Assuming they conform to our laws; yes it is the bigger question. Too many people go to foreign countries and drive "because I have an international drivers license and my license says it's valid" and they don't research or actually learn the laws of the new place. Then they suck at driving and cause accidents and fail to carry proper insurance and an actual law-abiding citizen winds up out of a car or paying out the ass because numb-nuts didn't actually take the time to understand the laws fully. I may be a bit jaded after having seen and knowing too many idiots from other countries cause unsuspecting people significant financial damage from these types of situations. Having legal authority to drive is one thing. being competent and safe is another. Most likely if OP is headed for school, they don't actually need a car anyway. There will be plenty of public transport they can and should use until they can learn the laws properly. If he was on vacation for only a few weeks, fine. But staying more than a year? Just take the tests and training and try to be a good driver.