Does Avis require an IDP in Eritrea?
Avis in Eritrea: 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.
Eritrea drives on the right; an IDP is recommended with your home licence, and travel permits are needed to leave Asmara.
In Eritrea specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Eritrea 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 is limited; an IDP, passport and travel permits are advised.
Avis runs a global network; at its Eritrea desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the internationally recognised format alongside the original licence. Eritrea drives on the right, uses the ERN, 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 Eritrea
- 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 ERN deposit; Eritrea drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Eritrea Avis renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Travel permits required outside Asmara.
- 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 Eritrea
Eritrea has no toll roads, vignette or electronic toll system, so no toll charges apply to tourists.
Parking in Asmara is mostly free, on-street and informal with no colour-coded paid zones; central areas can be congested, so use hotel or guarded lots where available.
Speeding, phone use and seatbelt violations draw fines often settled in cash at checkpoints; photography of roads and infrastructure is restricted and can cause detention, so avoid it.
Stop, do not move the vehicles, and report to the police immediately; a police report is mandatory for any rental or insurance claim and leaving the scene is illegal.
Full driving guide for Eritrea →