Most popular
The Golden Triangle
Delhi → Agra → Jaipur → Delhi. The Taj Mahal, Amber Fort and the Yamuna Expressway.
International Driving Permit accepted
Self-Drive Car Rental in India for Foreigners
Yes — you can drive yourself in India as a visitor. You need an International Driving Permit, the original licence it was issued against, and your passport. Cars from ₹1,100/day (about $13), arranged for you by a real person before you land.
IDP + home licence
No Indian SIM needed to book
Airport & hotel delivery
English support on WhatsApp
What you need
Three documents, and you can drive
India lets foreign visitors drive on their own licence, provided it travels with an official translation. That translation is the International Driving Permit. There is no Indian test, no local licence and no residency requirement.
International Driving Permit
The 1949 Geneva Convention permit — the paper booklet, not an app. Issued only in your home country, before you travel.
Your original licence
The licence the IDP was issued against. The two work as a pair; neither is accepted on its own.
Passport & Indian visa
An e-visa or tourist visa is fine. The host checks the passport against the booking name at handover.
By country
Can I drive in India on my licence?
Short answer: yes, with an IDP alongside it. The detail that trips people up is which permit and where to get it — pick your country below.
Driving in India with a US licence
Your US state licence is not valid on its own in India. Carry it together with an International Driving Permit.
Where to get the IDP: AAA or AATA
AAA issues the IDP over the counter in about 20 minutes for around $20. You cannot get one after you land — India issues IDPs only to holders of Indian licences.
India drives on the left, with the steering wheel on the right.
Driving in India with a UK licence
A UK photocard licence plus a 1949 Convention IDP is accepted. India recognises the 1949 permit, not the 1968 one.
Where to get the IDP: The Post Office
Ask for the 1949 Geneva Convention permit by name — the Post Office issues three different types and will hand you the wrong one if you only say "India".
India drives on the left, with the steering wheel on the right.
Driving in India with a Canadian licence
Yes — a provincial licence with an IDP from CAA. The two documents travel together; an IDP is a translation, not a licence in its own right.
Where to get the IDP: CAA
CAA issues it in branch or by mail for about C$25. Allow two weeks if you apply by post.
India drives on the left, with the steering wheel on the right.
Driving in India with an Australian licence
Yes, with an IDP alongside your state licence. India drives on the left, so the road layout will already feel familiar.
Where to get the IDP: Your state club — NRMA, RACV, RACQ
Around A$50 from your state auto club. It is valid for one year from the date of issue, not from the date you arrive.
India drives on the left, with the steering wheel on the right.
Driving in India with a German licence
Yes — an EU licence with an IDP. Ask for the 1949 permit; the EU-standard 1968 permit is not the one India recognises.
Where to get the IDP: Your Führerscheinstelle, or ADAC
Driving on the left is the real adjustment. Give yourself an hour on quiet roads before joining a highway.
India drives on the left, with the steering wheel on the right.
Driving in India with a UAE licence
A UAE licence with an IDP is accepted. Indian nationals resident in the UAE can instead drive on a valid Indian licence.
Where to get the IDP: Emirates Post, or your emirate’s traffic department
If you hold an Indian licence as well, bring it — it is simpler than an IDP and needs no extra paperwork.
India drives on the left, with the steering wheel on the right.
Not listed? The rule is the same for every country India recognises under the 1949 Convention — an IDP from your own motoring association, carried with your original licence. Ask us if you are unsure.
Booking from abroad
Tell us your trip — we arrange the car
Most of our cars are booked by people already in India, with an Indian phone number. You do not have one yet, so a person handles your booking instead: we find the car, confirm it with the host and send you a payment link.
No Indian SIM and no Aadhaar needed. We reply within 24 hours.
Start to finish
How it actually works
Four steps, described as they happen — including the one that involves a person looking at your documents.
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1
Get your IDP at home
Before you fly. India issues IDPs only to holders of Indian licences, so this one cannot wait until you land.
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2
Send us the trip
City, dates, the kind of car. An email address is enough — no Indian number, no Aadhaar, no account to create.
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3
We confirm and send a payment link
Within 24 hours: the cars available for your dates and a quote. You pay the fare by card. The refundable security deposit comes as a separate link shortly before pickup, and is returned after the trip.
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4
Collect the car — documents checked in person
At the airport, your hotel or the host's location. They check your passport, original licence and physical IDP against the booking, then hand over the keys. There is no upload step and no automated check — which is exactly why the IDP has to be the booklet, not a photo of one.
Pickup cities
Where you can collect a car
These are the cities with live listings today. Cars marked with a plane can be delivered to the airport terminal.
Cars on the marketplace right now
A sample of recent listings. Prices are per day, before any long-trip discount.
