Before you start

A valid foreign driving licence, and an IDP obtained in your home country before travel
Proof of a Kochi 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 leaving home
India issues International Driving Permits only to holders of Indian licences, so there is no route to one after arrival. The IDP is valid only alongside your original national licence.
In personWho: You, in your home countryBefore departure
2
Identify your Kerala RTO
Ernakulam, Mattancherry, Muvattupuzha and Aluva all have transport offices and jurisdiction follows your registered address. Confirm on the Kerala MVD portal before travelling to one.
OnlineWho: You
3
Apply through Sarathi Parivahan
Applications start at sarathi.parivahan.gov.in under the category for foreign licence holders. Holding a valid foreign licence may let you skip the learner's stage and sometimes the road test, but it is discretionary rather than an entitlement.
OnlineWho: You, with in-person verificationDays to weeks after verification
4
Carry licence, RC, insurance and PUC
Third-party insurance and a current Pollution Under Control certificate are legally required alongside the licence and registration certificate. Kerala's traffic police are among the more systematic in India about checking. Digital copies in DigiLocker or mParivahan are accepted.
Mobile appWho: You
5
Use the ferries and the Water Metro properly
The Kochi Water Metro links ten island terminals on a scheduled electric service with metro-style ticketing, and the older Fort Kochi and Vypin ferries carry two-wheelers. For several common journeys this is genuinely faster than driving round, and it costs a few rupees.
Mobile appWho: You
6
Learn how the monsoon changes the roads
From June the rain is continuous rather than occasional. Potholes open quickly, low-lying junctions in Ernakulam flood, and a two-wheeler in heavy rain on a wet Kerala road is a different proposition from one in dry weather. Locals know which underpasses go under; ask before June rather than after.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

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

Things most newcomers don’t know

Water is public transport here, not sightseeing.

Kochi is built across islands and the Water Metro — India's first battery-electric ferry network — links ten terminals on a timetable with the same card as the metro. For Vypin, Bolgatty, Fort Kochi and several Kakkanad-side journeys it beats the road comfortably, because the bridges concentrate all road traffic through a handful of choke points. Newcomers treat the boats as a day out and drive instead, which is exactly backwards.

Source: Kochi Metro Rail Limited

You cannot get 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 — you go straight to a full Indian licence application, learner's permit and possibly a test included. That is weeks of process to avoid an afternoon at home.

Source: Parivahan — International Driving Permit

Kerala's road fatality rate is among the highest in India, and two-wheelers are why.

Kerala has an unusually high vehicle density for its size, narrow roads with buildings tight to the edge, and a very large share of two-wheeler traffic on surfaces that are wet for four months of the year. The state has responded with heavy camera enforcement and stiff fines. If you ride here, a proper helmet is the single largest safety decision you will make, and it is also the one the police check most.

Source: Kerala Motor Vehicles Department

A hartal will strand a car more effectively than any traffic jam.

Kerala's political culture still produces general strikes, during which shops shut, buses stop and vehicles on the road can be turned back or, occasionally, damaged. Courts have curbed flash hartals and required notice, but they happen. Locals simply do not go out. Knowing what a hartal is before your first one saves you from being the only vehicle on an empty road wondering what happened.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Arriving without an IDP and finding India will not issue one.
Carrying the IDP without the original national licence.
Driving round the long way when the Water Metro goes straight there.
Riding a two-wheeler in monsoon rain without proper wet-weather gear and a full helmet.
Setting out on a hartal day because you had not heard of one.

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