Can an Indian Drive in the Caribbean Netherlands? — IDP + a Side Switch

The Caribbean Netherlands — Bonaire, Saba and St Eustatius — are three small Dutch islands where a hire car is simply how you get around the dive sites, salt flats and tiny capitals. For an Indian visitor the trip is easy-going; the honest version is short because there isn’t much to catch you out beyond which side you sit on the road.

The verdict for Indian licence holders

You can drive here on your Indian licence for a short visit, with an International Driving Permit recommended. As special municipalities of the Netherlands, the islands expect the IDP as the recognised translation of your Indian licence, carried with your passport. Sort the IDP at home before travelling — it is not issued on the islands. The Driving Permit Checker confirms what your specific trip needs.

The one real change: switching to the right

The single adjustment that matters is the side of the road. India drives on the left; Bonaire and the Dutch Caribbean drive on the right. It is the most likely thing to catch you out, and the danger window is your first day — pulling out of the resort, taking a roundabout that now flows the other way, or glancing the wrong direction at a junction. Take that first hour slowly, on a quiet stretch, until keeping right feels natural.

What I won’t pretend to know

I won’t quote a speed limit, alcohol figure or fine for these islands, because reliable published numbers are genuinely thin and a made-up figure would only mislead you. What is true: the islands are tiny and lightly trafficked — Bonaire is essentially a single ring of road around the salt pans and dive sites — so speeds are naturally low. Treat alcohol before driving as a flat no, drive to the surface on the gravel and coastal sections, and watch for donkeys and goats wandering onto Bonaire’s roads, especially at dusk. Saba’s road is famously steep and narrow, so go gently. For the wider regional baseline, see our Caribbean Netherlands driving guide.

Practical notes

Distances are short, so fuel is rarely a planning concern, though stations are few — fill up before a full day out. The emergency number is 911. Keep your Indian licence, IDP and passport together, take the side switch seriously, and the rest is a relaxed island drive.