Slavia Ambition Tsi
Delhi · Manual
₹6,500/day
≈ $74
Verna 1 Vtvt SX
Ahmedabad · Manual
₹7,000/day
≈ $80
Baleno Sigma
Raipur · Automatic
₹3,400/day
≈ $39
Maruthi suzuki zeta
Hyderabad · Manual
₹3,000/day
≈ $34
Maruti Ertiga Smart Zxi
Chennai · Automatic
₹4,500/day
≈ $51
Kylaq Prestige Tsi
Kolkata · Automatic
₹3,300/day
≈ $38
Ertiga Smart Vxi
Surat · Manual
₹3,500/day
≈ $40
Maruti Brezza Lxi
Mumbai · Manual
₹3,200/day
≈ $36
Itineraries
Three drives worth flying for
All three are National Highway most of the way, signed in English as well as Hindi, and comfortable in a week.
Big country
Rajasthan Royal Circuit
Jaipur → Jodhpur → Jaisalmer → Udaipur. Forts, desert and the emptiest good roads in India.
Slower
Lakes & Wildlife
Udaipur → Kumbhalgarh → Ranakpur → Ranthambore. Short driving days, long afternoons.
Before you set off
What visitors ask about driving here
Not a driving course — just the handful of differences that catch people out in the first hour.
Drive on the left
Same as the UK, Australia and Japan; steering wheel on the right. If you normally drive on the right, spend an hour on quiet roads first — turns across oncoming traffic are the hard part.
Highways are easy, cities are not
National Highways are well surfaced and signed in English. Dense city traffic is a different sport — many visitors take hotel delivery and self-drive only the legs between cities.
Tolls and fuel
Expressway tolls are frequent and most cars carry a FASTag that pays automatically. Fuel is sold by the litre and attendants fill for you — cash and cards both work.
Avoid rural roads after dark
The main hazard is unlit vehicles and livestock rather than other drivers. Plan arrivals for daylight; it makes finding an unfamiliar hotel easier anyway.
Navigation
Google Maps is accurate across India. Buy a prepaid SIM at the airport — roughly $5 for a month of data — and download offline maps for your route before you leave the terminal.
If something goes wrong
Your host's number is on the booking, and our team is reachable on WhatsApp in English. Roadside assistance is arranged through the host for the car you have.
Questions
Renting a car in India as a foreigner
Yes. A foreign visitor can rent and drive a self-drive car in India with three documents: a valid International Driving Permit (IDP), the original driving licence it was issued against, and a passport with a valid Indian visa. The IDP must be obtained in your home country before you travel — India does not issue them to foreign licence holders.
An IDP is an official translation of your home licence under the 1949 Geneva Convention, which India recognises. You apply through your country's motoring association — AAA in the United States, the Post Office in the UK, CAA in Canada, NRMA, RACV or RACQ in Australia. It usually costs $20-50 and is valid for one year from issue. India does not accept digital or app-based IDPs; bring the physical booklet.
Not on its own. Your home licence remains the underlying licence, but it has to be presented together with an IDP — the two work as a pair, and an IDP without the original licence is not accepted either. Carry both, plus your passport, for the whole trip.
India drives on the LEFT, like the UK, Australia, Japan and Singapore, and steering wheels are on the right. If you normally drive on the right, budget an hour on quiet roads before taking a highway — roundabouts and turns across oncoming traffic are what catch people out.
No. You can request a car on this page with just an email address, and our team replies with the car, the quote and a payment link. Aadhaar and other Indian identity documents apply to residents, not to visitors. A local SIM is still worth buying at the airport — roughly $5 for a month of data — because you will want maps and a way to reach your host.
In person, by the host, at the moment you collect the car. They check your passport, your original driving licence and the physical IDP against the booking. There is no upload step and no automated verification for international visitors — a person looks at the documents, which is also why the IDP needs to be the paper booklet rather than a photograph of one.
Rates on BaeCars start from ₹1,100 per day (about $13), varying by city, car and season. You pay the fare when you book; a refundable security deposit is collected separately by payment link shortly before pickup and returned after the car comes back.
Cancel 48 hours or more before pickup and the fare is refunded in full. Between 24 and 48 hours, 75% is refunded; between 12 and 24 hours, 50%. Inside 12 hours the fare is not refundable, and a booking cannot be cancelled online within 3 hours of pickup. The refundable security deposit is returned in full either way.
Yes, and it is the most common self-drive itinerary for visitors. Delhi to Agra is 233 km, about 3.5 hours on the Yamuna Expressway; Agra to Jaipur 240 km; Jaipur back to Delhi 281 km. Five to seven days is comfortable. National Highways are in good condition and signed in English as well as Hindi.
Highway driving between cities is straightforward with satellite navigation, and the National Highways are well maintained. Dense city traffic is the harder part, which is why many visitors take delivery at their hotel and self-drive only the intercity legs. Avoid rural roads after dark — unlit vehicles and livestock are the main hazard.
Bring the permit. We'll bring the car.
Tell us your dates and we'll come back within 24 hours with what's available.
