Does Avis require an IDP in Kazakhstan?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Avis in Kazakhstan: 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.
Kazakhstan drives on the right under the 1968 Vienna Convention and uses Cyrillic, so an IDP is advised to translate non-Cyrillic licences.
In Kazakhstan specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Kazakhstan ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Avis will typically ask for it at the counter. Almaty and Astana desks ask for an IDP with non-Cyrillic licences.
Avis runs a global network; at its Kazakhstan desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Kazakhstan drives on the right, uses the KZT, 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 Kazakhstan
- Your original national driving licence (the IDP never replaces it).
- Your International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format.
- Your passport and a payment card in the main driver's name.
- Local payment for the KZT deposit; Kazakhstan drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Kazakhstan Avis renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Zero-tolerance alcohol limit (0.0%).
- Headlights on outside cities.
- Long, remote highways between cities.
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 Kazakhstan
Major arteries such as the Astana-Almaty corridor and sections of the A1/A2/A3 are tolled; tourists usually pay electronically via the national operator (KazAvtoZhol/tollroad system, often through plate-linked accounts or roadside terminals), and rates are modest (a few hundred tenge per segment). Carry cash as some points and fuel stations don't take cards.
Almaty and Astana run paid municipal zones managed by the 'Almaty Parking'/'Astana Park' apps, payable by app, SMS or terminal (Qiwi, Kassa24); unpaid parking in marked zones risks fines and towing, so use the app or guarded lots.
Traffic police actively enforce speeding, phone use and the 0.0/strict drink-drive limit; fines are calculated in MCI units and, while officially paid via bank/Kaspi, foreigners should refuse informal cash demands and insist on an official receipt. Rental firms recover camera and unpaid fines from the renter's card.
Call 102 for police or the unified emergency number 112, do not move the vehicles, and wait for the traffic police (whose report is required for insurance and the rental firm) before clearing the road.
Full driving guide for Kazakhstan →