Before you start

A valid foreign driving licence with an International Driving Permit for the initial period
Proof of Chennai address
Valid visa and passport
A medical certificate on the prescribed form for some applicants

Step-by-step

1
Use your foreign licence plus an IDP initially
A valid foreign licence with an International Driving Permit covers you for a limited period after arrival. Carry both plus your passport and visa.
In personWho: You
2
Apply through the Tamil Nadu transport portal
Applications go through Parivahan and the state department to the RTO covering your address. Foreign nationals generally follow the standard route — learner's licence, statutory waiting period, driving test.
OnlineWho: You
3
Learn the OMR and its alternatives
Old Mahabalipuram Road is the IT corridor's spine and it congests badly at peak. The parallel East Coast Road and the interior Velachery routes are the local alternatives. Knowing when to use which is the practical Chennai driving skill.
Mobile appWho: You
4
Map your route's flood points before November
Chennai's north-east monsoon floods specific underpasses, low-lying stretches and areas built on former lake beds. The 2015 floods and Cyclone Michaung in 2023 both submerged large areas. Ask colleagues which stretches fail and agree a work-from-home arrangement for the worst days.
In personWho: YouBefore October
5
Consider a two-wheeler, with a proper helmet
Scooters are the default local vehicle for short trips, cheap to run and easy to park. Buy an ISI-marked helmet from a proper retailer rather than a roadside stall — head injury is the dominant risk.
In personWho: You
6
Understand that a driver is affordable and normal
Hiring a full-time driver is a standard middle-class arrangement and costs a small fraction of a foreign professional salary. Verify the licence, agree hours and overtime in writing.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Valid foreign driving licence and International Driving Permit
Passport and valid visa
Proof of Chennai address
Passport photographs
Medical certificate, where required

Things most newcomers don’t know

Chennai's flood season is November to December, not July.

The north-east monsoon and Bay of Bengal cyclones bring Chennai's rain in the last quarter of the year, the opposite of most of India. Newcomers who prepare for a July monsoon and relax in October have it exactly backwards. Your flood planning — route, parking, supplies — should target November.

Source: India Meteorological Department

Where you park matters more than where you drive in monsoon season.

Basement and ground-level parking flood, and a submerged engine is usually a write-off. During cyclone warnings, residents move cars to higher ground or multi-storey parking as a matter of routine. Ask whether your building's parking has ever flooded, and know where you would move the car.

Source: community-reported

Tamil Nadu road tax is a percentage of vehicle cost.

Registration attracts a life tax calculated on the vehicle's price, which on a new car is a substantial one-off. Factor it into the buy-versus-lease decision and into whether to buy new or used.

Source: Tamil Nadu Transport Department

The East Coast Road is the alternative nobody uses at first.

OMR carries the IT corridor's traffic and congests predictably. The parallel East Coast Road along the shore is often faster outside peak and is a considerably better drive. Locals switch between them by time of day; newcomers sit on OMR.

Source: community-reported