Does Avis require an IDP in Jordan?
Avis in Jordan: 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.
Jordan drives on the right and accepts the 1949 Geneva IDP; tourists should carry it with their national licence to rent and drive.
In Jordan specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Jordan ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Avis will typically ask for it at the counter. Amman and airport desks request an IDP for non-Latin-script licences.
Avis runs a global network; at its Jordan desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Jordan drives on the right, uses the JOD, 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 Jordan
- 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 JOD deposit; Jordan drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Jordan Avis renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Seatbelts mandatory.
- Zero-tolerance alcohol for driving.
- Desert Highway speed cameras are common.
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 Jordan
Jordan currently has no toll roads, so no vignette or e-toll is needed; the Desert Highway, Dead Sea Highway and King's Highway are all free to use.
Street parking is generally easy outside central Amman and Aqaba; in Amman's busy districts attendants and metered/blue-marked bays apply, and a small cash fee is common, so avoid kerbs marked for no-parking.
Speed and AI cameras on dual carriageways catch speeding and phone use; the minimum fine is about 20 JOD rising with severity, and on a rental the camera fine is forwarded to the agency, which bills the renter (often months later).
Call police on 911 and remain at the scene; a police report is mandatory for any insurance claim and for the rental company, and vehicles should not be moved until police authorise it.
Full driving guide for Jordan →