Country driving guide · 2026
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into Kuwait: 7 legal requirements + 8 other things worth knowing.
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Tick before you go
7 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.
1949 IDP required alongside national licence
Kuwait recognises the 1949 Geneva IDP; UK/EU drivers must carry it together with their home licence and passport. Short-term visitors can drive on these for up to the duration of their visit visa.
Visa or eVisa before arrival
UK and most EU nationals need an eVisa via evisa.moi.gov.kw before travel; land entry via Saudi Arabia is possible at Nuwaiseeb but requires the visa in advance.
Local third-party insurance mandatory
Green Card is not valid in Kuwait; third-party motor insurance must be bought locally and is normally bundled with rental contracts or arranged at the border for own vehicles.
Drive on the right
Kuwait drives on the right; overtake on the left. Roundabouts give priority to traffic already on the ring.
Speed limits 120 / 80 / 45 km/h
Motorway limit is typically 120 km/h (some stretches 100 or 140), rural roads 80 km/h, urban areas 45 km/h. Radar cameras are widespread and fines are issued automatically to the registered keeper.
Zero-tolerance alcohol limit (0.0 g/L)
Kuwait is a dry country: alcohol is illegal to consume, import or drive under the influence of, and any detectable BAC leads to arrest, heavy fines and possible deportation.
Seatbelts, no phones, no right-on-red
Front seatbelts compulsory, handheld phone use banned, and right turns on red are not permitted unless a green filter arrow is shown. Children under 10 must not sit in the front.
Kuwait recognises the 1949 Geneva IDP; UK/EU drivers must carry it together with their home licence and passport. Short-term visitors can drive on these for up to the duration of their visit visa.
UK and most EU nationals need an eVisa via evisa.moi.gov.kw before travel; land entry via Saudi Arabia is possible at Nuwaiseeb but requires the visa in advance.
Green Card is not valid in Kuwait; third-party motor insurance must be bought locally and is normally bundled with rental contracts or arranged at the border for own vehicles.
Bringing a private vehicle across the Saudi border requires V5C/registration, a carnet de passage and customs clearance: most visitors rent locally instead.
Kuwait drives on the right; overtake on the left. Roundabouts give priority to traffic already on the ring.
Motorway limit is typically 120 km/h (some stretches 100 or 140), rural roads 80 km/h, urban areas 45 km/h. Radar cameras are widespread and fines are issued automatically to the registered keeper.
Kuwait is a dry country: alcohol is illegal to consume, import or drive under the influence of, and any detectable BAC leads to arrest, heavy fines and possible deportation.
Front seatbelts compulsory, handheld phone use banned, and right turns on red are not permitted unless a green filter arrow is shown. Children under 10 must not sit in the front.
Dial 112 for police, ambulance or fire. Accidents, even minor: must be reported and vehicles left in place until police arrive, otherwise insurance is void.
Kuwait has no motorway tolls, no vignette and no congestion charge: all public roads, including the Sheikh Jaber Causeway, are free to use.
Kuwait City has no LEZ, emissions sticker or environmental zone scheme; any roadworthy vehicle may enter the city centre.
No hi-vis vest or warning triangle is legally mandated, but a working spare wheel, jack and several litres of drinking water are strongly advised given summer temperatures above 50 C.
Sandstorms (toz) between March and August can drop visibility to near zero: pull off the road and wait. Tyre blowouts from heat are common; check pressures cold and avoid long desert drives midday.
Kuwaiti dinar (KWD) is one of the world's strongest currencies; petrol is heavily subsidised at roughly 0.105 KWD/L (about EUR 0.30/L). Cards are accepted at most stations in Kuwait City but carry small cash for attendants.
Tipping fuel attendants 100-500 fils is customary. Travellers must declare cash or equivalents above 3,000 KWD (about EUR 9,000) at the border.
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 Kuwait.
Start planning →Places to add to your Kuwait road trip.
Don't get caught out
Kuwait drives on the right; overtake on the left. Roundabouts give priority to traffic already on the ring.
Motorway limit is typically 120 km/h (some stretches 100 or 140), rural roads 80 km/h, urban areas 45 km/h. Radar cameras are widespread and fines are issued automatically to the registered keeper.
Kuwait is a dry country: alcohol is illegal to consume, import or drive under the influence of, and any detectable BAC leads to arrest, heavy fines and possible deportation.
Front seatbelts compulsory, handheld phone use banned, and right turns on red are not permitted unless a green filter arrow is shown. Children under 10 must not sit in the front.