Driving in Antigua and Barbuda with an Israeli Driving Licence: IDP Requirements and Rules
An Israeli licence holder may drive in Antigua and Barbuda only after obtaining the destination's temporary driver's licence. Antigua police require the original valid national licence, fee and local address for that permit, which can run for up to three months. Israel's Ministry of Transport also instructs Israeli licence holders to obtain an International Driving Permit (IDP) before driving abroad, but it does not replace the Antigua and Barbuda permit.
Quick answer
- Israeli licence alone: not sufficient to drive locally
- Antigua and Barbuda temporary driver's licence: required for a visitor before driving
- IDP: Israeli Ministry says Israeli licence holders must obtain one before driving abroad
- Separate translation: not listed in the Antigua police visitor-permit requirements
- Visitor permit period: up to three months
Legal treatment of an Israeli licence in Antigua and Barbuda
The Vehicles and Road Traffic Act requires a driver to hold a driver's licence. Section 40 allows a bona fide visitor to be granted a temporary driver's licence, other than a chauffeur's licence, for a period not exceeding three months. The Royal Police Force requires the original valid national driver's licence, the prescribed fee and a local address for the visitor permit. The Israeli licence therefore serves as the qualifying national licence for the application rather than as the local authority to drive by itself.
IDP requirement, recommendation and model
The Antigua and Barbuda visitor-licensing sources checked do not make an IDP the local driving authorisation. They require a temporary local driver's licence. Israel's Ministry of Transport separately states that Israeli driving-licence holders must obtain an international driving licence before driving abroad and that it must accompany the valid permanent Israeli plastic licence. The Ministry describes the Israeli document as issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention, Appendix 7.
The United Nations treaty status records list Israel as a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention, while Antigua and Barbuda is not listed as a party. That means the Vienna Convention model explains the Israeli document, but the Antigua and Barbuda temporary-licence system remains the controlling local route for a visitor.
Visitor and resident rules
A bona fide visitor may receive the temporary local driver's licence for a period not exceeding three months, subject to the conditions written on the licence. The Act does not establish a fixed number of days, so no day figure is used here. Resident conversion or exchange treatment for an Israeli licence is unverified – confirm with official authority.
Rental-car requirements
Hertz at V. C. Bird International Airport requires a valid national driver's licence and a local permit, which it says is available at the counter and valid for three months. Hertz also states that an international driver's licence is not accepted for rental. This is a company policy, not a statement of the policy of every rental company.
Police documents and insurance
Section 41 of the Vehicles and Road Traffic Act requires a driver to produce the driver's licence when required by a police officer. A visitor should therefore be able to produce the temporary local driver's licence. Because the Israeli Ministry says the international licence is valid only with the permanent Israeli plastic licence, carry both Israeli documents when relying on the IDP.
No pair-specific rental insurance condition was verified. A separate rule applies if a visitor brings a private motor car or motorcycle into the country. Section 29 requires compliance with the law protecting third parties against motor-vehicle risks before a temporary vehicle licence is issued.
Relevant exceptions
The Royal Police Force says some visitors who reside in OECS member states may not need the temporary licence. Israel is not an OECS member, so that possible exemption does not apply to this pair. Section 40 also excludes a chauffeur's licence from the visitor temporary-licence route.
Official sources used
- Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda, temporary driver's licence requirements, https://police.gov.ag/licenses/, checked 2026-10-06
- Antigua and Barbuda Ministry of Legal Affairs, Vehicles and Road Traffic Act CAP 460, https://laws.gov.ag/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/cap-460.pdf, checked 2026-10-06
- Israel Ministry of Transport and Road Safety, Obtaining an International Driving License, https://www.gov.il/en/service/license-international, checked 2026-10-06
- United Nations Treaty Collection, 1968 Convention on Road Traffic status, https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetailsIII.aspx?chapter=11&clang=_en&mtdsg_no=XI-B-19&src=TREATY, checked 2026-10-06
- United Nations Treaty Collection, 1949 Convention on Road Traffic status, https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetailsV.aspx?Temp=mtdsg5&chapter=11&clang=_en&mtdsg_no=XI-B-1&src=TREATY, checked 2026-10-06
- Hertz, Saint Johns V. C. Bird International Airport rental requirements, https://www.hertz.com/us/en/location/antiguaandbarbuda/coolidge/anut50, checked 2026-10-06
- Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, member-state information, https://pressroom.oecs.int/, checked 2026-10-06
Practical recommendation
Obtain the Israeli international driving licence before departure in line with Israeli Ministry guidance and keep it with the valid permanent Israeli plastic licence. After arrival, obtain the Antigua and Barbuda temporary driver's licence before driving. For a rental, check the chosen company's exact document policy in advance because company rules can be narrower than the destination law.
Last verified
This information was checked against the listed official and first-party sources on 2026-10-06. Driving-licence, rental and residency rules can change, so recheck the relevant authority before travel.