According to the Rhode Island Department of Motor Vehicles Enforcement Department, au pairs who are in the United States participating in a child care/cultural exchange program, may drive for one year with either an international driver’s license or a license from their home country (along with a translation of the license). Official regulations are outlined below, as published in the AAA Digest of Motor Laws. Please keep this document in the glove compartment of your car so that you can present it with your license and registration, if necessary.

Foreign Driver’s Licenses Recognized in the United States

Foreign motorists from any of the countries on the following list can drive legally using their valid domestic driver’s license for a period not to exceed 1 year from date of arrival. This arrangement applies to driving either personal or rental cars.

This privilege is made possible as a result of the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic (Geneva, 1949, and Vienna, 1968), and the Convention of the Regulation of Inter-American Motor Vehicle Traffic (Washington, D.C. 1943), both of which have been ratified by the United States. In the event the foreign motorist’s country is not listed below, she may be required to obtain a driver’s license upon arrival in the United States.

The following countries are party to conventions honoring International or Inter-American Driving Permits, or honor International Driving Permits:
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Andorra
Angola
Antigua
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bhutan Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde Islands
Cayman Islands
Central African Rep
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Congo, Rep. of
Costa Rica
Cote d’Ivoire Croatia
Cuba
Curacao
Cyprus
Czech Rep.
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Rep. Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Fiji
Finland
France
French Polynesia
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Korea
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Oman
Pakistan
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Poland St. Kitts.
Nevis & Anguilla
St. Kitts.
Nevis & Anguilla
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and
The Grenadines
San Marino
Sao Tome & Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia Somalia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Trinidad & Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Uganda