Driving Permit for Trinidad & Tobago

Trinidad & Tobago is a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, so it recognises the 1949-format International Driving Permit (IDP). For short visits, an IDP is not strictly mandatory: visitors aged 17 and over may drive on a valid foreign driving licence for up to 90 days — Canadian licences and UK photocard licences are explicitly accepted by their governments' travel guidance. If you plan to stay longer than 90 days, you must obtain an IDP before arrival, and holders of older paper licences or licences not written in English should carry a 1949-convention IDP from day one to avoid problems at rental desks and police checks.

In practice, car rental agencies on both islands accept most English-language licences without fuss, but an IDP alongside your original licence speeds up pickup and removes any doubt during roadside checks. Note that while the legal driving age for visitors is 17, rental companies set their own higher minimums — often around 25 — so check age rules and deposit requirements with your provider before booking. Traffic drives on the left, as in the UK, and most vehicles are right-hand drive, though left-hand-drive cars are also permitted on the road.

Main highways on both Trinidad and Tobago are generally in good condition, but rural roads tend to be narrow, winding and poorly lit, with pedestrians often walking in the roadway — night driving calls for real caution. Children under 5 must ride in a car seat or booster in the back, and drink-driving is treated severely: police run breathalyser roadblocks, and penalties include heavy fines and possible imprisonment. There are no toll roads, vignettes or low-emission zones to worry about — just drive defensively, as local driving standards are mixed and drivers do not always signal.