Driving Permit for Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic drives on the right and recognises the International Driving Permit under the 1949 Geneva Convention — it has not acceded to the 1968 Vienna Convention, so if your country issues both formats, the 1949 version is the one that carries formal recognition. Visitors can drive on a valid foreign licence for up to 90 days from arrival: the UK government confirms a UK photocard licence is accepted for up to three months, and the same grace period is widely applied to US, Canadian and EU licences. An IDP is not legally mandatory for most short-stay tourists holding a modern photocard licence, but it is strongly recommended — and required if you hold an old-style paper licence.

In practice, the IDP earns its keep at the rental desk and on the road. Hire companies often ask for one alongside your licence, and frequently impose their own conditions such as a minimum age of 21 (with surcharges under 25) and at least a year of driving experience. Police checkpoints run by DIGESETT are common, and an IDP's Spanish translation of your licence keeps those stops short. Officers should not ask for money directly; official fines are issued and payable online.

Local rules worth knowing: seatbelts are compulsory for front and rear occupants, the drink-driving limit is stricter than UK and US norms (treat it as effectively zero), and major highways — Las Américas, Duarte, del Coral to Punta Cana and the DR-7 to Samaná — carry cash toll plazas, so keep pesos handy. Speed limits are posted in km/h, typically around 40 km/h in towns and up to 100–120 km/h on motorways. Avoid driving at night outside cities: unlit roads, animals and vehicles without headlights are recurring hazards, and drivers involved in accidents causing serious injury can be held in police custody while the incident is investigated.