International Driving Permit in Vanuatu

🗓 Facts checked against Vanuatu's road-traffic law and official sources. Research last updated: 29 July 2026. You may copy this information only if you provide a link back to this page.

⚠ This page is general information about driving rules, not legal advice. Rules change, and each authority applies its own — confirm your case with the relevant authority before you drive.

ℹ We are a private company. We are not a government body, a licensing or issuing authority, or a treaty organisation, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for any of them. The International Driver's Document we sell is a translation of your national driving licence: it is not a driving licence, and it is not a government-issued document.

• Driving in Vanuatu: key facts
• Do you need an International Driving Permit in Vanuatu?
• What side of the road does Vanuatu drive on?
• How long can you drive in Vanuatu with a foreign licence?
• Is Vanuatu a party to the 1949 or 1968 Road Traffic Convention?
• Why acceptance of your licence varies from place to place
• Can you drive in Vanuatu with your country's licence?
• Where to get an International Driving Permit
• Moving to Vanuatu? Rules for new residents
• Driving rules in Vanuatu tourists get fined for
• Read more about driving in Vanuatu
• Sources

Driving in Vanuatu: key facts

Do you need an International Driving Permit in Vanuatu?

No IDP is legally required. Vanuatu is party to neither the 1949 Geneva nor the 1968 Vienna Convention (confirmed against both UN Treaty Collection participant lists). Recognition rests purely on domestic law: Road Traffic (Control) Act [CAP. 29] s.42 accepts, in the alternative, 'a current international driving licence, OR a current driving licence issued by the licensing authority of a country other than Vanuatu'. Because the statute names an international driving permit without specifying an edition, either the 1949 or the 1968 booklet satisfies it — but so does a plain foreign national licence on its own. An IDP is therefore optional in law, and useful mainly as a Latin-script/English-French reading aid for police and rental desks.

• Tourists and short-term visitors: carry your national licence together with the document named in the row for your country of issue, in the table below — for most origin licences that document is not an IDP, so read your own answer rather than assuming one.
• Car renters: Under s.42 you need nothing beyond your own current national licence for the first 3 months — an IDP is an alternative to it, not an add-on. Carry an IDP anyway if your licence is not in Latin script or not in English or French, since it is the document a police officer or rental agent can actually read.

No specific penalty for driving without the required document was verified from an authoritative source. Official source.

What side of the road does Vanuatu drive on?

Vanuatu drives on the right-hand side of the road, and overtaking is done on the left. Cars in Vanuatu are left-hand drive.

How long can you drive in Vanuatu with a foreign licence?

3 months. CAP 29 s.42 proviso: 'a person passing through or residing in Vanuatu for a period not exceeding 3 months shall be deemed to comply with the provisions of this section if he is in possession of a current international driving licence, or a current driving licence issued by the licensing authority of a country other than Vanuatu.' The licensing authority states the same limit administratively: 'Individuals with international drivers' licence are allowed to drive in Vanuatu for a period of 3months only.' (Road Traffic (Control) Act [CAP. 29] s.42, confirmed by Vanuatu Customs & Inland Revenue 'Information for Drivers Licence Holders')

Planning to move to Vanuatu? Different rules apply once you become a resident — see the residents section below.

Is Vanuatu a party to the 1949 or 1968 Road Traffic Convention?

Vanuatu is party to neither the 1949 Geneva Convention nor the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. An official convention IDP cannot be issued in Vanuatu, and convention rules do not bind it — licence acceptance is governed purely by local law and bilateral arrangements.

