Can an Indian Drive in Malta? — IDP Recommended, Same Left Side

For an Indian driver, Malta is one of the easier corners of Europe to take a car into — and the reason is something most European destinations can’t offer.

The licence verdict

You can drive in Malta on your Indian licence with an IDP recommended alongside it. The permit isn’t always demanded by law, but Maltese rental agencies routinely ask for one, so carry the IDP, your Indian licence and your passport as a set. Arrange the IDP in India before you travel; you can’t pick one up after landing.

No side switch — the rare European bonus

Here’s what makes Malta different from almost everywhere else on the continent: Malta drives on the left, exactly like India. There’s no reversed-roundabout learning curve, no fighting the instinct to glance the wrong way at a junction. Your habits transfer intact. That alone removes the single biggest hazard Indian drivers face across most of Europe.

The real challenge is the roads, not the rules

What will actually test you is the island itself. Malta is dense and compact, the old-town streets are tight, parking is scarce and local driving is assertive. The alcohol limit is 0.08 — looser than India’s 0.03 — but don’t read that as permission; enforcement is firm and the safe policy is none. Speed limits are modest: 50 km/h in towns, 80 km/h on the open road, with no motorway network to speak of on such a small island. Fuel is around $1.52 a litre, though you’ll burn little of it given the distances. Missing required documents can bring a fine of around EUR 46.

Before you collect the car

Keep your IDP, Indian licence and passport together for rental pickup and any check. The emergency number is 112. Expect to do most of your driving at low speed on narrow roads, so a smaller hire car pays off. Confirm your paperwork with the Driving Permit Checker, read the wider rules on our Malta driving guide, and gauge any penalty with the Speeding Fine Calculator.