Country driving guide · 2026
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into Sudan: 7 legal requirements + 7 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 plus national licence
Sudan recognises the 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit, which must be carried alongside your UK/EU photocard licence and passport. Issued by the Post Office or AA/RAC for GBP 5.50.
Visa and travel permit obtained in advance
All foreign nationals need a Sudanese visa before arrival, and a separate travel permit from the Ministry of Interior is required to move outside Khartoum state. Carry photocopies at every checkpoint.
Carnet de Passage for own vehicle
Bringing a foreign-plated car requires a Carnet de Passage en Douane (CPD) issued by the RAC or AA, plus the V5C original. Without a carnet the vehicle will be impounded at the border.
Local third-party insurance at the border
Green Card is not valid; you must buy compulsory Sudanese third-party motor insurance from a local insurer (e.g. Shiekan) at the port of entry, typically USD 30-60 for one month.
Speed limits 100 / 80 / 50 km/h
Open highway limit is 100 km/h, rural roads 80 km/h, urban areas 50 km/h, though signage is patchy and police set ad-hoc limits at checkpoints. Speed bumps inside villages are unmarked and severe.
Zero alcohol: strict Sharia law
Sudan enforces a 0.00 g/L BAC limit and alcohol is illegal to possess, sell or consume for everyone including non-Muslim foreigners. Penalties include flogging, prison and deportation.
Warning triangle, spare wheel and jerry cans
Carry a warning triangle, full-size spare, basic tool kit, and at least 20 L of spare fuel and 10 L of drinking water per person for any trip outside Khartoum. Fuel stations are 200+ km apart in the north and east.
Active civil war since April 2023 between SAF and RSF; the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to the whole of Sudan, so driving here is not realistic for tourists. The British Embassy in Khartoum is closed and consular support is severely limited.
FCDO travel adviceSudan recognises the 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit, which must be carried alongside your UK/EU photocard licence and passport. Issued by the Post Office or AA/RAC for GBP 5.50.
All foreign nationals need a Sudanese visa before arrival, and a separate travel permit from the Ministry of Interior is required to move outside Khartoum state. Carry photocopies at every checkpoint.
Bringing a foreign-plated car requires a Carnet de Passage en Douane (CPD) issued by the RAC or AA, plus the V5C original. Without a carnet the vehicle will be impounded at the border.
Green Card is not valid; you must buy compulsory Sudanese third-party motor insurance from a local insurer (e.g. Shiekan) at the port of entry, typically USD 30-60 for one month.
Sudan drives on the right-hand side of the road, with left-hand-drive vehicles standard. UK right-hand-drive cars are legal but very rare and poorly suited to overtaking.
Open highway limit is 100 km/h, rural roads 80 km/h, urban areas 50 km/h, though signage is patchy and police set ad-hoc limits at checkpoints. Speed bumps inside villages are unmarked and severe.
Sudan enforces a 0.00 g/L BAC limit and alcohol is illegal to possess, sell or consume for everyone including non-Muslim foreigners. Penalties include flogging, prison and deportation.
Avoid driving after dark anywhere in Sudan due to unlit roads, stray animals, military checkpoints and a high risk of armed carjacking. Most overland travellers convoy in 4x4s with a local fixer.
Dial 999 for police, though response outside Khartoum is effectively non-existent during the ongoing conflict. Keep your embassy crisis hotline and a satellite phone or Garmin inReach for genuine emergencies.
Carry a warning triangle, full-size spare, basic tool kit, and at least 20 L of spare fuel and 10 L of drinking water per person for any trip outside Khartoum. Fuel stations are 200+ km apart in the north and east.
Sudan has no motorways, no electronic tolls and no vignette sticker; the only paved long-distance routes are the Khartoum-Wadi Halfa and Khartoum-Port Sudan highways. Expect informal police 'fees' of SDG 500-2,000 at checkpoints.
Between April and September haboob sandstorms can drop visibility to zero within minutes, and daytime temperatures regularly exceed 45 C. Rainy-season (Jul-Sep) wadis flash-flood and cut roads in Kordofan and Darfur.
The currency is the Sudanese pound (SDG); international cards, ATMs and SWIFT transfers do not work due to sanctions, so bring USD or EUR cash and change on arrival. Petrol costs roughly SDG 1,000-1,500 per litre (about EUR 1.50-2.00) when available.
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Don't get caught out
Open highway limit is 100 km/h, rural roads 80 km/h, urban areas 50 km/h, though signage is patchy and police set ad-hoc limits at checkpoints. Speed bumps inside villages are unmarked and severe.
Sudan enforces a 0.00 g/L BAC limit and alcohol is illegal to possess, sell or consume for everyone including non-Muslim foreigners. Penalties include flogging, prison and deportation.