Do I Need an International Driving Permit in Mexico?Rule for all foreign drivers
Tourists may drive on a valid foreign licence. An IDP is not legally required but helps if your licence is not in the Latin alphabet or has an unusual format.
- Licence alone is enough if: valid foreign licence
Source: Hertz Mexico guide for foreign drivers (secondary source), checked 10 November 2026. Based on Hertz Mexico guide for foreign drivers. Confirm with the official authority before you travel.
Rule for all foreign drivers
Tourists may drive on a valid foreign licence. An IDP is not legally required but helps if your licence is not in the Latin alphabet or has an unusual format.
- Licence alone is enough if: valid foreign licence
Source: Hertz Mexico guide for foreign drivers (secondary source), checked 10 November 2026. Based on Hertz Mexico guide for foreign drivers. Confirm with the official authority before you travel.
Rules for all foreign drivers in Mexico
Tourists may drive on a valid foreign licence. An IDP is not legally required but helps if your licence is not in the Latin alphabet or has an unusual format.
- Licence alone is enough if: valid foreign licence
- How long a visitor can drive: While a tourist
Source: Hertz Mexico guide for foreign drivers (secondary source), checked 10 November 2026.
Based on Hertz Mexico guide for foreign drivers. Confirm with the official authority before you travel.
Which IDP version Mexico accepts
Mexico is not a party to either UN convention; check with the embassy whether a translation or local permit is needed.
| Convention | Status |
|---|---|
| 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic | Not a party |
| 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic | Signed on 8 November 1968, not ratified |
Source: United Nations Treaty Collection.
Getting the right IDP for Mexico
Mexico has not joined either UN convention, so check with its embassy which document it accepts before you apply. In the UK: PayPoint stores. In the US: AAA. In Canada: CAA. Elsewhere: your national automobile club or licensing authority.
What the UK, US and Canadian governments tell their citizens
No IDP needed with a UK photocard licence. An IDP is recommended for Canadian licence holders.
UK licence holdersUK licence accepted, no IDP needed. Version mentioned: 1926 IDP.With a photocard licence.Source: UK FCDO, updated 20 October 2026
US licence holdersNot covered by this source.
Canadian licence holdersIDP recommended.Source: Government of Canada, updated 23 October 2026
What the governments say
Short quotes from each government's travel advice for its own citizens. The wording is theirs.
UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
You can use a UK photocard driving licence to drive in Mexico. If you still have a paper driving licence, you may need to update it to a photocard licence or get the 1926 version of the international driving permit (IDP) as well.
Source: UK FCDO travel advice for Mexico, updated 20 October 2026. Quoted as published.
Government of Canada
You should carry an International Driving Permit.
Source: Government of Canada travel advice for Mexico, updated 23 October 2026. Quoted as published.
Questions
Can I drive in Mexico with a foreign licence?
Tourists may drive on a valid foreign licence. An IDP is not legally required but helps if your licence is not in the Latin alphabet or has an unusual format. Based on Hertz Mexico guide for foreign drivers. Confirm with the official authority before you travel.
How long can a visitor drive in Mexico?
While a tourist. Source: Hertz Mexico guide for foreign drivers.
Can I drive in Mexico with a 1968 IDP?
Mexico has not joined either UN convention. Check with its embassy whether a translation or local permit is needed.
Can I drive in Mexico with a 1949 IDP?
Mexico has not joined either UN convention. Check with its embassy whether a translation or local permit is needed.
Do UK licence holders need an IDP in Mexico?
No. A UK photocard driving licence is accepted in Mexico. Source: UK FCDO, updated 20 October 2026.
Do Canadian licence holders need an IDP in Mexico?
Recommended, not strictly required. Source: Government of Canada, updated 23 October 2026.
About International Driving Permits
What is an International Driving Permit?
An International Driving Permit (IDP) is an official translation of your national driving licence, set out in a standard format agreed under United Nations road traffic conventions.
An IDP is not a licence on its own. It is valid only when carried together with your valid national driving licence. During a traffic stop, you must show both documents.
An IDP helps because it allows police, car rental companies and insurers abroad to read and understand your licence details, even where the language differs from their own.
You can only obtain an IDP from the country that issued your driving licence, and you must do this before you travel. It cannot be obtained or renewed once you are abroad.
Whether you need an IDP depends on your destination, where your licence was issued and sometimes how long you plan to stay. The answer for this country is at the top of this page.
1949 or 1968 IDP: which one do you need?
There are two main IDP formats, based on two UN road traffic conventions: the 1949 Geneva Convention and the 1968 Vienna Convention. An older format, based on the 1926 Paris Convention, is still required in a few countries.
The 1949 IDP is valid for 1 year from the date of issue. The 1968 IDP is valid for up to 3 years, or until your national licence expires, whichever comes first.
Your destination decides which format it accepts, based on the convention or conventions it has joined. Some countries are party to both the 1949 and 1968 conventions.
If you are visiting several countries on one trip, you may need more than one IDP, depending on which conventions each country has joined.
| Format | Based on | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 IDP | 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic | 1 year from date of issue |
| 1968 IDP | 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic | Up to 3 years, or until your national licence expires, whichever comes first |
| 1926 IDP | 1926 Paris Convention | Required in a few countries only |
The page for each country shows which convention it has joined.
Related
- International Driving Permit: all countries
- Do I need an IDP in the United States?
- Do I need an IDP in Guatemala?
- Do I need an IDP in Belize?
- How to get citizenship of Mexico
Sources and methodology
- Hertz Mexico guide for foreign drivers: rules for foreign drivers in Mexico (secondary source), checked 10 November 2026.
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: travel advice for Mexico. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Government of Canada: travel advice for Mexico. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
- United Nations Treaty Collection: status of the 1949 and 1968 road traffic conventions.
The licence statuses above were checked by hand against the government text on 9 November 2026. Government advice changes often: confirm the current rules with the official source before you travel.
Last checked 9 November 2026.