Does Avis require an IDP in Fiji?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Avis in Fiji: 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.
Fiji drives on the left and lets visitors use a valid English licence for short stays; an IDP is advised for non-English licences.
In Fiji specifically, fiji 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. Nadi desks accept English licences; an IDP helps non-English drivers.
Avis runs a global network; at its Fiji desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Fiji drives on the left, uses the FJD, and sets a minimum driving age of 18; an IDP is still the safest way to avoid a refused booking.
What to bring to the Avis counter in Fiji
- 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 FJD deposit; Fiji drives on the left with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Fiji Avis renters should know
- Drive on the left.
- Watch for pedestrians and animals in villages.
- 0.08% alcohol limit.
- Unsealed roads on smaller islands.
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 Fiji
Fiji has no toll roads, so no vignettes, passes or booths to deal with anywhere on Viti Levu or the other islands.
In Suva and Nadi you must buy and display a ticket from parking meters/wardens where signed; wardens are strict and fines start around FJD 20, so always pay the meter and observe time limits.
Hand-held phone use is banned and seatbelts are mandatory; police enforce speeding with on-the-spot fines, and parking wardens ticket aggressively. Rental firms recover unpaid fines and parking tickets from your card.
Stop and call police on 917 (general emergency 112; fire/ambulance 911), collect witness and driver details, photograph the scene, and ask police for a copy of their report for your insurer and the hire company.