Does Avis require an IDP in Dominica?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Avis in Dominica: 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.
Dominica drives on the left and requires visitors to buy a local driving permit, typically arranged at the rental desk.
In Dominica specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Dominica ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Avis will typically ask for it at the counter. A local visitor's permit is issued at the desk; an IDP helps.
Avis runs a global network; at its Dominica desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the internationally recognised format alongside the original licence. Dominica drives on the left, uses the XCD, 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 Dominica
- Your original national driving licence (the IDP never replaces it).
- Your International Driving Permit in the internationally recognised format.
- Your passport and a payment card in the main driver's name.
- Local payment for the XCD deposit; Dominica drives on the left with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Dominica Avis renters should know
- Drive on the left.
- Buy a local driving permit.
- Steep, winding mountain roads.
- 0.08% alcohol limit.
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 Dominica
Dominica has no toll roads or toll system; roads are free to use but are steep, narrow and winding, so allow far more time than distances suggest.
Roseau has very limited parking; use the designated lots and bus-station area rather than the riverfront promenade, mind yellow-lined no-parking curbs, and on the island's tight mountain roads pull fully off the carriageway.
Police enforce a 20 mph (32 km/h) limit in towns and around 40 mph in rural areas, plus seatbelt and no-phone rules; fines are issued for speeding and other infractions, and driving without the mandatory visitor's permit is itself an offence.
Driving is on the LEFT; after a crash call the 911 emergency centre (the old 999 may still connect during transition), notify the rental company, and do not move the vehicles until police attend and record the scene.
Full driving guide for Dominica →