Whether you need an International Driving Permit (IDP) to drive abroad depends on two separate questions that do not always agree: what the destination country requires by law, and what the specific rental company you are booking with requires. Checking only one of them can leave you at a rental counter with a reservation you cannot actually use. This guide separates the two so you can check both before you pay for anything.
What an IDP actually is
An IDP is not a licence. It does not replace your home driver’s licence and it does not let you drive anywhere your licence would not. It is a supplementary document that translates the information on your existing licence into several languages, so that police and rental staff in a country where your licence’s language is not standard can read it. An IDP is only valid when carried together with your current, valid home licence. On its own it is just a booklet.
Who is authorised to issue one
In the United States, AAA is the organisation authorised by the U.S. Department of State to issue International Driving Permits, and you do not need to be a AAA member to apply. AAA explains the process on its International Driving Permit page. Travellers from other countries should look for the equivalent authorised motoring body in their own country instead of assuming the American process applies.
This matters because the internet is full of sellers offering an “international licence” that looks official. A document that the authorities in your destination do not recognise, or that a rental desk will not accept, defeats the entire purpose. If a seller is not your national authorised issuer, treat the product as unverified.
When it is actually required
Some countries, Italy, Spain and Austria among them, require an IDP in addition to a foreign licence as a matter of law. Separately, some rental companies require one as their own policy in specific countries, whether or not the government there demands it. Hertz is one named example of a company that does this in certain markets. The key distinction is that “my destination does not legally require it” and “this rental company will rent to me without it” are different questions, and they can have different answers for the same trip.
The practical consequence is simple. A permit you did not need legally can still be the difference between collecting a car and being turned away at the counter, because the rental company’s rules are part of the contract you accepted when you booked.
The step-by-step check
- Check the destination’s legal requirement first. Use the official government travel pages for that country, not a forum post or a blog written years ago.
- Check the rental company’s policy separately. Read the terms for the specific country and branch you will use. Company rules can be stricter than the law.
- Apply through your authorised issuer with enough lead time. In the United States, same-day issuance is available at AAA offices and a mail application takes several weeks, so do not leave it to the week of departure.
- Carry both documents together. The IDP and your valid home licence travel as a pair. If you have lost or expired your home licence, the IDP does not rescue you.
What an IDP does not cover
An IDP does not provide insurance. Collision cover, theft cover and liability are separate questions with their own answers, and they depend on your rental agreement, your own insurer and any benefits attached to the card you pay with. Ask the rental company exactly what is included, what the excess is, and what you are expected to pay if the car is damaged. Our guide to what travel insurance actually covers on an all-inclusive trip shows how to tell cover for people apart from cover for property, which is a distinction that rental desks rely on you not making.
Do you even need to rent?
On a resort trip the answer is often no. Many guests never leave the resort area except on organised excursions, and the transfer between airport and resort is usually the longest journey of the stay. Before you take on a rental, look at how far the property is from the airport and what the resort offers. Our guide on how far from the airport your resort should be and our explanation of Cancun airport transfers set out what the published transfer times actually look like and when a transfer is the simpler choice.
What this guide does not claim
It does not list every country’s IDP rule, because those rules change and a stale list would be actively misleading in exactly the situation this page is meant to help with. Check your specific destination directly before you travel. It also does not cover local driving conventions such as which side of the road to use, speed limit units or toll systems, which deserve their own preparation. For how we check what we publish, see how we verify.