Before you start

Legal residence in Pakistan
An International Driving Permit for the first months, alongside your national licence
A learner permit before a full ICT licence
A local address, and clarity about whether it is in ICT or Punjab

Step-by-step

1
Drive on an International Driving Permit initially
An IDP issued in your home country with your national licence is the correct document for a visitor. Note that the ICT Administration is also the body that issues Pakistani IDPs to residents travelling abroad, under the Vienna Convention 1968 — useful to know if you will be driving elsewhere.
OnlineWho: YouBefore arrival
2
Establish whether your address is ICT or Punjab
The boundary runs between Islamabad and Rawalpindi, and much of what people call 'Islamabad' — parts of Bahria Town, DHA and the Airport corridor — is on the Punjab side. Licensing, tenancy law, policing and rescue services all change across it. Ask the estate agent explicitly and confirm on the utility bill.
In personWho: You
3
Apply for a learner permit with the ICT Traffic Police
As in every Pakistani jurisdiction, the route to a full licence runs through a learner permit valid for a limited period. Fees are small. The ICT process is in-person rather than as digitised as Punjab's DLIMS.
In personWho: You
4
Confirm what identity document a foreign national may use
Pakistani licensing systems are built around the CNIC. POC and NICOP holders are fine. A foreign national on a work visa should ask the Islamabad Traffic Police licensing branch directly what the route is rather than assuming an online process applies.
In personWho: You
5
Learn the sector grid before you learn the roads
Islamabad is a rectangular grid of lettered and numbered sectors with the main arteries — Islamabad Expressway, Kashmir Highway, Jinnah Avenue, Margalla Road — running between them. Once you understand that the letters run east–west and the numbers north–south, navigation becomes trivial in a way no other Pakistani city allows.
Mobile appWho: You
6
Drive to Murree and the north with actual planning
The Margallas and the hill stations are ninety minutes away and the road up to Murree is the single most common weekend accident location in the region, particularly in winter snow. Check conditions, do not travel in a snowfall, and note that the district administration has closed the road to unprepared vehicles during severe weather.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

National licence from your home country
International Driving Permit, for the visitor period
Passport with valid visa, or CNIC/NICOP/POC
Proof of an ICT address
Medical certificate, for some categories

Things most newcomers don’t know

Islamabad and Rawalpindi are different legal jurisdictions fifteen minutes apart.

The ICT is federal territory with no provincial government; Rawalpindi is in Punjab. Cross the boundary and your driving licence comes from DLIMS instead of the ICT Traffic Police, your tenancy falls under the Punjab Rented Premises Act with its compulsory registration and Rent Tribunals, your police force is Punjab Police, and your rescue service is the Punjab Emergency Service rather than the ICT one. Large parts of what estate agents market as Islamabad are physically in Punjab. Ask, and check the utility bill.

Source: ICT Administration; Punjab Police

The ICT Administration issues Pakistan's International Driving Permits.

The International Driving Permit for Pakistani licence holders travelling abroad is issued under the Vienna Convention 1968 through the ICT Administration, which is a genuinely useful thing to know if you hold a Pakistani licence and are moving elsewhere. It is a small piece of federal administration that exists in Islamabad and nowhere else, and people commonly assume it is handled by an automobile association as it is in Europe.

Source: ICT Administration

Islamabad is the only Pakistani city where driving is straightforwardly pleasant.

Doxiadis's grid, wide arterial roads, functioning traffic signals and a fraction of Lahore's or Karachi's vehicle density combine to make driving here unremarkable in a way that surprises people arriving from the other two cities. Parking is generally available and free. The corollary is that Islamabad is also the most car-dependent of the three — there is no metro, the bus network is limited, and the sectors are too far apart to walk between.

Source: community-reported

The Murree road is the region's most consistent winter hazard.

The hill stations north-east of the city are ninety minutes away and the road up carries very heavy weekend traffic in snow conditions that most drivers are not equipped for. There have been serious incidents involving stranded vehicles, and the district administration has restricted access during severe weather. If you are going in winter, check the advisory, fit the right tyres, and be willing to turn around — this is the single most concrete driving risk in the Islamabad region.

Source: district administration advisories

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming an address marketed as Islamabad is actually in the ICT.
Applying through Punjab's DLIMS while resident in the federal territory, or vice versa.
Treating an International Driving Permit as a long-term substitute for a licence.
Buying a car without checking whether your employer provides transport, which many international organisations do.
Driving to Murree in a snowfall without checking the district advisory.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.