Before you start

A valid foreign driving licence, and an International Driving Permit obtained in your home country before you travel
Proof of an Ahmedabad address
Valid passport and visa
Form 1 self-declaration of fitness, or Form 1A medical certificate if you are over 40

Step-by-step

1
Get the IDP before you leave home
India issues International Driving Permits only to holders of Indian licences, so there is no way to obtain one after arrival. The IDP is valid only alongside your original national licence — carry both or neither counts.
In personWho: You, in your home countryBefore departure
2
Work out which Gujarat RTO covers your address
Ahmedabad has more than one RTO and jurisdiction follows your registered address, not your preference. Confirm which office covers your area on the Gujarat Transport Department site before making a trip.
OnlineWho: You
3
Apply through Parivahan for a licence for a foreign licence holder
Applications start on sarathi.parivahan.gov.in. Holding a valid foreign licence can let you skip the learner's stage and sometimes the road test, but that is at the RTO's discretion rather than an entitlement, so plan for a test.
OnlineWho: You, with in-person verification at the RTODays to weeks after document verification
4
Carry the four documents whenever you drive
Licence, the vehicle's Registration Certificate, valid third-party insurance and a current Pollution Under Control certificate. Digital copies held in DigiLocker or mParivahan are legally accepted at checks, which is the sensible way to do it.
Mobile appWho: You
5
Use the BRTS and the metro rather than assuming you need a car
Janmarg, opened in 2009, was India's first full bus rapid transit system with dedicated central lanes and closed stations, and it still works. The metro added two lines from 2022. Between them and metered autorickshaws, plenty of residents never buy a vehicle.
In personWho: You
6
Respect the two weeks around Uttarayan
In the days before and after 14 January the sky fills with kite string, much of it glass-coated. Cut string across a road is a genuine and well-documented hazard for two-wheeler riders' necks and hands. Locals fit a wire guard to scooters or simply avoid flyovers on those days.
In personWho: YouSecond week of January

Documents you’ll need

Foreign driving licence and International Driving Permit
Passport and valid visa
Proof of Ahmedabad address
Form 1 or Form 1A as applicable, plus passport photographs

Things most newcomers don’t know

Ahmedabad is the rare Indian metro where driving yourself is a reasonable idea.

The western half of the city is on a planned grid with wide roads, off-street parking is common rather than exceptional, and the ring road and expressways actually move. Compared with Mumbai or Bengaluru the calculation genuinely flips — many foreign residents here drive, where in those cities almost none do. That said, lane discipline is nominal and two-wheelers appear from every direction.

Source: community-reported

You cannot obtain an International Driving Permit once you are in India.

India issues IDPs only to residents holding an Indian licence, so arriving without one leaves no bridge at all — you go straight to a full Indian licence application, learner's permit and possibly a test included. This costs weeks. Getting the IDP at home takes an afternoon.

Source: Parivahan — International Driving Permit

Janmarg changed how the city moves and most newcomers never try it.

Ahmedabad's bus rapid transit was the first proper BRT in India, with dedicated median lanes, level-boarding closed stations and prepaid entry — it behaves like a surface metro rather than a bus. It runs on corridors most expatriate residents drive along daily without noticing. For a commute along one of those corridors it beats a car at peak.

Source: community-reported

Kite season is a documented road hazard, not a colourful detail.

Around Uttarayan in mid-January, manja — kite string stiffened with powdered glass — falls across roads and hangs from poles and flyovers. Hospitals here see a predictable cluster of neck and hand lacerations among motorcyclists every year, and the city issues advisories. Wire neck guards for two-wheelers are sold on every corner in early January for exactly this reason.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Arriving without an IDP and discovering India will not issue you one.
Carrying the IDP without the original national licence, which makes it worthless.
Applying at the wrong Ahmedabad RTO for your registered address.
Assuming a foreign licence converts automatically without a test.
Riding a two-wheeler over flyovers in the week of Uttarayan without a neck guard.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.