Does Avis require an IDP in Brunei?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Avis in Brunei: 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.
Brunei drives on the left; tourists should carry an IDP with their national licence, and the sultanate enforces zero alcohol.
In Brunei specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Brunei ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Avis will typically ask for it at the counter. Bandar Seri Begawan desks request an IDP for non-English licences.
Avis runs a global network; at its Brunei desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Brunei drives on the left, uses the BND, 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 Brunei
- 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 BND deposit; Brunei drives on the left with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Brunei Avis renters should know
- Drive on the left.
- Zero alcohol tolerance.
- Seatbelts mandatory.
- Fuel is cheap but resold to foreigners at higher rates.
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 Brunei
Brunei has no toll roads or vignette system - the highways, including the Muara-Tutong and Telisai-Lumut links, are free to use.
Bandar Seri Begawan uses coin/voucher metered parking bays in the city centre during business hours, with free parking common in suburban and tourist areas; observe the painted bay colours and pay-and-display rules to avoid a ticket.
Seatbelts are compulsory, hand-held phone use is banned and speeding is camera- and patrol-enforced with fines; drink-driving is treated severely in this Muslim-majority sultanate. Rental firms pass camera fines back to the renter's card.
Call 993 for police; do not leave the scene of a road accident until officers attend, as a police report is mandatory for insurance and any injury claim. Ambulance is 991.
Full driving guide for Brunei →