Driving Permit for Nicaragua

Nicaragua recognises the International Driving Permit in its 1949 format — the version issued by motoring authorities in most countries — and both the UK and Canadian governments confirm that visitors can drive on a valid home-country licence. Although Nicaragua does not appear among the contracting parties to the 1949 Geneva Convention in the UN treaty register, the 1949-style IDP is the document recognised in practice, and it earns its keep as an official Spanish-language companion to your licence — particularly if your licence is printed in a non-Latin script. Traffic drives on the right, and right-hand-drive vehicles may not be driven or imported into the country.

At the rental desk, expect to show your passport, home-country licence and a credit card; an IDP is rarely demanded but smooths conversations with agents and transit police. Minimum ages vary by company — Avis Nicaragua's booking process asks renters to confirm they are over 25. On the road, the Government of Canada notes nationwide speed limits of 50 km/h for cars and 40 km/h for motorcycles regardless of posted signage, with fines for exceeding them.

Road conditions away from the main routes are poor: potholes, narrow or unpaved stretches, missing guardrails and sparse signage. There is no street lighting on the main highways between major cities and only minimal lighting in towns, so foreign offices advise against driving at night. If you have an accident, stay at the scene and call 118 for the Transit Police — leaving can be treated as an admission of guilt, and drivers involved in injury accidents may be detained until a court determines liability, regardless of fault.