South Sudan Central African Republic
South Sudan 
Central African RepublicLast reviewed July 2026
Crossing the border
South Sudan and Central African Republic 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 Central African Republic
- Drive on the right.
- Poor road conditions outside the capital.
- Checkpoints are frequent.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
Once you're driving in Central African Republic
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
Foreign visitors should carry their home licence together with an International Driving Permit (1968 Convention) to drive legally; rental agencies and roadside authorities routinely require the IDP as a certified translation. Independent self-drive is rare and most travellers hire a car with a driver.
Tolls & road charges
There is no toll-road or vignette system; the sparse paved network, mostly in and around Bangui, is free. Beyond the capital almost all routes are unpaved compacted-dirt tracks.
Parking in the cities
Formal paid parking is essentially non-existent even in Bangui; vehicles are parked in guarded hotel, compound or embassy lots, and unattended street parking is discouraged for security reasons. Hiring a guard or driver to mind the car is standard.
Fines & camera enforcement
Checkpoints are numerous and officials commonly solicit informal 'fees'; request an official receipt for any fine and keep small CFA notes accessible. Speeding, no-seatbelt and phone-use fines are handled on the spot rather than by camera.
If you have an accident
Call police on 117 (gendarmerie 116); obtain a police report for any insurance claim and do not leave the scene. Given security volatility, contact your embassy and avoid confronting crowds that may gather.
Driving in the capital
In Bangui drivers tend to use only the smoothest strip of road regardless of lane, traffic signals are scarce, and checkpoints are frequent; keep doors locked, windows up and documents ready.
Sources: idaservice.org · internationaltravelpermits.com · internationaldrivinglicense.com · en.wikipedia.org