Ireland licence 
Solomon IslandsCan you drive in Solomon Islands with an Ireland license?
Short answer: you cannot drive in Solomon Islands on an Ireland license or an International Driving Permit alone — Solomon Islands requires a local or temporary licence.
An International Driving Permit is not sufficient to drive in Solomon Islands. Solomon Islands does not accept the IDP for foreign visitors — a local or temporary licence is required. Always confirm the current rule before you travel.
Irish drivers should carry an International Driving Permit with their licence when driving outside the EU and EEA. Your International Driving Permit is a certified multilingual translation of your existing licence, prepared in the Local rules format and carried alongside your national licence.
What driving in Solomon Islands is like
The coastal drive west of Honiara along Guadalcanal past the WWII Bloody Ridge and Vilu War Museum battlefields is the most notable self-drive route. 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 60 km/h open roads. Getting behind the wheel is the easy part: your International Driving Permit is a certified translation of your Ireland licence, carried alongside it, so rental staff and officials in Solomon Islands can read your credentials at a glance.
What applies to Ireland licence holders in Solomon Islands
| Ireland licence in Solomon Islands | |
|---|---|
| Do you need an IDP? | An IDP is not sufficient here |
| IDP format required | Local licensing rules apply |
| Your Ireland licence script | Roman (Latin) alphabet |
| Ireland is party to | 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna |
| Drives on the | Left-hand side |
| Minimum driving age | 18 |
| Emergency number | 999 |
| Top speed limit | 60 km/h open roads |
| Currency | SBD |
Driving rules in Solomon Islands you should know
- Drive on the left.
- Unsealed roads outside Honiara.
- 0.08% alcohol limit.
- Low speed limits in town.
Local driving facts in Solomon Islands
Emergency number: 999 (112 also connects from most mobiles). Typical maximum for cars on the fastest road class: 60 km/h open roads. Posted limits always take precedence.
Tolls & road charges in Solomon Islands
The Solomon Islands has no toll roads, vignettes or electronic toll system; the limited road network, mostly around Honiara on Guadalcanal, is free to use.
Parking in Solomon Islands
There are no formal paid-parking zones; in Honiara park in guarded hotel and shopping-centre lots rather than on the street, and keep valuables out of sight as vehicle break-ins occur.
Penalties & enforcement in Solomon Islands
Speed limits are about 40 km/h in town and 60 km/h on the open road, with a 0.08% blood-alcohol limit enforced; police issue fines for speeding, seatbelt and drink-driving offences and rental firms recover them from the renter.
If you have an accident in Solomon Islands
Dial 999 for police/emergency in Honiara; after a crash stop, do not move vehicles if anyone is injured, and obtain a police report, which is required for any insurance or rental claim. Response outside Honiara is very limited.
City driving in Solomon Islands
The Solomons drive on the LEFT with mostly right-hand-drive vehicles; in Honiara the single coastal Mendana Avenue is the main artery and gets congested, while roads quickly turn to unsealed, pothole-prone and flood-prone surfaces just outside town.
Winter driving in Solomon Islands
No winter-tyre rules - tropical climate.
Fuel in Solomon Islands
Petrol and diesel are sold at attended stations concentrated in Honiara; prices are in Solomon dollars and high by regional standards due to import costs. Stations are scarce outside the capital, so fill up before rural or cross-island trips and carry cash.
Sources: internationaldriversassociation.com, tyremap.com, idaservice.org, internationaltravelpermits.com