India
Driving Abroad
Last verified August 15, 2026
Written for U.S. passport holders
License Requirements
- As a foreign visitor, you're expected to carry both your valid home-country driving license and an International Driving Permit while driving in India; officers commonly ask for your license, passport/visa, and IDP together if you're stopped.
- Under the Motor Vehicles Act, a valid foreign license (used alongside an IDP) is generally recognized for up to one year; driving without a valid license is a punishable offense.
- The IDP needs to be obtained before you travel, through the licensing/automobile-association authority in your home country; it can't be issued once you're in India.
Road Basics for Americans
- India drives on the left side of the road, the opposite of the U.S., with the steering wheel on the right side of the vehicle. Roundabouts flow clockwise, and it's worth consciously looking right first when crossing a street on foot, since that instinct doesn't come naturally.
- Speed limits and distances are posted in kilometers (km/h), not miles. A 100 km/h limit is about 62 mph; a 50 km/h limit, common in towns, is about 31 mph.
The Gotcha
Given how India's traffic environment is often described (dense, unpredictable, and very different from U.S. norms), many visitors choose to hire a local driver rather than self-drive at all; this isn't a legal requirement, just a practical note worth knowing before you assume renting a car works the way it might elsewhere. Legally, though, the license/IDP combination is what's required if you do drive yourself.
Sources
This page was drafted from the primary sources below. Rules change, so check the linked page directly before relying on any of this.
- The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (India Code (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India))