Driving Permit for Cuba

Cuba recognises the International Driving Permit under the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, which it joined in 1977. In practice, visitors can drive on a valid home-country licence for up to six months — the UK government confirms this for British licences — after which you must pass a Cuban driving test and obtain a local licence. An IDP is not strictly mandatory for short-term tourists, but it is strongly recommended, particularly if your licence is not in Spanish: it gives police and rental desks an official translation they can read at a glance.

Car hire in Cuba works differently from most countries: every rental agency is government-controlled, operating under brands such as Havanautos, Cubacar and REX, and cars are in short supply, so book well in advance. Bring your original licence — photocopies are not accepted — and expect to buy mandatory local insurance, which is required for all foreign drivers. Renters generally need to be at least 21. Fuel shortages are a recurring problem and can make petrol or diesel hard to find outside Havana.

Traffic drives on the right. Drink-driving is taken very seriously — Australian government advice notes it is illegal to drive with any alcohol in your bloodstream — and crash helmets are compulsory on motorcycles and scooters. Road conditions are variable: expect potholes, poor lighting, unlit vehicles, livestock and horse-drawn carts, and avoid driving after dark. Be aware that accidents involving injury or death are treated as crimes in Cuba — the driver must effectively prove their innocence, and authorities can stop you leaving the country until a claim is settled.