Driving in Greece with a Paraguay Driving Licence: IDP Requirements and Rules
A valid Paraguay driving licence can be recognised in Greece for a driver who does not have normal residence there because both countries are parties to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic. Whether an International Driving Permit (IDP) is necessary depends on the national licence meeting the Convention conditions. No fixed visitor-day limit was verified.
Quick answer
Greece's current Road Traffic Code recognises valid foreign licences where international conventions ratified by law provide for their use, provided the holder does not have normal residence in Greece. Paraguay and Greece are both parties to the 1949 Geneva Convention. The Convention recognises qualifying national permits while allowing an IDP to be required in circumstances including a domestic permit that does not conform to its model.
Legal treatment of a Paraguay licence in Greece
Article 98 of Greek Law 5209/2025 exempts from the general prohibition holders of valid licences recognised under ratified international conventions or agreements when they do not have normal residence in Greece. The United Nations treaty record lists Greece as having acceded to the 1949 Geneva Convention on 1 July 1952 and Paraguay on 18 October 1965. Article 24 of that Convention therefore provides the relevant treaty framework for this pair.
The Convention requires a valid permit issued after proof of driving competence and covers the motor-vehicle category or categories for which that permit was issued. The driver must also satisfy the applicable Convention conditions and the minimum age required under Greek law. Exact mapping of current Paraguay licence classes to the Convention classes was not verified from an authoritative source checked for this page.
IDP requirement, recommendation and model
The 1949 Convention does not make an IDP universally mandatory for every qualifying national permit. Article 24 allows a contracting state to require an international permit conforming to Annex 10, particularly where the domestic permit does not conform to the Annex 9 model. Greece's Road Traffic Code also separately recognises a valid international driving permit held by a person without normal residence in Greece.
Because authoritative evidence establishing whether the current Paraguay national licence format itself conforms to Annex 9 was not found, an unconditional statement that an IDP is always required or never required would go beyond the verified evidence. Where an IDP is needed under this treaty framework, the applicable model is the 1949 Geneva Convention IDP. Touring y Automóvil Club Paraguayo publishes a service for issuing international driving permits to holders of valid Paraguay licences.
Visitor and resident rules
The verified Greek rule is tied to normal residence rather than a fixed number of tourist days, so no numerical maximum is stored for this page. The treaty-based recognition described here applies while the Paraguay licence holder does not have normal residence in Greece.
Once the holder has normal residence in Greece, this visitor recognition provision no longer applies on the same basis. Official Greek material checked on licence conversion lists specific non-EU countries for particular conversion procedures but did not establish a Paraguay conversion route. The resident conversion position for a Paraguay licence is therefore unverified – confirm with official authority.
Rental-car requirements
Rental policy is separate from the legal right to drive. No named rental-company terms were verified for the Paraguay-to-Greece pair, so no industry-wide IDP requirement is stated here. Before collecting a vehicle, confirm directly with the chosen company whether it requires the original Paraguay licence, a 1949 Convention IDP, passport, or other documents.
Police documents and insurance
The driver should carry the valid national licence on which the right to drive is based and any IDP necessary for the applicable recognition route. The sources checked do not establish that Greek police routinely require an IDP from every Paraguay licence holder. Pair-specific insurance consequences were not verified, so no claim is made that insurance is automatically invalid without an IDP.
Relevant exceptions and limits
The recognition described here is conditional on a valid licence, the corresponding vehicle category, the applicable minimum age, the 1949 Convention conditions, and the holder not having normal residence in Greece. A different analysis may apply after normal residence is established or if the national permit does not meet the Convention requirements.
Official sources used
- United Nations Treaty Collection, Convention on Road Traffic, Geneva 19 September 1949: verified current treaty participation of Greece and Paraguay, checked 2026-09-28, https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetailsV.aspx?Temp=mtdsg5&chapter=11&mtdsg_no=XI-B-1&src=TREATY
- UNECE, 1949 and 1968 road-traffic convention material: verified the Article 24 rule concerning national permits and the 1949-model IDP, checked 2026-09-28, https://unece.org/road-traffic-and-road-signs-and-signals-agreements-and-conventions
- Greek Road Traffic Code, Law 5209/2025 Article 98: verified recognition routes for foreign and international driving permits, checked 2026-09-28
- National Registry of Administrative Public Services, Greece: checked official material on conversion of specified non-EU licences after acquisition of normal residence, checked 2026-09-28, https://en.mitos.gov.gr/index.php/%CE%94%CE%94%3AConversion_of_a_valid_driving_licence_from_the_USA%2C_Canada%2C_Australia%2C_Japan%2C_South_Africa_and_South_Korea_to_a_valid_Greek_driving_licence
- Touring y Automóvil Club Paraguayo: verified its published international driving permit service and requirements for holders of Paraguay licences, checked 2026-09-28, https://tacpy.com.py/servicios/pic
Practical recommendation
If relying on the Paraguay licence alone, confirm that the licence satisfies the 1949 Convention requirements. Where that cannot be established confidently, obtaining the 1949 Convention IDP from the authorised Paraguayan issuer and carrying it together with the valid national licence is the safer practical choice. Rental documentation should be confirmed separately with the chosen company.
Last verified date
This information was checked against the listed sources on 2026-09-28. Driving-licence rules, administrative procedures and rental policies can change, so recheck the relevant official requirements before travel.