Before you start

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

Step-by-step

1
Consider a two-wheeler seriously
Pune runs on scooters and motorcycles more than almost any Indian city of its size. They are cheap to buy and run, park anywhere, and get through traffic a car cannot. If you take one, buy an ISI-marked helmet from a proper retailer rather than a roadside stall — head injury is the dominant risk.
In personWho: You
2
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
3
Apply through the Pune RTO
Applications go through Parivahan and the Maharashtra transport department to the RTO covering your address. Foreign nationals generally follow the standard route — learner's licence, statutory waiting period, driving test.
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4
Understand the Hinjewadi problem before choosing where to live
The Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park employs hundreds of thousands through a small number of access roads, and the resulting peak congestion is notorious nationally. If you work there, live in Wakad, Baner or Hinjewadi itself. If you live east and work west, you will spend two to three hours a day in traffic.
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5
Learn the monsoon routes
Pune's monsoon is greener and gentler than Mumbai's, but low-lying areas and the riverside do flood, and the ghat roads west become genuinely hazardous in heavy rain and fog. Ask locally before driving to Lonavala or Mumbai in a downpour.
In personWho: You
6
Consider a driver if you keep a car
Hiring a driver is a normal middle-class arrangement and affordable on a foreign 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 Pune address
Passport photographs
Medical certificate, where required

Things most newcomers don’t know

The Hinjewadi commute is the single biggest quality-of-life variable in Pune.

The Infotech Park employs on a scale its road access was never designed for, and peak congestion there is discussed nationally rather than locally. Living on the wrong side of the city from your office can cost two to three hours a day. No other decision you make here has a comparable effect.

Source: community-reported

Pune is a two-wheeler city, and it works.

Scooters dominate here more than in Mumbai or Delhi, because the city's scale and road layout suit them. They cut through the traffic that defeats cars, park freely, and cost very little. The trade is exposure — wear a proper helmet and be realistic about riding in monsoon rain.

Source: community-reported

The ghat roads west are beautiful and genuinely dangerous in the monsoon.

The Western Ghats begin an hour away and the drive down to Mumbai through them is one of India's great road journeys — in clear weather. In heavy monsoon rain, fog and landslides make the same roads hazardous. Check conditions before setting off rather than after starting.

Source: community-reported

Maharashtra road tax is a percentage of vehicle cost.

Registration attracts a one-off tax calculated on the vehicle's price, which is substantial on a new car and negligible on a used two-wheeler — another reason the scooter is the rational local choice.

Source: Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Department