Can an Indian Drive in Aruba? — IDP Advised + the Switch to the Right
India
Aruba
Bring your Indian licence plus a 1949 IDP from your RTO; both India and Aruba recognise that format. Aruba keeps right, bans right turns on red, and hire firms may set a higher minimum age.
Aruba is small, sunny and easy to cover by car in a day or two, and for an Indian visitor the paperwork is light. What takes practice is the other side of the road, plus one red-light rule that surprises almost everyone.
Licence and permit
You can drive in Aruba on your Indian licence as a visitor. Canada’s official travel advice for Aruba tells drivers to carry an International Driving Permit, and the format fits: India and Aruba both fall under the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, which is the permit Indian RTOs issue. Apply before you travel, since it cannot be obtained once you are abroad, and keep the permit, licence and passport together. Hire companies often set stricter terms of their own, such as two years of driving experience and a higher minimum age, so check the booking conditions.
Keep right, and no right turn on red
India drives on the left; Aruba drives on the right. Every junction and roundabout flows the other way from home, and the glance before pulling out has to go left first. Take the first hour on quiet roads rather than in the resort traffic near Oranjestad. One rule is stricter than in North America and catches many visitors: turning right on a red light is prohibited. Animals on the road are another hazard Canada’s advice flags.
Alcohol and emergencies
GOV.UK warns that in Aruba a reading just over half of England’s legal limit can lead to a fine and possible imprisonment. India’s limit is 0.03 g/dl, but the safe plan is the same in both places: no alcohol before driving. Police answer on 100; ambulance and fire on 911.
Confirm your own case with the Driving Permit Checker and read the Aruba driving guide for more local detail.
Sources
- Global Affairs Canada, Aruba travel advice (carry an IDP, right turn on red prohibited, animals on roads, police 100, ambulance and fire 911): travel.gc.ca
- GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Aruba safety and security (hire firms’ experience, age and IDP terms; drink-driving warning): gov.uk
- UN Treaty Collection, Convention on Road Traffic, Geneva 1949, status (India a party; Aruba covered through the Kingdom of the Netherlands): treaties.un.org
- WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, India profile (0.03 g/dl): who.int
Speed limits, fines, equipment & license requirements
Your home country driving rules for reference
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, as a visitor, and Canada's official advice for Aruba is to carry an International Driving Permit with the licence. India and Aruba both fall under the 1949 Geneva Convention, the format Indian RTOs issue, so get the permit before you fly; it cannot be issued on the island. Hire firms may also ask for two years' experience and a higher minimum age.
No. India keeps left and Aruba keeps right, so junctions, overtaking and roundabouts all reverse. One rule catches drivers from many countries: turning right on a red light is prohibited in Aruba.
GOV.UK warns that a reading just over half of England's legal limit can bring a fine and possible imprisonment in Aruba, so the threshold is low. India's own limit is 0.03 g/dl. Plan driving days without alcohol.