Is an International Drivers Permit required to rent a car overseas? Many people want to know whether they need a International Drivers Permit when renting a car overseas, or whether their regular drivers license and passport is sufficient.
Step 1
Know that all renters and drivers must obviously show a valid drivers license to rent or drive a car. Car renters and all of their additional drivers must hold a full driving license from their country of residence for a minimum of 12 months.
Step 2
Carry a U.S. or Canadian issued driver's license, which is honored in most countries; however, there are countries where non-local driving licenses (in different languages or particularly in languages using a non-Roman alphabet, such as Chinese or Arabic) are not honored. More and more countries are requiring an International Drivers Permit as a standard car rental requirement.
Step 3
Carry an International Driving Permit (IDP)for most international rentals. It will make things run more smoothly at the rental counter. My opinion is that it's better to have it and not need it, than to not have it and the rental agent is demanding it! An IDP is written in 10 languages and serves as an officially recognized translation of your local driving license in over 150 participating members of the United Nations. You should always have your valid local driver's license and passport to show as well. The Permit has been widely used for more than fifty years and is recognized almost anywhere in the world.
Step 4
Inquire about getting an International Drivers Permit is through the American Automobile Association, the National Automobile Club or the Canadian Automobile Association.
Step 5
Plan for higher fuel prices, different units of measure, currency conversion and age requirements as well as different traffic and insurance regulations in your destination country.
Tips
- Renting a car overseas can be stressful, especially the first time. You should carefully research all of the information that you will need to know.
- One of the biggest differences in renting overseas is the size of the rental cars. Vehicles are categorized generally one size smaller that how the cars are categorized in North America. If you would require a mid-size car normally, you would want to specify a full size car for an international rental.
- If you can drive a stick shift, then you will probably be able to get a cheaper car. Vehicles with standard transmission are generally cheaper than those with automatic transmission.
- The rental policies for international locations are specific for each country. If you make your reservation on line make sure to check out the rules and regulations specific to that country. If you call a company direct to make a reservation, the agent is required to let you know of any mandatory regulation information for that country.
