Before you start

A valid foreign driving licence, and an International Driving Permit obtained in your home country before you travel
Proof of a Nagpur address
Valid passport and visa
A medical certificate on the prescribed form for some applicants

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
Apply through Parivahan to the Nagpur RTO
Applications start on sarathi.parivahan.gov.in and route to the RTO covering your registered address — MH-31 for the city, MH-40 for the rural district. Foreign nationals generally follow the standard route of learner's licence, statutory waiting period and driving test unless the RTO exercises discretion on the strength of a foreign licence.
OnlineWho: You, with in-person verification at the RTOWeeks rather than days
3
Try the metro before you buy anything
Maha Metro runs two lines across the city, including the stretch built above the Wardha Road flyover as a double-decker viaduct. If you live on the Wardha Road corridor and work at MIHAN, or live west and work central, it is likely to beat driving. The city is small enough that the metro plus an autorickshaw at each end genuinely works.
In personWho: YouWeek 1
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
Understand what the Samruddhi expressway did to your options
The 701 km Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg became fully operational in June 2025 with the opening of the final Igatpuri–Amane section, cutting Nagpur to Mumbai from about sixteen hours to eight. It is a 150 km/h access-controlled road with long featureless stretches, and driver fatigue and tyre failure at speed are the documented risks on it. If you drive it, stop properly, check tyre pressures before setting off, and do not attempt it in one go at night.
In personWho: You
6
Do not drive in the middle of a Vidarbha May
Cabin temperatures in a parked car here in May are dangerous, tyre pressures rise sharply on hot tarmac, and cooling systems fail on long runs. Locals move journeys to early morning or after dark between March and June. Treat it as a rule rather than advice.
In personWho: YouMarch–June

Documents you’ll need

Foreign driving licence and International Driving Permit
Passport and valid visa
Proof of Nagpur address
Passport photographs
Medical certificate, where required

Things most newcomers don’t know

The Samruddhi expressway changed what living in Nagpur means, and most guidance predates it.

Until 2025 Nagpur's distance from Mumbai was its defining practical disadvantage — sixteen hours by road, a flight or an overnight train. The full 701 km corridor opened in June 2025 and the drive is now around eight hours at expressway speeds. For anyone weighing a Vidarbha posting against a Mumbai or Pune one, this is a materially different calculation from the one described in almost everything written before that date, and it is why the industrial townships along the route exist at all.

Source: Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation

Nagpur is one of the genuinely easy Indian cities to drive in.

A radial layout with functioning ring roads, wide central avenues laid out under a colonial plan, a small enough footprint that most journeys are under twenty minutes, and real parking. Compared with Bengaluru, Mumbai or even Pune the difference is not marginal. The offsetting risk is speed — because the roads move, the crash severity is higher, and Maharashtra's rural road numbers around the city are poor.

Source: community-reported

Maharashtra road tax is a percentage of vehicle cost, which is why the city runs on two-wheelers.

Registration attracts a one-off tax calculated on the vehicle's price, paid up front for the life of the vehicle. On a new car that is a large number; on a used scooter it is trivial. In a compact city with short trips, that arithmetic pushes most residents to two wheels — and to buying used rather than new.

Source: Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Department

Two districts adjoining Nagpur are dry, and driving into one with alcohol in the car is an offence.

Wardha and Gadchiroli are under full prohibition. Wardha is about an hour away and is an ordinary weekend destination for Sevagram and the Gandhi ashram. Carrying liquor into a prohibition district is not a technicality, and Maharashtra's prohibition law separately requires a permit for possession anywhere in the state. Check the district before you load the boot.

Source: Maharashtra State Excise Department

Common mistakes to avoid

Arriving without an IDP and discovering India will not issue you one.
Driving the Samruddhi in a single stretch without stopping, on under-inflated tyres.
Buying a car before testing whether the metro already covers your commute.
Carrying alcohol into Wardha or Gadchiroli, which are dry districts.
Making long road journeys in the middle of a Vidarbha May afternoon.

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