Driving in Andorra with a Bonaire Driving Licence: IDP Requirements and Rules
A Bonaire licence can be used in Andorra only if the national card meets a Convention model that Andorra recognises. Andorra accepts Geneva Annex 9 national licences and, alternatively, 1949 Geneva IDPs carried with the original licence. Bonaire is covered by the 1949 Geneva Convention, but the current Bonaire card specimen was not verified against Annex 9. No fixed visitor-day limit was found. Residence changes the rule after six months.
Quick answer
The legal answer is conditional because Andorran law recognises the national licence by its Convention format, while the current Bonaire card format could not be verified against that model. A 1949 Geneva Convention IDP plus the original Bonaire licence is an expressly recognised alternative under Andorran law. No pair-specific government recommendation for carrying an IDP was located.
Legal treatment of the Bonaire licence in Andorra
Bonaire is part of the Caribbean Netherlands and uses its own local driving-licence system. The Kingdom of the Netherlands treaty database shows the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic in force for the Netherlands in respect of Bonaire from 10 October 2010. The same database does not show the 1968 Vienna Convention in force for Bonaire.
Andorra Article 14 recognises national licences from other countries when they conform to Annex 9 of the 1949 Geneva Convention or Annex 6 of the 1968 Vienna Convention, including models that differ only by additional headings. Because no current official Bonaire card specimen was found that establishes Annex 9 conformity, this page does not treat the national card alone as unconditionally proven to qualify.
IDP requirement, recommendation and applicable model
An IDP is not automatically required by Andorra when the national licence itself satisfies Article 14(c). Andorra separately recognises an international permit conforming to Annex 10 of the 1949 Geneva Convention when it is carried with the national licence and used only for categories the holder is authorised to drive.
For Bonaire, the verified treaty framework is the 1949 Geneva Convention, not the 1968 Vienna Convention. This makes the 1949 Geneva Convention IDP the convention model supported for this origin. A current official Bonaire application route or issuing body for that IDP was not verified in the sources checked.
Visitor and resident rules
The Andorran regulation does not state a fixed number of visitor days for a qualifying foreign licence, so no fixed visitor maximum is stored for this pair. Once habitual or temporary residence in Andorra is obtained, a qualifying foreign licence remains valid only while it is current, the holder meets the Andorran age and experience rules for the equivalent category, and no more than six months have passed since residence was obtained.
A resident must change the foreign licence for an Andorran equivalent before one year has passed from obtaining habitual residence. For licences falling under the Convention routes in Article 14(c), (d) or (e), Andorra recognises the theory for categories A and B and seniority, but normally requires practical tests for each category, subject to the reciprocity rule in the regulation.
Rental car requirements
Rental policy is separate from the legal right to drive. Europcar states for its Andorra rentals that the normal driving licence is required and an international permit is also mandatory if the licence is written in a language different from that of the renting country or in characters that cannot be read there. The international permit must be accompanied by the normal licence. The result for a Bonaire card therefore depends on the language and script actually printed on the card, and this policy should not be assumed to represent every rental company.
Police documents and insurance
Andorra requires a driver to carry the valid driving licence, the vehicle registration certificate, evidence that vehicle insurance is in force and, when applicable, the technical-inspection certificate. These documents must be shown to the competent traffic authorities on request. An IDP does not replace the original national licence.
A foreign vehicle circulating in Andorra must be insured for at least the liabilities required for an Andorran-registered vehicle. The traffic code requires the insurance certificate or a receipt proving policy validity to be carried.
Relevant exceptions
Recognition covers only the vehicle categories authorised by the licence or IDP. Bonaire category B covers passenger vehicles with no more than eight passenger seats in addition to the driver and goods vehicles up to 3500 kg, with a light trailer. Bonaire also provides categories A, C, D and trailer combinations, but the Andorran equivalent category and any age or experience conditions still control what may be driven.
For a resident exchange, the Andorran driving-licence register may ask for an issuing-authority certificate proving authenticity and validity, translated into the official language of Andorra and validated by the relevant embassy. This is an exchange-procedure requirement that may be requested, not a separate translation rule established for ordinary visitors.
Official sources used
- Govern d'Andorra, 2025 Driving Permit Regulation, verifies foreign-licence recognition, Convention models, IDP recognition and resident exchange rules: Portal Jurídic d'Andorra. Checked 2026-10-03.
- Govern d'Andorra, Traffic Code, verifies documents that must be carried and insurance rules: Portal Jurídic d'Andorra. Checked 2026-10-03.
- Kingdom of the Netherlands Treaty Database, 1949 Geneva Convention, verifies application to the Netherlands in respect of Bonaire from 10 October 2010: Treaty record. Checked 2026-10-03.
- Kingdom of the Netherlands Treaty Database, 1968 Vienna Convention, shows no entry into force for the Netherlands in respect of Bonaire: Treaty record. Checked 2026-10-03.
- Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire, Wegenverkeersverordening Bonaire, verifies Bonaire driving-licence categories: Local regulation. Checked 2026-10-03.
- Europcar, Andorra la Vella rental page, verifies the company rule on normal licences and international permits for language or script differences: Europcar Andorra. Checked 2026-10-03.
Practical recommendation
Before departure, confirm whether the current Bonaire licence card conforms to the 1949 Geneva Annex 9 national-licence model. If a valid 1949 Geneva Convention IDP can be issued for the licence, carrying it with the original licence provides a recognition route expressly listed in Andorran law. The current official Bonaire IDP issuing route was not verified, so check with Bonaire Bureau Rijbewijzen. For a rental, check the chosen supplier against the language and script on the actual licence.
Last verified date
This information was checked against the listed sources on 2026-10-03. The date records verification, not a claim that the law changed on that date.