Does Avis require an IDP in Cuba?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Avis in Cuba: 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.
Cuba drives on the right and accepts a valid foreign licence with an IDP recommended; rental cars are scarce and best booked well ahead.
In Cuba specifically, cuba lets visitors drive on a valid foreign licence, but Avis still asks for a licence translation if your licence is not printed in the Roman alphabet — and it removes any doubt at the counter. Cars are limited and pre-booking is essential; an IDP is recommended.
Avis runs a global network; at its Cuba desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Cuba drives on the right, uses the CUP, and sets a minimum driving age of 21; an IDP is still the safest way to avoid a refused booking.
What to bring to the Avis counter in Cuba
- 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 CUP deposit; Cuba drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Cuba Avis renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Watch for cyclists, carts and pedestrians on highways.
- 0.05% alcohol limit.
- Fuel can be hard to find — fill up when you can.
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 Cuba
Cuba's autopistas (such as the A1 Havana-Santiago and the short A3) are toll-free, so there is no toll system for tourists to pay; roads are free but often poorly lit and shared with cyclists, livestock and horse carts.
In Havana use guarded 'parqueo' lots or pay an informal attendant ('parqueador') a few CUP/USD to watch the car; 'tourist' red plates draw attention, so leave nothing visible and avoid unlit street parking overnight.
Traffic fines are issued on the spot by police who note the violation against the rental contract/licence; speeding, phone use and seatbelt breaches draw fines, and because of strict liability rules foreign drivers face serious legal exposure after any collision causing injury.
Call police and the rental company and do NOT leave the scene or move the car until both arrive; in any injury accident you may be barred from leaving the country until the investigation concludes, so a foreign driver should never admit fault or settle informally.