Does Alamo require an IDP in Cambodia?
Alamo in Cambodia: the policy in plain terms
Asks for a licence translation when the licence is in a non-Latin alphabet, and suggests one for all international renters. Leisure-focused brand popular for airport pickups.
Cambodia drives on the right; an IDP is commonly requested for foreign drivers, and traffic in Phnom Penh is chaotic and best approached cautiously.
In Cambodia specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Cambodia ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Alamo will typically ask for it at the counter. Self-drive desks ask for an IDP; many tourists hire a driver or tuk-tuk.
Alamo runs a global network; at its Cambodia desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Cambodia drives on the right, uses the KHR, and sets a minimum driving age of 18, so an IDP is the document that removes any doubt at the counter.
What to bring to the Alamo counter in Cambodia
- Your original national driving licence (the IDP never replaces it).
- Your International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format.
- Your passport and a payment card in the main driver's name.
- Local payment for the KHR deposit; Cambodia drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Cambodia Alamo renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Helmets mandatory for motorbikes.
- 0.05% alcohol limit.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
Alamo's rental terms that affect your IDP booking
Alamo's standard minimum rental age in the US is 21 (18 in Michigan and New York where state law requires it); renters aged 21-24 pay a "young/youthful driver" surcharge that averages about $25 per day but varies by location (for example roughly $13/day in Michigan and $20/day in New York), and under-25 renters may be restricted to certain car classes.
A major credit card in the primary renter's name is required at most locations; debit/check cards bearing a Visa, Mastercard or Discover logo are accepted at airport locations only with a ticketed return travel itinerary (Discover not accepted in Canada), and the name/address on the card and license must match, with a hold placed at pickup that reduces available funds.
Additional authorized drivers typically cost about $15 per day each (around $5/day in New York), and every additional driver must also meet the minimum-age and license requirements; some promotions or contracted/corporate rates waive the fee. Alamo requires each driver to hold a valid, unexpired driver's license; the license must have been issued before the rental and held for the qualifying period, with locations commonly expecting it to have been held for at least 1 year.
Vehicles rented in the US may typically be driven throughout the US and Canada but cannot be taken into Mexico; vehicles rented in Canada may be driven in Canada and the US. Cross-border and one-way rentals must be disclosed and authorized at the counter, and one-way availability and drop fees vary by location.
Alamo states an International Driving Permit cannot be used on its own and the home-country license must always be presented; an IDP is recommended (not required) when the license uses Roman/English letters, but is required when the license is in a non-Roman alphabet (e.g. Russian, Japanese, Arabic), with a typed professional translation as a substitute if no IDP is available.
Once you collect the keys in Cambodia
National Road tolls and the country's first expressway, the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway, use distance-based tolls (about USD 12 each way for a car), paid in cash, by ANPR plate-billing, or via an ETC on-board unit topped up through local banking apps.
In Phnom Penh park in guarded paid lots at malls and markets, where attendants give a ticket and may chock motorbikes; street parking is informal and congested, and illegally parked cars risk clamping or removal by district authorities.
Speeding (the leading crash cause), no seatbelt/helmet and phone use draw fines that traffic police frequently collect on the spot in cash; enforcement and amounts vary, and fines were even temporarily suspended in 2025 amid fuel-price pressure.
Dial 112 (or 117/119 for police/ambulance); do not move vehicles after a serious crash and wait for traffic police, as a report is needed and at-fault foreign drivers are often expected to negotiate on-the-spot compensation.
Full driving guide for Cambodia →