Legal Age to Drive in All Countries
Canadian drivers can obtain a learning permit at age 16 (in the province of Alberta, at age 14). Regulations for drivers vary in part from province to province. Licences are generally kept for 12 months before the driving test can be taken. If your home country is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA), your driving licence is valid for driving in any other EEA country. The age at which you can do this depends on the individual laws of the country you are travelling to. In addition, supervised driving regulations are often different for citizens of this country and for foreign drivers. Whether you drive your own car or rent a vehicle also affects how old you need to be to drive in Europe, with car rental companies generally reluctant to rent vehicles to drivers under the age of 21. Once you reach the age of 25, prices drop. An exception is the United States, where many states prohibit drivers from driving below their minimum driving age, even if they have licenses or licenses issued by another state. What you may be surprised to learn is that the legal driving age in various countries is not too far from our own legal driving age here in the United States. Countries like China, Brazil, Japan, South Africa, India, and Singapore, to name a few, all have a legal driving age of 18. In Australia (16-18 in some regions), Malaysia and Indonesia allow beginners to get their license at 17, while New Zealand and Canada allow you to get your driver`s license at 16. Ethiopia allows you to get your license at age 14.
The rules differ from state to state in Australia as to what is allowed. For example, in the Australian Capital Territory, the youngest age allowed, 15-year-olds and nine months old can see a learner`s licence for supervised driving. All other states and territories require learner drivers to be at least 16 years of age and able to drive unsupervised by upgrading to a provisional driver`s licence after 12 months, except in the Northern Territories where they can upgrade to a provisional driver`s licence after six months. Most provinces and territories recognize driver`s licences issued by another jurisdiction, which may allow a youth to obtain a driver`s licence in a province or territory with a low minimum driving age and to drive in a province or territory that usually has a higher driving age. A notable exception is the United States, where many states prohibit drivers from driving below their minimum driving age, even if they have licenses or licenses issued by another state. Have you always wanted to know how old you need to be to drive in different places abroad? It is generally accepted that people must be 18 years old to drive a motor vehicle on the roads – but not in all countries. In Central America, you can drive with supervision in El Salvador at age 15 and with parental permission in Guatemala and Panama at age 16. There are interesting differences not only between the minimum age at which young people can start driving – often under the supervision of a qualified adult – but also the type of vehicle they are allowed to drive. In Iraq and Israel, 16-year-olds are allowed to ride motorcycles, while in Israel, you can drive at 16 years and nine months if accompanied by a driving instructor. To do this, you must be 18 years old and have a full and valid driver`s license, even if the age at which you can drive at home is lower.
Some countries allow individuals to drive under supervision at the age of 16 or 17, with a full driver`s license that is only issued at the age of 18. Often, however, these “surveillance rules” do not apply to foreigners, so check the law before traveling. In the UK, 16-year-olds can drive four-wheeled vehicles resembling cars – vehicles that look and drive like a car, but are no more powerful than a moped and are not allowed to go faster than 28mph (45km/h). At the same age, they can drive mopeds and tractors in the UK and Sweden, although in the UK the size of the machines involved is strictly limited according to age and they must have a category F qualification. As a young driver, you may need to make slight changes to your style and practices when driving in Europe, as many countries have slightly different rules for young or new drivers compared to the general population. In the Caribbean, you can drive in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic at age 16 and the same age with a learning permit. The driving age is 17 years old in Trinidad and Tobago. In Saudi Arabia, men are allowed to drive at the age of 16 years and 4 months.
Until a few years ago, women in Saudi Arabia were not allowed to drive at all. The ban was imposed on September 24. June 2018 and was a big step towards more freedom and equality for women in Saudi Arabia. States have a certain age for apprenticeship permits, limited licenses, full licenses, and rental cars. Multi-level licensing programs have been so effective that states are considering introducing similar programs for older teens (18 to 20 years old) who become first-time drivers. If you`re used to driving only in America, driving and driving in another country could be culture shock. Take, for example, driving on the left side of the road. While we expect this in the UK, left-hand drive is also common in Australia, New Zealand as well as India, Nepal, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Thailand, Kenya and Tanzania.
If you drive in the European Economic Areas, you do not need to fill out any additional documents to drive. Drivers can move freely with their driving license from different countries as long as they travel in these areas. This world map shows some of the minimum driving ages in the world for learner drivers and other vehicles on our roads. As any young motorist knows, car insurance can be crippling in the first place. While most companies cover EU citizens to drive within the EU, you need to be sure that yours does and that it includes the coverage required by that country. Most countries recognize driver`s licenses issued by another jurisdiction. This may result in a young person obtaining a driving licence in a country with a low minimum driving age being allowed to drive in a jurisdiction that is generally of a higher driving age. Although some countries allow you to get behind the wheel at 17, car rental companies tend to be less interested in teenage takeovers, and in most cases, the absolute minimum age to rent a car in Europe is 18.
The youngest age in a state where a driver can obtain a learning permit is 14 and the highest age is 16. Limited licenses can be purchased between 14.5 and 17 years old, and full licenses are granted between 16 and 18 years old. For those of us in America, most states allow young drivers to get their driver`s license at age 16 (18 in some), though most can learn to drive as early as age 14 with a learner`s license. How does this differ from driving age in other countries? Located less than 25 minutes` drive from central Melbourne, Melbourne International Airport handles more than 37 million passengers a year. A rental car at Melbourne Airport can be booked in advance upon arrival. To pick up your car on arrival, go to the ground floor of the car park in front of Terminal 3. In Cameroon, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the minimum driving age is 16, with 15-year-olds in Mauritius able to drive car wheels and motorcycles by the age of 17. 17-year-olds can also ride motorcycles in Morocco, but don`t drive trucks until they are 21. In Niger, you have to be 23 years old to drive.
These newly licensed teens may be two to four times more likely to be in a car accident than older drivers. In France, at 15 years old, you can drive with supervision, and at 16 years old, always with supervision, in Iceland. In France, for example, the age of supervised driving is 15, but if you have a foreign driver`s license, you will have to wait until you are 18, even if there is a responsible adult on board. As I said, always check the rules of the countries you visit. The minimum driving age is 16 years old on the Isle of Man and 16 years under parental supervision in North Macedonia. If you are a British citizen driving with a UK-issued driving licence, you can drive in Cyprus at the age of 17, although you may find that car rental rules prohibit you from doing so (more on that later). In the Northern Mariana Islands, you can drive legally from the age of 15 years and six months. Elsewhere, you can drive under supervision at the age of 16 in Guam and New Zealand. Of course, these standards may seem relatively tamed.
Things like the validity of licenses, which side of the road you drive on, and even speed limit laws only scratch the surface. There are many strange laws in different countries that you should know long before you go there as they are essential for driving without breaking the law and it is very interesting to learn more about them. While many countries allow supervised driving from an early age, in most European countries the minimum age to drive unattended is 18.
