Can a British Driver Use Their Licence in Aruba? — Yes, IDP Advised, Drive on the Right

Aruba is a small, dry, sun-baked island in the southern Caribbean — a self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands — and it is genuinely easy to drive, which is why so many visitors hire a Jeep to reach the wild north coast the tour buses skip. For a British visitor the licence question is simple; two small differences are worth flagging.

The verdict for British licence holders

You can drive in Aruba on your UK licence for a holiday, and an International Driving Permit is advised to carry with it. Rental desks near Queen Beatrix airport and in Oranjestad prefer to see the IDP alongside your British licence and passport, so pick one up before you fly. It is a smoothing document rather than a legal barrier.

Left to right — the main adjustment

Aruba drives on the right, the opposite of home, so the familiar left-to-right switch applies. The island is flat and the main roads are easy, so the adjustment is mostly about instinct at junctions and the roundabouts around Oranjestad and the hotel strip. Be deliberate for the first day, especially when pulling out of a resort or a forecourt, and it settles quickly.

Island specifics: 911, rough tracks and a low limit

A couple of practical points. The emergency number is 911, North American style, not the European 112 you may expect. The drink-drive limit is 0.05, below the UK’s 0.08 — treat it as zero given resort foot traffic and the easy temptation of a beach bar. And while the paved roads are good, the tracks into Arikok National Park and along the north coast are rough, unsigned and best handled in a 4x4; ordinary hire cars are often not insured off the sealed roads.

Posted speed limits are not detailed in our data for Aruba, so this page won’t quote figures — drive to the road, slow right down on the unpaved tracks, and follow local signage.

Before you collect the car

Confirm your paperwork with the Driving Permit Checker, and read the wider notes on our Aruba driving guide. If you rent, the Driving Fines Abroad — Who Pays guide is worth a look so any charge billed through the hire company doesn’t catch you out later.