Country driving guide · 2026
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into Iran: 10 legal requirements + 5 other things worth knowing.
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Recommended
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Tick before you go
10 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.
1949 IDP required alongside national licence
Iran recognises the 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit; carry it together with your home licence and passport at all times.
Source: IDP info →Carnet de Passage for own vehicle
Bringing your own car requires a Carnet de Passage en Douane issued by your home motoring club (RAC/ADAC/AIT-FIA); without it the vehicle will not be admitted at the border.
Source: Carnet info →Local third-party insurance at the border
Green Card is not valid in Iran; buy compulsory Iranian third-party insurance (bimeh shakhs-e sales) at the border crossing or first major town.
Speed limits 120 / 95 / 50 km/h
Motorway (azadrah) 120 km/h, rural highways 95 km/h, urban areas 50 km/h; speed cameras are widespread on intercity routes.
Zero alcohol limit
Alcohol is banned entirely in Iran, so the BAC limit is 0.00 g/L and penalties for any trace include heavy fines, lashes, or imprisonment.
Warning triangle and first-aid kit
Carry a warning triangle, first-aid kit, and spare wheel; police checks on intercity roads frequently inspect these items.
Electronic free-flow tolls on azadrah
Motorways use plate-reading free-flow tolls billed to the owner; rental cars are billed back to you, with typical cost around 50,000-150,000 IRR (under 1 EUR) per 100 km.
Tehran odd/even and Traffic Zone restrictions
Central Tehran has an inner Traffic Zone (Tarh-e Terafik) and outer Air Pollution Zone requiring permits; foreign-plated and non-permitted cars are fined by camera on entry.
Emergency number 110 police / 115 ambulance
Dial 110 for police, 115 for ambulance, and 125 for fire; road accidents legally require waiting for police before moving vehicles.
Women must wear hijab in the car
All women in the vehicle, including foreign drivers and passengers, are legally required to wear a headscarf whenever visible from outside the car.
UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advises against all travel to Iran; British-Iranian dual nationals face arbitrary detention risk and driving here is not realistic for most UK/EU visitors.
FCDO Iran adviceIran recognises the 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit; carry it together with your home licence and passport at all times.
IDP infoBringing your own car requires a Carnet de Passage en Douane issued by your home motoring club (RAC/ADAC/AIT-FIA); without it the vehicle will not be admitted at the border.
Carnet infoGreen Card is not valid in Iran; buy compulsory Iranian third-party insurance (bimeh shakhs-e sales) at the border crossing or first major town.
Dial 110 for police, 115 for ambulance, and 125 for fire; road accidents legally require waiting for police before moving vehicles.
Traffic drives on the right and overtakes on the left, but lane discipline in Tehran and other large cities is famously chaotic.
Motorway (azadrah) 120 km/h, rural highways 95 km/h, urban areas 50 km/h; speed cameras are widespread on intercity routes.
Alcohol is banned entirely in Iran, so the BAC limit is 0.00 g/L and penalties for any trace include heavy fines, lashes, or imprisonment.
All women in the vehicle, including foreign drivers and passengers, are legally required to wear a headscarf whenever visible from outside the car.
Carry a warning triangle, first-aid kit, and spare wheel; police checks on intercity roads frequently inspect these items.
Motorways use plate-reading free-flow tolls billed to the owner; rental cars are billed back to you, with typical cost around 50,000-150,000 IRR (under 1 EUR) per 100 km.
Central Tehran has an inner Traffic Zone (Tarh-e Terafik) and outer Air Pollution Zone requiring permits; foreign-plated and non-permitted cars are fined by camera on entry.
Mountain passes including Chalus Road and routes to Tabriz can close or require snow chains from November to March; check conditions before crossing.
International cards (Visa/Mastercard) do not work due to sanctions; bring euros or US dollars in cash and exchange to rial (IRR) or toman locally.
Petrol costs around 0.02-0.05 EUR per litre using a rationing fuel card; rental agencies or attendants will handle the card for tourists.
We'll build the itinerary, estimate fuel + tolls, and show EV chargers along the route, and this checklist appears automatically on every trip that crosses into Iran.
Start planning →Places to add to your Iran road trip.
Don't get caught out
Motorway (azadrah) 120 km/h, rural highways 95 km/h, urban areas 50 km/h; speed cameras are widespread on intercity routes.
Alcohol is banned entirely in Iran, so the BAC limit is 0.00 g/L and penalties for any trace include heavy fines, lashes, or imprisonment.
Central Tehran has an inner Traffic Zone (Tarh-e Terafik) and outer Air Pollution Zone requiring permits; foreign-plated and non-permitted cars are fined by camera on entry.
All women in the vehicle, including foreign drivers and passengers, are legally required to wear a headscarf whenever visible from outside the car.