Why acceptance of your licence varies from place to place

Whether a foreign country accepts your driving licence hangs on a tangle of variables: three different road-traffic conventions signed decades apart (1926, 1949, 1968) — the oldest predates the United Nations itself, and only the latter two were concluded under it — countries at different stages of joining each (signed vs. accepted vs. ratified), licences printed in alphabets local police can't read, vehicle-category systems that don't line up between countries, document generations that may not meet a convention's format even when the country is a member, bilateral deals between individual states, and local laws that are looser in one place and stricter in the next. The same licence can be fine at one border and rejected at the next — even at the next rental desk. The International Driving Permit exists to cut through most of it: a standardized, multilingual presentation of your existing licence, with harmonized category symbols, that most officials can read at a glance. It doesn't replace your national licence or grant new rights — you carry both — and it doesn't guarantee acceptance: a handful of destinations still require a local permit alongside or instead of it, but for most it meaningfully improves your odds.

Can you drive in Vanuatu with your country's licence?

This table is for tourists and temporary visitors. Moving to Vanuatu as a resident? Different rules apply — see the residents section below. Find your licence's country of issue below. Vanuatu accepts any current foreign national driving licence — from every country, with no treaty, script or language condition — for up to 3 months. An International Driving Permit is an accepted alternative under the same provision but is not legally required. Vanuatu is party to neither road traffic convention; the rule comes entirely from its own Road Traffic (Control) Act [CAP. 29] s.42. Stay beyond 3 months and you must obtain a Vanuatu licence. Drive on the right; minimum age 18. Rules change — confirm with official sources before you travel. Last verified: July 2026.

Legend: "1949" — Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (IDP valid up to 1 year); "1968" — Vienna Convention (IDP valid up to 3 years).

What the Status column means on this page:

• National licence OK — the destination lets a visitor drive on the national licence itself. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, gives the basis, and any period or condition that qualifies it.
• National licence OK — IDP advised — the destination does not require an IDP for this licence, but carrying one is advised. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, gives the reason and any conditions attached.
• Not established — the record does not settle whether you may drive here on this licence; confirm with the destination's licensing authority before you rely on it. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, says what could not be confirmed.
• National licence OK — IDD/translation advised — the destination does not require an IDP for this licence, and no official convention IDP can be issued for it; carry an IDD or a certified translation instead. The row for your country of issue, in the table below, gives the reason and any conditions attached.

Sources and notes for the table above

[1] Road Traffic (Control) Act [CAP. 29] s.42 proviso

[a] Licence categories do not follow the convention A–E scheme — rental staff may ask for an IDP to map them.

[b] IDD = International Driver's Document, a standardized translation of your national driving licence. You can apply here: https://idaoffice.org/apply-now/.

Where to get an International Driving Permit

An International Driving Permit must be obtained before you travel, and only certain countries may issue one to you — you cannot buy an official IDP from an unrelated country. Under the 1968 Vienna Convention it may be issued only by the Contracting Party where you normally reside and which issued or recognizes your licence — by that Party's competent authority or by an association it has duly empowered. Under the 1949 Geneva Convention it is issued by the competent authority of a Contracting State, or by an association that authority has duly empowered. Which body that is varies by country: a government agency in some, an authorized motoring club in others.

• Travelling from another country? Ask that country's driving-licence authority which body it authorizes to issue IDPs — a government agency in some countries, an authorized motoring club in others.

Separately, IDA offers a digital International Driver's Document — a translation of your national licence that you carry alongside it. It is not an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 or 1968 conventions by the body your country authorizes for that purpose, and it is not a certified, sworn or otherwise official translation: no authority certifies it, and where a country requires an official or certified translation by law, our document does not satisfy that requirement. It is a private translation meant to make your national licence readable at rental desks and roadside checks.

Moving to Vanuatu? Rules for new residents

The 3-month allowance is a single clock covering both visitors and short-stay residents: s.42 speaks of 'a person passing through OR residing in Vanuatu for a period not exceeding 3 months'. There is no separate, longer residence tolerance. Anyone — tourist, long-stay visitor or new resident — who is in Vanuatu beyond 3 months must hold a Vanuatu driving licence. Official source.

