Mauritius on an Indian Licence — Yes, and You Keep the Left

For an Indian traveller, Mauritius is one of the gentler places to take the wheel abroad — the basics line up with home, and a popular self-drive island means hiring a car is easy. The adjustments are small and worth knowing before you collect the keys.

The verdict for Indian licence holders

You can drive in Mauritius on your Indian licence. The standout point is that Mauritius drives on the left, exactly like India — no side switch, no rewiring your instincts at roundabouts or junctions. Carry an International Driving Permit with your Indian licence and passport; it is the recognised translation rental companies and police expect to see, and you must obtain it in India before you fly rather than on arrival.

What actually changes: the alcohol limit

The one rule that differs from home is alcohol. Mauritius sets the drink-drive limit at 0.05 BAC, slightly below India’s 0.03 in practical terms once you account for how it is measured — and on a compact island where distances are short and police checks are routine, the sensible line is simply not to drink before driving.

Posted speeds are not well documented — drive to the road

Mauritius does not publish a single clean set of national speed figures that we can stand behind, so rather than invent numbers, the honest advice is to follow posted signs, which change frequently between coastal villages, the motorway spine and the sugar-cane back roads. The island’s motorway is short and busy, town streets are narrow, and pedestrians and stray dogs are common — drive to what is in front of you. You can sense-check any limits you see against home on the Speed Limit Map.

Before you set off

Petrol is roughly $1.32/litre, the capital is Port Louis, and the emergency number is 112. Read the full local rules on our Mauritius driving guide, and confirm your paperwork with the Driving Permit Checker.