Does Avis require an IDP in Bahrain?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Avis in Bahrain: the policy in plain terms
Asks for a licence translation where the national licence is not in the Roman alphabet or where local rules call for one. Long-established global brand operating in 165+ countries.
Bahrain drives on the right and enforces zero alcohol behind the wheel; tourists should carry an IDP with their national licence.
In Bahrain specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Bahrain ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Avis will typically ask for it at the counter. Manama desks request an IDP for most non-GCC licences.
Avis runs a global network; at its Bahrain desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Bahrain drives on the right, uses the BHD, 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 Avis counter in Bahrain
- 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 BHD deposit; Bahrain drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Bahrain Avis renters should know
- Zero-tolerance alcohol law while driving.
- Speed cameras widespread.
- Seatbelts mandatory front and rear.
- Phone use while driving heavily fined.
Avis's rental terms that affect your IDP booking
Avis's standard minimum rental age is 25, though it rents to drivers as young as 21 in most US states/provinces (some locations require 25 by local law); renters aged 21-24 pay a young-driver surcharge of roughly $25 per day in the US (about $35/day in Canada).
Avis requires an Avis-honored credit or charge card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, etc.) and places an authorization hold covering the estimated charges plus a security amount; Visa/Mastercard debit cards are accepted at most US locations but are subject to stricter checks, and the card must be in the renter's name.
Additional drivers must be at least 25 (or meet the underage rules) with a valid licence and typically cost about $13 per day, capped near $65 per rental; in California the fee is waived for a spouse, parent, sibling or child of the renter. Avis requires a valid driver's licence held for the entire rental period that is not suspended, expired, revoked, cancelled or surrendered; it does not publish a fixed minimum holding period in the US, though some international locations require the licence to have been held for 1-2 years.
Avis generally permits US-to-Canada travel if the renting location is notified in advance, but driving into Mexico is restricted (typically corporate accounts only, no one-way, and Mexican insurance purchased through Avis from border states); one-way rentals are offered with a drop-off charge that may apply on certain rates.
Avis states that "International Driver's Permits are valid only if presented with the original local license. An International Driver's Permit is not acceptable by itself." Foreign licences are accepted if the issuing country participated in the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic or has a reciprocal agreement with the US; non-Roman-alphabet licences effectively require an IDP, and renters with a foreign licence may need to present a passport.
Once you collect the keys in Bahrain
Bahrain has no toll roads or vignette system, including the causeways within the kingdom, so tourists pay no road tolls. (Crossing the King Fahd Causeway to Saudi Arabia involves separate causeway and border fees.)
Manama and central districts have paid parking zones with meters and designated lots; signage shows time limits and charges. Illegally parked vehicles are fined and may be towed, and enforcement applies equally to tourists.
Camera enforcement is heavy and rental firms pass fines (plus an admin fee) to the renter; speeding up to 30% over the limit carries BHD 50-250, mobile-phone use roughly BHD 200, and seatbelt/child-seat breaches BHD 20-100. Serious speeding can mean far larger fines or imprisonment.
Call 199 for traffic accidents without injuries and 999 if anyone is hurt; you will be directed to one of the accident report centres to file a report. Do not move the vehicles before reporting, as a police report is mandatory for any insurance claim.
Full driving guide for Bahrain →