Destinations / Yemen
Driving in Yemen as a visitor
Often required, depending on where your licence was issued. Yemen drives on the right; an IDP is expected with your home licence, though conditions mean visitors typically rely on arranged local drivers.
Reviewed July 2026 · A translation of your own licence, carried with it. Not a government permit.
What Yemen expects
| Driving document | Depends on licence issuer, script and rental policy |
|---|---|
| Convention format | 1949 Geneva |
| Valid for | 1 year |
| Drives on the | Right |
| Emergency number | 194 (police), 191 (ambulance) |
| Top speed limit | 100 km/h highways |
What the rental desk will ask you for
| Your own licence | The original card. A photo of it, or a photocopy, gets turned away. |
|---|---|
| Licence translation | Check the desk policy for your issuing country and licence script. A translation accompanies the licence and never replaces an official permit. |
| Booklet format they know | 1949 Geneva |
| Minimum age | 18. Under 25 usually pays a young-driver surcharge. |
| Deposit | A credit card in the driver's name. The hold is taken in YER. |
Rules that catch visitors out
| Local practice | Frequent checkpoints. |
|---|---|
| Documents | Carry passport, IDP and home licence. |
| Roads | Drive defensively on intercity roads. |
On the road in Yemen
At the pump
Petrol and diesel are sold but chronically scarce, especially in Houthi-held north including Sana'a, where stations run dry and supply shifts to the black market at sharply inflated prices. Expect hours-long queues, cash-only payment in Yemeni rial, and carry jerry cans of spare fuel on any long trip.
After a crash
Stop and do not move the vehicles; there is no reliable single emergency line nationwide, so contact local police or the nearest checkpoint/military post, which often handle incidents. Obtain whatever written report you can for insurance, and be aware that injury crashes can trigger tribal blood-money (diya) claims that are settled locally.
Sources: gov.uk · travel.state.gov · middleeasteye.net · internationaldrivingpermit.org
Common questions
Do you need an International Driving Permit in Yemen?
Often required, depending on where your licence was issued. Yemen drives on the right; an IDP is expected with your home licence, though conditions mean visitors typically rely on arranged local drivers.
Which translation format is used for Yemen?
Yemen uses the 1949 Geneva convention format. A Vialy translation is prepared in that format but is not a government-issued permit.
Will a rental desk in Yemen ask for a translation?
Self-drive is rare; an IDP and passport are expected where rental exists.
How fast can Vialy prepare one for Yemen?
The exact delivery moment is quoted before you pay, 30 minutes as standard and 5 with Express.
Also in Middle East
Driving on to another country on the same trip? Each page states what that destination expects.