Does Avis require an IDP in Latvia?
Avis in Latvia: 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.
Latvia drives on the right with year-round daytime headlights; non-EU visitors should carry an IDP with their national licence.
In Latvia specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Latvia ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Avis will typically ask for it at the counter. Riga desks request an IDP for non-EU licences.
Avis runs a global network; at its Latvia desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Latvia drives on the right, uses the EUR, 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 Latvia
- Your original national driving licence (the IDP never replaces it).
- Your International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Convention format.
- Your passport and a payment card in the main driver's name.
- Local payment for the EUR deposit; Latvia drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Latvia Avis renters should know
- Headlights on at all times.
- Winter tyres mandatory Dec–Feb.
- 0.05% alcohol limit; 0.02% for new drivers.
- Reflective vest and triangle required.
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 Latvia
Latvia has no toll motorways or general car vignette - passenger cars under 3.5t drive the road network free of charge; only heavy goods vehicles pay an electronic vignette (Eurovignette/Latvijas system).
Riga uses six paid zones with meters and the Mobilly app, the central zones being most expensive and time-limited; pay-and-display is strictly enforced and illegally parked cars in the centre can be clamped or towed.
Fines are issued as administrative reports - police cannot collect cash on the spot, you have 30 days to pay; speeding starts around EUR 20, no-seatbelt around EUR 30, and handheld phone use is prohibited. Rental firms pass camera fines to the renter with an admin fee.
Call 112 for injuries; for damage-only collisions where parties agree you can complete the European Accident Statement without police, but you must notify the rental company and obtain a report, and you must not move vehicles before documenting if there is injury or dispute.
Full driving guide for Latvia →