Driving in Aruba with an Andorra Driving Licence: IDP Requirements and Rules
A valid Andorra driving licence may be accepted for visitor driving in Aruba, but its precise recognition under Aruba law has not been conclusively verified. Andorra issues a 1968 Vienna Convention International Driving Permit (IDP), which is advisable to obtain before travelling. Whether Aruba legally requires that IDP or a separate translation is unverified – confirm with official authority. No fixed visitor driving period was established.
Quick answer
Do not rely solely on the fact that Andorra issues an internationally recognised licence format. Aruba is a separate licensing jurisdiction within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and its treatment of foreign licences needs to be established independently. The safest practical approach is to carry both the original Andorran licence and an officially issued IDP, while confirming acceptance with the relevant Aruban authority and rental company.
Legal treatment of an Andorra licence in Aruba
Andorra is an independent sovereign state. Aruba is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and has its own driving-licence administration. An Andorran licence is therefore a foreign licence in Aruba, rather than a domestic licence covered automatically by Dutch licensing arrangements.
Andorra’s driving-licence regulations state that its national licences follow the model in Annex 6 of the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. The United Nations treaty record confirms that the convention entered into force for Andorra on 25 September 2025.
Published visitor information for Aruba states that foreign or international driving licences issued by countries belonging to the Geneva Convention are valid. That general statement does not identify Andorra or resolve whether Aruba accepts its national licence under another applicable legal basis. Specific legal recognition, category equivalence and any additional conditions for Andorra holders are unverified – confirm with official authority.
International Driving Permit requirement and model
Andorra’s official IDP issuer is the Automòbil Club d’Andorra (ACA). Its published guidance identifies the 1968 Vienna Convention model, with a one-year validity period. The Andorran government’s licensing regulation confirms that Vienna-model international permits replaced the earlier Geneva-model issue arrangements from 25 September 2025.
The ACA describes an IDP as necessary for temporary driving outside the country of residence in a foreign-registered vehicle. This is relevant origin-country guidance, but it does not establish the precise legal requirement imposed by Aruba on an Andorran visitor.
Aruba’s legal requirement for this exact licence and IDP combination is unverified – confirm with official authority. In particular, do not assume that Aruba must accept a 1968-model permit merely because Andorra issues it. The territorial scope of the relevant conventions and Aruba’s applicable domestic rules must be considered separately.
An IDP is not a substitute for the original national licence. The ACA states that the international document must accompany the valid domestic licence. Obtaining it before departure is advisable, but carrying one does not independently establish legal permission to drive in Aruba.
Visitor driving period and becoming resident
No authoritative source checked established a fixed number of days for which an Andorra licence remains valid for driving as a visitor in Aruba. The maximum driving period is therefore unverified – confirm with official authority.
Aruba’s official tourism information describes a standard initial tourist admission period of up to 30 days, with extensions available under specified immigration conditions. This is an immigration rule, not evidence that a foreign driving licence is recognised for exactly 30 days or for every permitted extension.
Residency requires separate consideration. The Government of Aruba publishes foreign-driving-licence conversion procedures administered through the Bureau Examen Rijbewijzen. Its guidance requires applicants for foreign-licence conversion to provide a valid foreign licence, evidence of authenticity from the issuing authority, population-register documentation and identification, together with other applicable documents.
The government separately states that a Dutch licence is no longer valid for driving once its holder resides in Aruba. That Dutch-specific statement must not be presented as an established Andorra-specific conversion deadline or exchange entitlement. The precise resident treatment of an Andorra licence is unverified – confirm with official authority.
Renting a car with an Andorra licence
Published rental conditions provide useful evidence of practical acceptance requirements, but they do not replace Aruba driving law. The checked companies do not expressly list Andorra by name.
| Company | Published requirement | Source checked |
|---|
| Sixt Aruba | Full valid licence held for at least five years. An IDP is required for licences printed in a non-Roman alphabet. Passport or identity document and licence must be presented. Minimum rental age is 23. | Sixt Aruba rental information |
| Avis Aruba | Valid licence from the country of residence. An IDP is required as a translation for licences using a non-Roman alphabet. Minimum rental age is 23. | Avis location conditions |
| Arawak Car Rental | Foreign licences in Latin script are accepted. An IDP may be required for other scripts. Drivers must meet the company age conditions. | Arawak rental terms |
These policies make the script used on the actual licence relevant to rental acceptance. They do not establish that Aruba law exempts every Latin-script licence from an IDP. Before booking, confirm that the branch accepts the Andorran licence format, the driver’s age and licence history, and the specific IDP model if one is requested.
