Guide to driving in Antigua and Barbuda with a Italy licence.
A holder of a valid Italy driving licence can drive as a visitor only after obtaining Antigua and Barbuda’s temporary local driver’s licence. The local permit may be issued for up to three months. An International Driving Permit (IDP) is not required for that process, and Government of Canada travel advice states that IDPs are not recognised in Antigua and Barbuda. Bring the original Italian licence to obtain the local permit.
Your valid Italian licence is the supporting home-country document for the visitor permit. Obtain the local temporary driver’s licence before driving. The checked official visitor requirements do not list an IDP or a separate translation.
Section 30 of the Vehicles and Road Traffic Act requires a driver’s licence for driving on a road. Section 40 allows a bona fide visitor to receive a temporary driver’s licence, other than a chauffeur’s licence, for a period not exceeding three months. The Royal Police Force says a visitor applies by presenting the original valid driver’s licence. For an Italian visitor, the Italy-issued licence therefore supports the local application but does not itself replace the Antiguan temporary licence.
No IDP is required in the official visitor temporary-licence process, and Canadian government travel advice expressly says the International Driving Permit is not recognised in Antigua and Barbuda. No checked Antigua authority recommends obtaining an IDP for this process. Italy can issue both the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna models, but United Nations participant lists do not list Antigua and Barbuda as a party to either convention, so no convention IDP model was verified as applicable to this destination. The official visitor requirements also do not list a separate translation.
A temporary visitor driver’s licence may be granted for any period not exceeding three months and may be subject to conditions written on the licence. Because the law states the period in months rather than a fixed number of days, no fixed day count is stored for this page. Resident treatment for an Italy licence is unverified – confirm with official authority.
The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority says rental-car visitors need a valid driver’s licence from their home country and must purchase a temporary driver’s licence in Antigua. The traffic law also allows an authorised self-drive hire vehicle owner to hand over a visitor licence on behalf of the licensing authority. No named rental-company first-party policy was verified, so extra company documentation rules should be confirmed with the chosen provider.
Section 41 of the Vehicles and Road Traffic Act allows a police officer to require production of the driver’s licence. For this pair, carry the Antiguan temporary licence and the original Italian licence used to obtain it. No pair-specific official rental insurance condition was verified from the checked sources, so confirm current insurance terms with the rental provider.
The visitor temporary licence cannot be a chauffeur’s licence and is subject to the conditions placed on the permit. The Act recognises motorcycle, private and chauffeur licence classes. Royal Police guidance also notes that visitors residing in OECS member states may receive different temporary-licence treatment, an exception that does not describe an Italy-issued licence.
Travel with the original valid Italy licence and obtain the local temporary driver’s licence before driving. Carry both documents. Do not buy or rely on an IDP as a substitute for the Antiguan permit. Before renting, confirm any provider-specific identity, payment, age and insurance conditions because no named rental-company first-party policy was verified for this page.
This information was checked against the listed sources on 2026-10-06. Driving-licence, visitor-permit and rental policies can change, so recheck the official sources before travel.