Does Avis require an IDP in Bangladesh?
Avis in Bangladesh: 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.
Bangladesh drives on the left amid dense traffic; an IDP is commonly requested for foreign drivers, though most visitors hire a car with a driver.
In Bangladesh specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Bangladesh ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Avis will typically ask for it at the counter. Self-drive desks ask for an IDP and passport; chauffeured hire is the norm.
Avis runs a global network; at its Bangladesh desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Bangladesh drives on the left, uses the BDT, 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 Bangladesh
- Your original national driving licence (the IDP never replaces it).
- Your International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format.
- Your passport and a payment card in the main driver's name.
- Local payment for the BDT deposit; Bangladesh drives on the left with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Bangladesh Avis renters should know
- Drive on the left.
- Heavy, mixed urban traffic — drive defensively.
- Horn use is constant.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
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 Bangladesh
There is no national vignette; tolls are collected per crossing at booths on major bridges and highways such as the Padma Bridge and Bangabandhu (Jamuna) Bridge, paid in cash (taka) at the plaza, typically a few hundred taka for a car.
Dhaka has very little formal street parking; use guarded paid lots at malls and hotels, as roadside parking is heavily congested and illegally parked cars are ticketed or towed by traffic police and DNCC/DSCC authorities.
Using a hand-held phone while driving, no seatbelt and speeding draw fines under the Road Transport Act 2018; traffic sergeants issue case slips (mamla) rather than taking cash on the spot, and rental firms pass any tickets back to the renter.
Dial the national emergency line 999 for police and ambulance; do not move vehicles after a serious crash and wait for police, as a police report is needed for any insurance claim. Crowds can gather quickly, so in a serious incident drivers are advised to drive to the nearest police station rather than confront a mob.
Full driving guide for Bangladesh →