Driving rules in Vanuatu tourists get fined for

• Mandatory equipment: Third-party insurance is compulsory and its liability cover is unlimited by statute (s.41); using an uninsured vehicle carries up to VT 100,000 / 1 year. On police request you must produce, within 5 days, your driving licence, the vehicle registration book, the insurance certificate and the roadworthiness certificate (s.43). Vehicles must be illuminated between sunset and sunrise (s.27), carry a warning device (s.30) and have two independent brakes (s.31). No seat-belt, child-restraint or motorcycle-helmet requirement appears anywhere in the consolidated Act — wear them anyway, and note that hire vehicles may not be fitted with child restraints.
• Drink-driving: CAP 29 sets no numeric BAC threshold. s.16 is an impairment offence: it is an offence 'to drive on the public road when under the influence of alcoholic liquor or a drug to such an extent that the driver is incapable of properly controlling his vehicle', and a police officer may arrest without warrant. With no statutory number to argue about, treat the safe limit as zero. Up to VT 100,000 or 1 year imprisonment, or both (s.53(3)), plus possible disqualification under s.55.
• Speed limits: Drive on the right-hand side (s.4(1)); overtaking is on the left. At crossroads and forked roads give way to traffic arriving from your right, unless you are on a road designated 'major' by Ministerial Order or you face a stop or give way sign. Where a road is divided by a continuous white line, keep right of it (s.4(2)). CAP 29 fixes no national numeric speed limit: limits are imposed by Ministerial Order under s.20 and signposted under Schedule 7 (sign 13a), and are enforced with radar under s.57. Vanuatu Police have publicised a 40 km/h limit around the Port Vila CBD and ask for 20 km/h or less past roadworks signs. Obey posted limits and slow down further on unsurfaced roads.
• Under s.42 you need nothing beyond your own current national licence for the first 3 months — an IDP is an alternative to it, not an add-on. Carry an IDP anyway if your licence is not in Latin script or not in English or French, since it is the document a police officer or rental agent can actually read.
• A UK paper licence still qualifies under Vanuatu law as 'a current driving licence issued by the licensing authority of a country other than Vanuatu'. The UK FCDO nevertheless advises British drivers to either 'update it to a photocard licence' or get 'the correct version of the international driving permit (IDP)' — that is guidance about the UK document, not a Vanuatu legal requirement.
• Rental companies set their own policies and frequently demand an IDP, a minimum age above 18 and a minimum period of licence-holding, regardless of what the statute permits. Confirm the rental firm's licence policy before booking, and carry passport, rental agreement, registration book and insurance certificate in the vehicle.
• Many roads in Vanuatu are not properly surfaced. Night driving is particularly hazardous because of a lack of street lighting and the presence of pedestrians and animals.
• Driving standards are below those in the UK, and many vehicles including public transport are in a poor state of repair and may not be insured. Take extra care when driving at night, in heavy rain or after a prolonged dry period.
• Road, medical and emergency-response capacity is limited outside Port Vila and Luganville, and infrastructure on some routes remains affected by the December 2024 earthquake.

Read more about driving in Vanuatu

• Best Places to Visit in Vanuatu

Watch what driving in Vanuatu looks like

A few minutes of real POV footage is the fastest way to feel confident before your first drive in Vanuatu:

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Sources

1. National road-traffic law
2. Resident licence conversion rule
3. Vanuatu Customs & Inland Revenue — Drivers Licence brochure (age table by category, fees, 3-year validity)
4. Vanuatu Police Force — Driving Test (s.43A testing regime; emergency numbers in site footer)
5. Vanuatu Police Force — Road rules reminders (Port Vila CBD 40 km/h, roadworks 20 km/h, careless-driving tariff)
6. UN Treaty Collection — 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic participants (Vanuatu absent)
7. UN Treaty Collection — 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic participants (Vanuatu absent)
8. UK FCDO Vanuatu travel advice — road conditions and UK licence guidance (UK-specific; not a Vanuatu recognition list)
9. UK FCDO Vanuatu — emergency numbers
10. UN Treaty Collection — 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic
11. UN Treaty Collection — 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic