Driving in the Philippines with a US license

Your US license gets you behind the wheel for your first 90 days in the Philippines. After that you'll want a Philippine license from the LTO, and in Manila you'll also want a good reason to drive at all.

The short version

Foreigners can drive for up to 90 days after arrival on a valid home-country license, as long as it's in English. A US license is [1].
An International Driving Permit isn't strictly needed with an English-language US license, but it's a cheap backup. The Philippines is party to both the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna road traffic conventions [3].
Staying longer? Get a Philippine driver's license from the Land Transportation Office (LTO). New licenses are valid for 5 years, and clean drivers can renew for 10 [2].
Metro Manila restricts cars by plate number on weekdays under number coding (the UVVRP). Know your plate's day [4].
Many Americans in Manila don't drive at all. Grab, trains and a hired driver are the usual mix. Our guide to getting around Manila has the details.

Your US license: the first 90 days

The Philippines lets foreign visitors drive for up to 90 days from arrival with a valid license from home. The license must be in English; if it isn't, you need an official English translation from your country's embassy [1]. That's easy for Americans, since every state license is in English.

A few practical points:

Count from your arrival date. The clock relates to when you entered, so keep your passport stamp or e-arrival record handy if you're stopped.
Carry your passport or a copy. Traffic enforcers may want to see that you're still within your 90 days.
Keep your US license valid. Renew it before it expires, even if you need to do it by mail through your home state's DMV. You'll need it to convert, and you'll want it when you visit home.
Car rental companies set their own rules and may ask for an International Driving Permit anyway.

The International Driving Permit

An International Driving Permit (IDP) is a translation of your license in a standard format. In the US, AAA is an issuer [3]. A permit under the 1949 Geneva Convention is valid for one year from issue [3]. The Philippines is a party to both the 1949 and 1968 conventions [3].

With an English-language US license, the IDP is a nice-to-have rather than a must. It's still worth the small fee if you'll rent cars or drive outside Manila, where a rural traffic officer may be happier with a familiar-looking booklet. It's easiest to get one before you leave the States.

Getting a Philippine license from the LTO

Once you've been here longer than 90 days, you need a Philippine license to drive legally.

The LTO's eligibility rules for foreigners, as summarized on Wikipedia from LTO material, are that you must be at least 18 and have been in the country for at least a month, with proof that you intend to stay at least six months [1]. Philippine licenses come in three types: student permit, non-professional and professional. Americans driving their own car want a non-professional license [1].

Under Republic Act 10930, licenses are valid for 5 years from your birthday, and drivers with no violations during those 5 years can renew for 10 years [2].

The LTO's own pages wouldn't load for us when we checked in November 2026, so we can't confirm the current document list, fees or whether you'll need a written or practical exam when you convert. Here's how the process generally works, so you can ask the right questions at the LTO office:

Gather your documents. Expect to bring your passport with a valid visa, your ACR I-Card if you have one, your valid US license, and proof of address.
Get a medical certificate from an LTO-accredited clinic. These are usually near LTO offices.
Check whether you need a driver's education course or exam. Requirements have changed over the years, so confirm what applies to foreign license holders.
Apply at an LTO licensing center, ideally one that handles foreign license conversions often. Ask other Americans which office went smoothly for them recently.
Pay the fees and get your license.

Hiring a fixer outside the LTO office is a bad idea. Do it yourself, or have your employer's admin team help with appointments.

Situation	What you need
First 90 days, US license	Valid US license (in English) and passport [1]
Renting a car	US license, plus an IDP if the rental company asks
After 90 days	Philippine non-professional license from the LTO [1]
Renewing a Philippine license	Valid 5 years; 10-year renewal with a clean record [2]

Number coding: Manila's plate-day rule

Metro Manila uses road space rationing, officially the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program, known to everyone as number coding. Your car is barred from major roads on one weekday, based on the last digit of its plate [4]:

Day	Plates ending in
Monday	1 and 2
Tuesday	3 and 4
Wednesday	5 and 6
Thursday	7 and 8
Friday	9 and 0

As of 2023, the rule applies from 7:00 to 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, except holidays [4]. It covers major, radial and circumferential roads, but not the expressways that cross Metro Manila [4].

Watch out for local twists. Makati runs its own version, which restricts cars from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays, with no midday window [4]. Exemptions include motorcycles, electric vehicles, public utility vehicles, ride-hailing cars and emergency vehicles [4]. Rules change, so check the MMDA and your city's announcements before you rely on an exemption.

Families with two cars often buy plates ending on different days. Ask your landlord or HR team how others handle it.

What driving in Manila is like

Manila drives on the right, like back home, so at least that part is familiar. Most everything else isn't.

Traffic is legendary. EDSA, the main ring road, runs about 23.8 km (14.8 miles) and carried about 385,000 vehicles a day in MMDA's 2022 count [5]. A trip that would take 20 minutes on a US freeway can take well over an hour at rush hour.
Lanes are suggestions. Jeepneys, buses, motorcycles and tricycles merge from all sides and stop wherever passengers are. Drive defensively and expect the unexpected.
The EDSA Busway runs in the innermost lanes and is closed to private cars [5]. Don't drift into it.
Flooding. In typhoon season, some streets flood fast. Don't drive into water you can't see the bottom of. Our typhoon season guide explains the signals.
Parking is mostly in mall and building garages, and condo slots are often rented separately.
Accidents. Call 911 in an emergency [6], stay calm, and don't move the car until the police or your insurer say so if anyone is hurt.

Should you drive at all?

Plenty of Americans decide not to. Grab cars and taxis are cheap by US standards, the MRT and LRT lines cover some key corridors, and many families hire a professional driver so they can work or nap in the back. If you buy a car, budget for insurance, parking and your time.

For tips on drivers, garages and LTO offices, ask in our community group for Americans in the Philippines.

Driving in the Philippines with a US license: the 90-day rule, LTO conversion and Manila traffic