NZ licence 
PakistanCan you drive in Pakistan with an NZ license?
Short answer: to drive in Pakistan with an NZ license you need an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva format, carried together with your NZ license.
Yes — to drive in Pakistan on an NZ licence you should carry an International Driving Permit together with your NZ licence. Pakistan expects foreign drivers to hold an IDP.
New Zealand drivers should carry an International Driving Permit alongside their licence when driving abroad. Your International Driving Permit is a certified multilingual translation of your existing licence, prepared in the 1949 Geneva format and carried alongside your national licence.
What driving in Pakistan is like
The N-35 Karakoram Highway north from Islamabad toward Gilgit, Hunza and the Khunjerab Pass is one of the world's great high-altitude drives past 7,000 m peaks and glaciers. For most visitors the real draw is the freedom to reach places trains and tours don't, on your own schedule, with the open road generally capped around 120 km/h motorways. Getting behind the wheel is the easy part: your International Driving Permit is a certified translation of your NZ licence, carried alongside it, so rental staff and officials in Pakistan can read your credentials at a glance.
What applies to NZ licence holders in Pakistan
| NZ licence in Pakistan | |
|---|---|
| Do you need an IDP? | Yes — carry one alongside your licence |
| IDP format required | 1949 Geneva |
| Your NZ licence script | Roman (Latin) alphabet |
| New Zealand is party to | 1949 Geneva |
| Drives on the | Left-hand side |
| Minimum driving age | 18 |
| Emergency number | 15 (police), 1122 (rescue) |
| Top speed limit | 120 km/h motorways |
| Currency | PKR |
Driving rules in Pakistan you should know
- Drive on the left.
- Heavy mixed traffic — drive defensively.
- 0.0% practical alcohol tolerance.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
Local driving facts in Pakistan
Emergency number: 15 (police), 1122 (rescue) (112 also connects from most mobiles). Typical maximum for cars on the fastest road class: 120 km/h motorways. Posted limits always take precedence.
Tolls & road charges in Pakistan
Motorways (M-1, M-2, M-3 etc.) use the electronic M-Tag system run by the National Highway Authority; since 2025 vehicles without a tag or with low balance pay a surcharge of up to 50% on top of the toll. A car on the M-2 Islamabad-Lahore route costs around PKR 1,200-1,800; tourists are usually driven by a rental's tagged vehicle or pay cash at hybrid lanes where available.
Parking in Pakistan
Urban parking is mostly attended paid lots and kerbside collectors charging PKR 20-50 for cars (often more at malls), with little metering. In Islamabad's planned sectors parking is freer and orderly, whereas Lahore and Karachi see aggressive ticket-touts and tow-away/wheel-clamping in no-parking zones.
Penalties & enforcement in Pakistan
Motorway and highway fines rose sharply (a 200% increase announced for highways), with on-the-spot tickets for speeding, no seatbelt and phone use, and FIRs for serious motorway violations. City traffic police take cash or issue challans; rental companies recover fines and any impound costs from the renter's deposit.
If you have an accident in Pakistan
Dial 15 for police (or 1122 for the Rescue ambulance service in Punjab and other provinces); in injury or serious crashes do not move the vehicle and wait for police, as an FIR may be filed. Crowds gather fast and informal settlements are common, so notify the rental firm and your insurer immediately and avoid admitting fault.
City driving in Pakistan
Islamabad is relatively orderly with wide sector roads and roundabouts, but Lahore and Karachi are chaotic, with motorcycles, rickshaws and lane-free merging; on the motorway network the National Highway & Motorway Police strictly enforce lane discipline and speed with cameras and FIRs. Reduced motorway speed limits took effect in March 2026.
Winter driving in Pakistan
No nationwide winter-tyre law, but the Karakoram Highway and northern passes (Babusar, Lowari, Khunjerab) close or require chains/4x4 in heavy snow roughly November to April. Lowland and city driving has no winter-equipment requirement.
Fuel in Pakistan
Stations sell petrol and high-speed diesel, with CNG also common for cars; pumps are attendant-served and cards are accepted in cities but cash is safer rurally. Prices are government-set and revised twice monthly, around PKR 250-280 per litre in 2026.
Sources: internationaldrivingpermit.org, en.wikipedia.org, pakwheels.com, gadventures.com