There were many comments and a few contradictory posts after the previous column on a visitor’s driving permit (see May visitors drive with US licence in Cayman?). In the hopes of providing clarity, I have compiled all the queries into one overall question for the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing (DVDL): What exactly are the rules for driving permits for visitors to Cayman?

Auntie’s answer: Even though the question is fairly broad, I did touch on the specific issues that various readers asked about. I hope that the answers here clear up any remaining confusion. I also want to give credit to the DVDL because a very patient official with the department answered all of my many questions in my quest to cover as much of the subject as possible. And one more thing: let me apologise for my part in disseminating any out-of-date information.

Now then, it seems a lot of the conflicting information can be traced to the fact that the rules are different for visitors to Cayman as opposed to people moving here to work who are considered residents. Since the original question had to do with visitors, I will start there.

Any visitor holding a valid licence from a Convention country or who has an international driving permit (for more information, click here) will be allowed to drive in Cayman for up to six months. If you will be driving a private car (not a hire car), then in addition to requiring permission of the owner, you should have them check with their insurance company that you will be allowed to get behind the wheel in Cayman and be covered under their policy. Some insurers simply require notification of the additional driver if they are coming from overseas. The safest thing is to ask about coverage.

After the six months, the visitor will need to pass a written test, but doesn’t have to take a road test, in order to be issued with a Cayman driver’s licence. This is addressed in Section 29 of the Traffic Law, 2011. However, if the person does not hold either a licence from a Convention country or an international driver’s permit, the six-month rule will not apply and he or she will have to pass both a written and a road test before being allowed to drive here.

I think, based on many of the comments, the important piece of information to impart here is that if you satisfy the above criteria, you do not need to purchase a visitor’s permit to drive in Cayman. One other point: the page on visitor’s permits on the DVDL website does not reflect this updated information, but I have been assured the department is working to amend that page as soon as possible.

The situation is different for residents, though. Once moving to Cayman, a person is allowed to drive on their home licence for no more than three months. Within the first three months of arriving, they can use their home driver’s licence (if that country is a signatory of the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic) to get a Cayman permit through what is known as a “Geneva Transfer”. The DVDL requires, however, that the applicant pass a written test. After the three-month time limit, you can still get a Cayman licence but you will need to pass both a written and road test. For more information, here is a link to the DVDL website.

And, in case anyone was wondering, if your home country has not signed the Convention, you can’t transfer your licence even if you hold an international permit.

I think – and fervently hope — that covers all the relevant information about driving in Cayman with a foreign licence. However, I will be happy to address any other questions that might come up.