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Country driving guide · 2026

Driving in Guyana

Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into Guyana: 7 legal requirements + 8 other things worth knowing.

7

Required

3

Recommended

5

Good to know

Tick before you go

Pre-departure checklist for Guyana

7 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.

  • Drive on the LEFT

    Guyana drives on the left-hand side of the road, a legacy of its British colonial history: the only mainland South American country to do so.

  • 1949 IDP required

    Carry a 1949-convention International Driving Permit alongside your UK/EU photocard licence; visitors may drive on these for up to 90 days.

  • Passport and entry stamp

    Carry your passport with the entry stamp at all times: police checkpoints are common, especially on the East Coast and Linden highways.

  • Local insurance mandatory

    UK/EU motor insurance and Green Card are not valid; you must buy local third-party cover from a Guyanese insurer (e.g. GTM, Caricom General): rental cars include it.

  • Speed limits

    Urban 50 km/h, rural 80 km/h, highways (East Coast, Soesdyke-Linden) 80 km/h. There are no motorways. Limits are strictly enforced by radar near Georgetown.

  • BAC limit 0.08 g/L

    Blood alcohol limit is 0.08 g/100ml (same as England): breathalyser checkpoints operate on weekend nights around Georgetown.

  • Seatbelts and no phones

    Front seatbelts mandatory; handheld mobile phone use while driving is banned with on-the-spot fines of GYD 7,500-10,000.

Documents

Drive on the LEFT

Required

Guyana drives on the left-hand side of the road, a legacy of its British colonial history: the only mainland South American country to do so.

1949 IDP required

Required

Carry a 1949-convention International Driving Permit alongside your UK/EU photocard licence; visitors may drive on these for up to 90 days.

Passport and entry stamp

Required

Carry your passport with the entry stamp at all times: police checkpoints are common, especially on the East Coast and Linden highways.

Local insurance mandatory

Required

UK/EU motor insurance and Green Card are not valid; you must buy local third-party cover from a Guyanese insurer (e.g. GTM, Caricom General): rental cars include it.

Emergency number 911

Good to know

Dial 911 for police and 912 for ambulance; response times outside Georgetown can be very slow, so note your nearest police station when travelling inland.

Driving rules

Speed limits

Required

Urban 50 km/h, rural 80 km/h, highways (East Coast, Soesdyke-Linden) 80 km/h. There are no motorways. Limits are strictly enforced by radar near Georgetown.

BAC limit 0.08 g/L

Required

Blood alcohol limit is 0.08 g/100ml (same as England): breathalyser checkpoints operate on weekend nights around Georgetown.

Seatbelts and no phones

Required

Front seatbelts mandatory; handheld mobile phone use while driving is banned with on-the-spot fines of GYD 7,500-10,000.

Driving conditions are hazardous

Recommended

FCDO highlights poor road surfaces, unlit roads at night, livestock on carriageways, and aggressive minibus drivers: avoid driving outside Georgetown after dark.

Border crossings limited

Good to know

Only practical land crossing is the Takutu River Bridge to Brazil at Lethem (drive switches to right); the Suriname border uses a ferry at South Drain and the Venezuela border is closed to vehicles.

Environment

Interior requires 4x4

Recommended

Beyond the coastal strip, roads to the interior (Lethem, Kaieteur, Mabaruma) are unpaved laterite tracks requiring 4x4: often impassable in the May-August and December-January rainy seasons.

Tolls

No vignette or toll roads

Good to know

Guyana has no motorway sticker system and no toll roads; the Berbice River Bridge (~GYD 2,200 / £8 each way) and Demerara Harbour Bridge (~GYD 200 / £0.75) are the only paid crossings.

Money

Currency and fuel

Good to know

Guyanese dollar (GYD); petrol roughly GYD 290-320/litre (about £1.10 / EUR 1.30). Carry cash outside Georgetown: card acceptance is patchy and fuel stations are largely cash-only.

Cash declaration

Good to know

Amounts equivalent to USD 10,000 or more must be declared to Guyana customs on arrival and departure.

Required equipment

Spare tyre and basics

Recommended

No legally mandated in-car kit, but carry a working spare, jack, torch and bottled water: punctures from potholes are common and breakdown cover is limited.

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Speed limits

Required

Urban 50 km/h, rural 80 km/h, highways (East Coast, Soesdyke-Linden) 80 km/h. There are no motorways. Limits are strictly enforced by radar near Georgetown.

BAC limit 0.08 g/L

Required

Blood alcohol limit is 0.08 g/100ml (same as England): breathalyser checkpoints operate on weekend nights around Georgetown.

Seatbelts and no phones

Required

Front seatbelts mandatory; handheld mobile phone use while driving is banned with on-the-spot fines of GYD 7,500-10,000.