China Pakistan
China 
PakistanLast reviewed July 2026
Crossing the border
China and Pakistan share a land border you can cross by car. Keep your passport, national driving licence and International Driving Permit together, and check opening hours and any toll or vignette requirements before you travel.
Driving rules in Pakistan
- Drive on the left.
- Heavy mixed traffic — drive defensively.
- 0.0% practical alcohol tolerance.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
What to see when you arrive in Pakistan
- the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore
- the K2 and Karakoram peaks
- the Hunza Valley
- the ruins of Mohenjo-daro
- the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad
Once you're driving in Pakistan
Destination-specific detail sourced from national road authorities, motoring clubs and rental policies — the things that catch cross-border drivers out.
Driving on a foreign licence
Pakistan is a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention and accepts an IDP for up to three years; foreign tourists should carry an IDP together with their valid home licence. An English-language licence is sometimes accepted by police, but most rental agencies ask for an IDP, and police can fine you or impound the car if you lack licence, passport, visa or IDP.
Tolls & road charges
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 the cities
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.
Fines & camera enforcement
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
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.
Driving in the capital
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.
Sources: internationaldrivingpermit.org · en.wikipedia.org · pakwheels.com · gadventures.com