Cuba on an Indian Licence — IDP Recommended + the Side Switch

Cuba is one of the more rewarding places to self-drive — classic cars, empty coastal highways, and a pace that suits a road trip — but for an Indian driver the licence question and the side of the road both need sorting before you collect the keys.

Can you drive in Cuba on an Indian licence?

Yes. An Indian licence holder can drive in Cuba, and an International Driving Permit is recommended. It is not always demanded by law, but Cuban rental agencies almost universally ask for one, and it saves an argument at the desk or at a roadside check. Arrange the IDP in India before you travel and carry it together with your Indian licence and passport. Most rentals are booked through the state agencies, so having the paperwork in order matters more here than the relaxed atmosphere suggests.

The side switch is your main job

India drives on the left; Cuba drives on the right. This is the one change most likely to catch you out, and the danger window is the first day — pulling out of a fuel station, joining a junction, or glancing the wrong way out of habit. Havana’s traffic is busier and less predictable than the open road, so take your first stint somewhere quiet and be deliberate at every turn until right-hand driving stops feeling backwards.

Alcohol, speeds and fuel

Cuba’s drink-drive limit is 0.0 — effectively zero, and below India’s 0.03, so leave no margin. Speed limits are modest: 50 km/h in towns, 60 km/h on rural roads and 100 km/h on the autopista. The bigger hazard is the road itself rather than the limit — surfaces vary, lighting is poor at night, and you will meet cyclists, horse-carts and unlit vehicles, so drive to what you can see. Fuel runs around $1.10 a litre and is sold through state stations that can have queues, so fill up when you can rather than when you are low. The emergency number is 911.

Read the full rules on the Cuba driving guide, confirm your documents with the Driving Permit Checker, and plan distances with the Speed Limit Map.