Driving or riding a scooter in Sri Lanka: the permit and the roads

To drive in Sri Lanka, you need a temporary Sri Lankan licence from the Department of Motor Traffic, which costs 15,000 rupees for one month, or a 1949 International Driving Permit plus a recognition permit from the Automobile Association of Ceylon (as checked October 2026). Your home licence alone is not enough. You drive on the left.

This guide explains both permits, the rules for scooters and tuk-tuks, the rules of the road, and what government travel advice says about the roads.

What permit do you need to drive in Sri Lanka?

You cannot drive in Sri Lanka on your home licence alone, and an International Driving Permit alone is not enough either. As checked in October 2026, there are two ways to drive legally:

1. A temporary Sri Lankan driving licence from the Department of Motor Traffic. You can get it at the department's counter in the arrivals walkway at Colombo airport, at its office in Werahera near Colombo, or at its offices in Kurunegala, Hambantota, Gampaha, Anuradhapura and Jaffna.
2. An International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 convention, together with a "recognition permit" from the Automobile Association of Ceylon in Colombo.

Rental companies usually help with the paperwork.

How much is the temporary licence?

As checked in October 2026, the Department of Motor Traffic's temporary licence costs:

• 15,000 rupees for one month,
• 21,000 rupees for up to two months,
• 30,000 rupees for longer.

It lasts at most five months, and never longer than your visa. Your home licence must be a full licence, and it must still be valid for at least a year. If it is not in English, bring an English translation certified by your embassy.

Which International Driving Permit works?

If you use an International Driving Permit, it should be the 1949 kind. Sri Lanka signed the 1949 Geneva road traffic convention, but not the 1968 Vienna one. Even then, you still need the local recognition permit. We could not confirm the recognition permit's cost or validity from an official source, so ask the Automobile Association of Ceylon before you rely on it.

Can you rent a scooter or motorbike in Sri Lanka?

To ride a scooter or motorbike, your home licence must include motorcycles. A car licence is not enough. The Sri Lankan permit only covers the kinds of vehicle on your own licence, and the airport licence is only for cars and motorcycles.

On a motorbike or scooter, both the rider and the passenger must wear an approved helmet, and you may carry only one passenger. Motorbikes, scooters and tuk-tuks are not allowed on Sri Lanka's expressways, so on a scooter you will always take the ordinary roads.

Riding is the riskiest way to travel. Police figures show 2,710 people died on Sri Lanka's roads in 2025. In 2026, up to 20 August, 1,749 people died, and 617 of them were motorcyclists, about one in three.

We found no dated, credible scooter rental price, so we do not quote one.

Can tourists drive a tuk-tuk?

Whether a tourist may drive a tuk-tuk is still disputed in October 2026. The Department of Motor Traffic stopped issuing tuk-tuk licences to foreigners in November 2025, and its temporary licence covers only cars and motorcycles. Police said tourists driving tuk-tuks was illegal. In February 2026 the Court of Appeal made an interim order that keeps the older rule for now, which allowed an International Driving Permit plus a local permit. The case is not finished, and police can also prosecute the owner who rents you the vehicle.

If you want a tuk-tuk, the simple choice is to take one with a driver. See what a tuk-tuk ride should cost, or book one through PickMe or Uber.

Police have also warned owners not to rent any vehicle to foreigners without valid documents, and said that unlicensed foreign drivers were involved in five deaths on the roads in 2025.

What are the rules of the road?

• Side of the road: in Sri Lanka you drive on the left.
• Seat belts: on ordinary roads, the driver and the front-seat passenger must wear seat belts. On expressways, everyone in the vehicle must wear one, including in the back seats; police have enforced this fully since September 2026. Wear one in the back anyway, wherever there is one.
• Speed limits: 50 km/h in towns (40 km/h for tuk-tuks), generally 70 km/h on other roads, and 100 km/h on expressways, with 60 km/h on expressway ramps. Signs can set lower limits, and some vehicles have lower limits, so follow the signs.
• Alcohol: do not drink and drive at all. Sri Lankan law forbids driving after drinking alcohol, police can breath-test you, and refusing a test counts against you.
• Insurance: every vehicle on Sri Lankan roads must have third-party insurance by law. Before you drive away, check what the rental's insurance covers and what you would pay after an accident, and check that your own travel insurance covers you to drive or ride.

Is it safe to drive in Sri Lanka?

Governments that advise travellers are blunt about Sri Lanka's roads. The UK government says driving is erratic and road accidents are frequent, especially at night, and that riding a motorbike can be especially dangerous. Canada says drivers can be aggressive and reckless, that roads outside the major cities are usually poor, and that stray animals, livestock and pedestrians on the road add to the danger. Both, as checked in October 2026, say to stay alert, and Canada suggests hiring a driver. Our guide is Sri Lanka safe? covers the rest of the advice.

The UK government also advises:

• Rent only from a company registered with the Sri Lanka tourism authorities.
• After a collision, stay at the scene with the vehicle if it is safe; if not, go to the nearest police station.
• At security checkpoints, always stop when police or soldiers tell you to.

The police emergency number is 119.

How long do journeys take by road?

Away from the expressways, roads pass through towns and climb into the hills, and average speeds are low. Sigiriya to Kandy, about 90 km, takes about 2 to 3 hours by road (estimate, checked October 2026). Plan from travel times, not distance, and avoid driving after dark. Our guide to Colombo airport to Kandy or Sigiriya has more road times.

Expressways are toll roads. You can pay in cash at every expressway, but card payment at the booths is for cards from Sri Lankan banks, so carry rupees. For a breakdown or accident on an expressway, call 1969.

How does fuel work in 2026?

Since March 2026, fuel in Sri Lanka has been rationed with a QR-code pass and a weekly quota for each vehicle, and the government said in August 2026 that the system would continue. Sri Lanka Tourism has set up priority fuel for tourism, and officials said visitors in rented vehicles can get fuel by showing their passport and visa. Ask your rental company how fuel works before you set off. Petrol (Octane 92) cost 414 rupees a litre from 1 October 2026.

Should you hire a driver instead?

If the permits and the traffic put you off, hiring a car with a driver is the usual alternative. Sri Lanka's official tourism site recommends it, and Canada's travel advice suggests it too. Licensed chauffeur guides can be checked on the official register at srilanka.travel. Our guide to hiring a driver explains how to choose one and what to agree.

Questions people ask

Can I drive in Sri Lanka with my UK or US licence?

Not on its own. As checked in October 2026, you need either a temporary Sri Lankan licence from the Department of Motor Traffic, or a 1949 International Driving Permit plus a recognition permit from the Automobile Association of Ceylon.

Where do I get a temporary driving licence in Sri Lanka?

From the Department of Motor Traffic: at its counter in the arrivals walkway at Colombo airport, at its office in Werahera near Colombo, or at its offices in Kurunegala, Hambantota, Gampaha, Anuradhapura and Jaffna (as checked October 2026).

Can I rent a scooter in Sri Lanka with a car licence?

No. To ride a scooter or motorbike, your home licence must include motorcycles. The Sri Lankan permit only covers the kinds of vehicle on your own licence.

Which side of the road do they drive on in Sri Lanka?

In Sri Lanka you drive on the left.

Can tourists drive a tuk-tuk in Sri Lanka?

It is disputed in October 2026. The Department of Motor Traffic stopped issuing tuk-tuk licences to foreigners in November 2025, and a court case is not finished. The simple choice is a tuk-tuk with a driver.