What is the legal alcohol limit around the world? Drinking while driving is absurdly common, but in most countries, drunk driving is illegal. For good reason too; over 50% of all fatal car accidents on highways involve alcohol. When you travel abroad, it’s important to know what the illegal alcohol limit is in that country because it may be more restrictive than what you’re used to in your home country. For instance, the legal blood alcohol limit in Australia is 0.05%, which is lower than the typical 0.08% BAC in the United States. Use this resource to look up the per-country BAC limit before you travel, and when in doubt, never risk drinking and driving.

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<a href="https://www.smartadvocate.com/News/Blog/blood-alcohol-content-legal-limits"><img src="https://www.smartadvocate.com/Portals/11/EasyGalleryImages/2/228/legal-blood-alcohol-content-limits-world-2b.png" alt="Legal Blood Alcohol Content Limits Around the World - SmartAdvocate.com - Infographic" title="Legal Blood Alcohol Content Limits Around the World - SmartAdvocate.com - Infographic"></a><br><a href="https://www.SmartAdvocate.com" alt="SmartAdvocate.com" title="SmartAdvocate.com">By SmartAdvocate.com</a>

Where Is Alcohol Illegal?

Obviously, there is no BAC legal driving limit in countries where alcohol is illegal. This is a small list of dry countries where alcohol is not allowed at all, whether you’re driving or just going about your day.

Afghanistan

Maldives

Mauritania

Saudi Arabia

Somalia

Sudan

Yemen

Which Countries Have No Legal Intoxication Limit?

The following countries have a zero-tolerance policy for drinking and driving:

Azerbaijan

Bangladesh

Brazil

Czechia

Djibouti

Hungary

Iran

Kazakhstan

Pakistan

Paraguay

Romania

Slovakia

United Arab Emirates

Uruguay

Uzbekistan

Vietnam

What Is the Legal Limit for BAC by Country?

National alcohol limits for legal driving vary widely. The majority of countries, like Panama, Nicaragua, Greece, New Zealand, Ireland, Iceland, and Belgium have the BAC limit at 0.05%. Other countries, like Canada and the U.S., have a higher limit at 0.08%, and still others, like Japan, have a lower limit of 0.03%. Note that some countries, like the UK and Mexico, may have different laws for the specific areas you’re in.

Which Country Has the Highest BAC Limit in the World?

The Pacific island nation of Palau has a BAC limit of 0.10%.

Countries With a National BAC Limit of 0.08%

Armenia

Bahamas

Belize

Bhutan

Cabo Verde

Cameroon

Canada

Central African Republic

Chad

Congo

Cook Islands

Côte d’Ivoire

Dominica

Ethiopia

Fiji

Gabon

Ghana

Guinea

Guyana

Jamaica

Jordan

Kenya

Kiribati

Lesotho

Malawi

Malaysia

Malta

Myanmar

Namibia

Nigeria

Oman

Rwanda

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

Seychelles

Singapore

Sri Lanka

Trinidad and Tobago

Uganda

United Republic of Tanzania

United States of America

Venezuela

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Countries With a Legal Alcohol Limit Between 0.08% and 0.06% BAC

Honduras : 0.07% BAC

: 0.07% BAC Angola : 0.06% BAC

: 0.06% BAC Mozambique: 0.06% BAC

Countries With a Legal BAC of 0.05%

Andorra

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Belgium

Benin

Bolivia

Botswana

Bulgaria

Burkina Faso

Cambodia

Costa Rica

Croatia

Cyprus

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Denmark

Dominican Republic

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Iceland

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Laos

Latvia

Lebanon

Luxembourg

Mauritius

Mongolia

Netherlands

New Zealand

Nicaragua

Panama

Peru

Philippines

Portugal

Republic of Korea

San Marino

Slovenia

South Africa

Spain

Suriname

Switzerland

Thailand

Republic of North Macedonia

Timor-Leste

Tunisia

Turkey

Countries With a BAC Legal Limit of Less Than 0.05%

Eswatini : 0.04% BAC

: 0.04% BAC Iraq : 0.04% BAC

: 0.04% BAC Lithuania : 0.04% BAC

: 0.04% BAC Madagascar : 0.04% BAC

: 0.04% BAC Russia: 0.04% BAC

0.04% BAC Samoa : 0.04% BAC

: 0.04% BAC Belarus: 0.03% BAC

0.03% BAC Bosnia and Herzegovina : 0.03% BAC

: 0.03% BAC Chile : 0.03% BAC

: 0.03% BAC Ecuador : 0.03% BAC

: 0.03% BAC Georgia : 0.03% BAC

: 0.03% BAC India : 0.03% BAC

: 0.03% BAC Japan: 0.03% BAC

0.03% BAC Mali : 0.03% BAC

: 0.03% BAC Moldova: 0.03% BAC

0.03% BAC Montenegro: 0.03% BAC

0.03% BAC Serbia: 0.03% BAC

0.03% BAC Tajikistan : 0.03% BAC

: 0.03% BAC Tonga : 0.03% BAC

: 0.03% BAC Turkmenistan : 0.03% BAC

: 0.03% BAC Algeria : 0.02% BAC

: 0.02% BAC China: 0.02% BAC

0.02% BAC Colombia : 0.02% BAC

: 0.02% BAC Estonia: 0.02% BAC

0.02% BAC Monaco : 0.02% BAC

: 0.02% BAC Morocco : 0.02% BAC

: 0.02% BAC Norway : 0.02% BAC

: 0.02% BAC Poland : 0.02% BAC

: 0.02% BAC Sweden : 0.02% BAC

: 0.02% BAC Ukraine : 0.02% BAC

: 0.02% BAC Albania : 0.01% BAC

: 0.01% BAC Cuba: 0.01% BAC

Which Countries Have No Policy in Place?

These countries don’t necessarily have a zero-tolerance policy toward drunk driving, but there’s no official policy. For instance, police may still pull you over and test your BAC in Guatemala, but there isn’t any official nationwide policy.

Antigua and Barbuda

Barbados

Burundi

Comoros

Egypt

The Gambia

Grenada

Guatemala

Guinea-Bissau

Indonesia

Liberia

Marshall Islands

Niger

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Sao Tome and Principe

Senegal

Sierra Leone

South Sudan

Syria

Togo

Always be safe while traveling, and when it’s appropriate, opt for public transportation, which is in full swing in many of the most-visited countries. When in doubt, wait it out!