Police documents and insurance
The checked Aruba government material identifies the Bureau Examen Rijbewijzen as the authority handling foreign-licence conversion, but does not establish a complete roadside documentation rule for Andorran visitors. The precise documents that police may legally require are unverified – confirm with official authority.
Carry the original national licence and the ACA-issued IDP together. A passport and rental agreement are also sensible documents to have available when driving a hire car. This is practical advice, not a claim that each item is legally compulsory at every roadside check.
Insurance conditions must be checked separately. Top Drive Car Rental publishes contractual restrictions limiting vehicle operation to authorised drivers and excluding specified circumstances from its collision damage waiver. Its terms state that insurance becomes invalid under the rental agreement when an unauthorised person drives and is involved in an accident. Those provisions apply to that company’s contract and should not be treated as a universal Aruba insurance rule.
No Andorra-specific insurance condition was verified. Ask the chosen rental provider to confirm coverage, named-driver requirements, excess amounts and exclusions before collection.
Relevant exceptions and unresolved points
The main pair-specific issue is treaty compatibility. Andorra became a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention in 2025 and now issues the corresponding IDP model. Aruba’s position cannot be determined simply by applying the European Netherlands treaty position or by assuming that the 1949 and 1968 models are interchangeable.
No authoritative Aruba provision was verified that expressly names Andorra, confirms recognition of every Andorran vehicle category or grants an Andorra-specific exemption. A rental company’s acceptance of a foreign licence also does not establish statutory recognition.
Drivers planning to become residents must distinguish visitor permission from foreign-licence conversion. Aruba publishes a conversion procedure, but eligibility and any examination or exchange conditions for an Andorra licence need individual confirmation.
Official and first-party sources checked
- Government of Andorra, driving-licence regulations, including national licence format and international permit provisions. Official Andorran legal text. Checked 2026-10-19.
- United Nations Treaty Collection, 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, confirming Andorra’s accession and entry into force. Convention treaty record. Checked 2026-10-19.
- Automòbil Club d’Andorra, official IDP issue procedure, model and validity. ACA International Driving Permit information. Checked 2026-10-19.
- Government of Aruba, foreign-driving-licence conversion procedures and supporting documentation. Aruba government licensing guidance. Checked 2026-10-19.
- Aruba tourism information, visitor admission periods and extensions. Aruba immigration information. Checked 2026-10-19.
- Sixt, Avis and Arawak Car Rental, published Aruba rental conditions linked in the rental table. Checked 2026-10-19.
- Top Drive Car Rental, contractual driver-authorisation and damage-waiver conditions. Top Drive rental terms. Checked 2026-10-19.
The available Aruba government material did not conclusively resolve recognition of an Andorra licence or the legal necessity of an IDP for this exact combination. Those questions remain open despite the verified origin-country and rental-company information.
Practical recommendation for Andorra licence holders
Apply for the 1968 Vienna Convention IDP through the Automòbil Club d’Andorra before departure, and keep it with the original valid Andorran licence. Ask Aruba’s Bureau Examen Rijbewijzen to confirm whether both documents are accepted for the intended vehicle category and whether a separate translation is necessary.
If renting, contact the actual collection branch rather than relying on general destination advice. Request confirmation of licence acceptance, minimum age, required driving experience and insurance conditions. Anyone relocating to Aruba should obtain resident-licensing guidance before assuming that tourist arrangements remain valid.
Last verified date
Information checked against the listed government, treaty, official issuer and rental-company sources on 2026-10-19. This is the verification date, not the date of a legal change. The outstanding Aruba-specific recognition and IDP questions require confirmation with the responsible authority before driving.