Does Avis require an IDP in Equatorial Guinea?
Avis in Equatorial Guinea: 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.
Equatorial Guinea drives on the right; an IDP is recommended with your home licence, and checkpoints are common.
In Equatorial Guinea specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Equatorial Guinea ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Avis will typically ask for it at the counter. Malabo desks request an IDP; carry passport and home licence too.
Avis runs a global network; at its Equatorial Guinea desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the internationally recognised format alongside the original licence. Equatorial Guinea drives on the right, uses the XAF, 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 Equatorial Guinea
- 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 XAF deposit; Equatorial Guinea drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Equatorial Guinea Avis renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Numerous police checkpoints.
- 0.05% alcohol limit.
- 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 Equatorial Guinea
There are no electronic toll motorways; the country has no vignette or e-toll system, so no toll payment is required of tourists.
Parking is largely informal and unmetered in Malabo and Bata, with no formal paid-zone color system; park in guarded lots where possible as enforcement and signage are minimal.
Mobile phone use (even hands-free) and no seatbelt are prohibited and fined; officers may demand on-the-spot cash payment at checkpoints, and rental firms pass any fines to the renter's card.
Stop immediately, do not move vehicles, and call police on 114 (or 112); a police report is required for any insurance or rental claim and leaving the scene is an offence.
Full driving guide for Equatorial Guinea →