy on-the-spot fines: drive sober.
Warning triangle and hi-vis vest
Carry a reflective warning triangle and high-visibility jacket; a basic first-aid kit and spare bulbs are also expected at checkpoints.
Cash declaration above XOF 1,000,000 equivalent
Declare cash equivalent to roughly EUR 1,500 or more at the border; undeclared foreign currency can be seized.
Check gov.uk Foreign Travel Advice before driving: political instability, poor road conditions and frequent checkpoints make self-drive challenging outside Conakry.
FCDO Guinea adviceGuinea recognises the 1949 Geneva Convention IDP, which must be carried alongside your UK or EU photocard licence and passport at all times.
AA IDP guidePolice and gendarmerie checkpoints are frequent on all major routes. Keep passport, visa and licence accessible but never hand over originals without seeing ID.
UK/EU green cards are not valid; buy ECOWAS Brown Card third-party cover at the border or in Conakry: expect roughly GNF 400,000-800,000 (EUR 40-90) for short stays.
Bringing your own car requires a Carnet de Passage en Douane plus V5C; most overlanders rent locally with driver instead.
Guinea drives on the right and overtakes on the left, same as continental Europe.
Default limits are roughly 110 km/h on the few dual-carriageway sections, 90 km/h on rural roads and 60 km/h in towns: signage is sparse so assume the lower limit.
BAC limit is 0.8 g/L but enforcement is erratic and any drink-driving at a checkpoint typically results in heavy on-the-spot fines: drive sober.
Unlit roads, stray livestock, broken-down lorries and unmarked potholes make night driving extremely dangerous; complete journeys before sunset.
Dial 117 for police and 18 for fire/ambulance, though response outside Conakry is unreliable. Keep your embassy number saved.
Carry a reflective warning triangle and high-visibility jacket; a basic first-aid kit and spare bulbs are also expected at checkpoints.
Guinea has no motorways or electronic toll system: a handful of bridge and road barriers charge small cash tolls in GNF, no sticker required.
Heavy rains turn unpaved roads (most of the country outside the N1) into mud; 4x4 is essential and some routes to Forest Guinea close entirely.
There are no LEZs or environmental sticker schemes in Conakry or other Guinean cities.
Cash is king: fuel stations, tolls and checkpoints rarely accept cards; carry small GNF notes and approximately EUR 1.10-1.30 per litre equivalent for petrol.
Declare cash equivalent to roughly EUR 1,500 or more at the border; undeclared foreign currency can be seized.
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Start planning →Places to add to your Guinea road trip.
Don't get caught out
Guinea drives on the right and overtakes on the left, same as continental Europe.
Default limits are roughly 110 km/h on the few dual-carriageway sections, 90 km/h on rural roads and 60 km/h in towns: signage is sparse so assume the lower limit.
BAC limit is 0.8 g/L but enforcement is erratic and any drink-driving at a checkpoint typically results in heavy on-the-spot fines: drive sober.