Buy a local visitor's driving permit
RequiredA Dominica visitor's driving permit is mandatory on top of your UK/EU licence and costs EC$30-40 (about EUR 10-15), issued by the police or car rental firm on presentation of your home licence.
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Country driving guide · 2026
Driving in Dominica
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into Dominica: 6 legal requirements + 10 other things worth knowing.
6
Required
5
Recommended
5
Good to know
Tick before you go
Pre-departure checklist for Dominica
6 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.
Buy a local visitor's driving permit
A Dominica visitor's driving permit is mandatory on top of your UK/EU licence and costs EC$30-40 (about EUR 10-15), issued by the police or car rental firm on presentation of your home licence.
Passport for permit issue and rentals
Passport with at least six months validity is required to buy the visitor's permit and to rent a vehicle.
Third-party motor insurance
Third-party insurance is compulsory and is included in rental contracts; verify CDW and excess waiver before driving away.
Drive on the LEFT
Traffic drives on the left, a legacy of British rule, despite most rental cars being left-hand-drive imports from Japan or the US.
Speed limits are low island-wide
Urban limit 32 km/h (20 mph), rural roads 64 km/h (40 mph); there are no motorways and roads are narrow, winding and mountainous.
Blood alcohol limit 0.08 g/100ml
Legal BAC is 0.08% (0.8 g/L), but given mountain roads with no barriers and frequent rain, zero alcohol is the only sensible standard.
Documents
Carry a 1949 IDP alongside your licence
RecommendedDominica is a 1949 Geneva Convention signatory; a 1949 IDP is recommended to accompany a UK/EU photocard, though the local visitor's permit is what police actually check.
Passport for permit issue and rentals
RequiredPassport with at least six months validity is required to buy the visitor's permit and to rent a vehicle.
Third-party motor insurance
RequiredThird-party insurance is compulsory and is included in rental contracts; verify CDW and excess waiver before driving away.
Driving rules
Drive on the LEFT
RequiredTraffic drives on the left, a legacy of British rule, despite most rental cars being left-hand-drive imports from Japan or the US.
Speed limits are low island-wide
RequiredUrban limit 32 km/h (20 mph), rural roads 64 km/h (40 mph); there are no motorways and roads are narrow, winding and mountainous.
Blood alcohol limit 0.08 g/100ml
RequiredLegal BAC is 0.08% (0.8 g/L), but given mountain roads with no barriers and frequent rain, zero alcohol is the only sensible standard.
Seatbelts front and rear, no handheld phones
RecommendedSeatbelts are mandatory for all occupants and using a handheld mobile while driving is prohibited; horn use on blind mountain bends is customary and expected.
Emergency number 999
Good to knowDial 999 for police, ambulance or fire; mobile coverage drops out in the interior rainforest and on the east coast.
Environment
Hurricane season and landslides June-November
RecommendedTropical storms can wash out roads, flood river crossings and trigger landslides between June and November; check road conditions daily and avoid driving in heavy rain.
4x4 strongly advised
RecommendedInterior roads to Boiling Lake trailheads, Boetica and the east coast are steep, potholed and often unpaved; a high-clearance 4x4 is the standard rental choice.
Vignette
No vignette or toll system
Good to knowDominica has no motorway network, no electronic vignette and no toll roads; all public roads are free to use.
Money
Currency is the East Caribbean dollar
Good to knowCurrency is XCD (EC$), pegged at EC$2.70 = US$1 (about EC$2.90 = EUR 1); US dollars are widely accepted but change is given in EC$.
Fuel around EC$15-16 per gallon
Good to knowPetrol runs roughly EC$15-16 per imperial gallon, equivalent to about EUR 1.20-1.30 per litre; stations are concentrated around Roseau and Portsmouth, scarce elsewhere, and most are cash-only or card with surcharge.
Declare cash above US$10,000 at customs
Good to knowAmounts of US$10,000 or equivalent (around EUR 9,200) must be declared on arrival; tipping fuel attendants is not expected.
Required equipment
Spare tyre, jack and basic kit
RecommendedNo hi-vis, triangle or first-aid kit is legally mandated, but a working spare tyre, jack and torch are essential given remote roads and frequent punctures from potholes.
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Drive on the LEFT
RequiredTraffic drives on the left, a legacy of British rule, despite most rental cars being left-hand-drive imports from Japan or the US.
Speed limits are low island-wide
RequiredUrban limit 32 km/h (20 mph), rural roads 64 km/h (40 mph); there are no motorways and roads are narrow, winding and mountainous.
Blood alcohol limit 0.08 g/100ml
RequiredLegal BAC is 0.08% (0.8 g/L), but given mountain roads with no barriers and frequent rain, zero alcohol is the only sensible standard.
On the way home
Returning to the UK
Declare cash above US$10,000 at customs
Amounts of US$10,000 or equivalent (around EUR 9,200) must be declared on arrival; tipping fuel attendants is not expected.