Does Avis require an IDP in Malta?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Avis in Malta: 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.
Malta drives on the left, a legacy of British rule; visitors can use a valid foreign licence, with an IDP advised for non-Latin-script holders.
In Malta specifically, malta 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. An IDP helps non-EU and non-Latin-script drivers at Maltese desks.
Avis runs a global network; at its Malta desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Malta drives on the left, uses the EUR, 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 Malta
- 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; Malta drives on the left with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Malta Avis renters should know
- Drive on the left.
- Seatbelts mandatory; phone use banned.
- 0.05% alcohol limit.
- Narrow roads and aggressive local driving.
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 Malta
Malta has no toll motorways. The only road-use charge is the Valletta CVA congestion fee inside the walled city, roughly EUR 0.82/hour (first 30 minutes free) weekdays 08:00-18:00, billed automatically by plate.
Curb colours govern parking: white means free public, blue is residents-only 18:00-08:00, green is residents-only 24h, and yellow means no parking. Paid meters give 1-2 hours; illegally parked cars risk clamping or towing by LESA wardens.
Camera and LESA radar speeding fines are about EUR 34.94 for up to 15 km/h over and EUR 74.94 above that; mobile-phone and seatbelt offences also carry fixed penalties. Rental firms pass camera fines to the renter, often with an admin fee.
Call 112 for police and ambulance. Do not move the vehicles until police arrive if there are injuries or a dispute; a police report is needed for any insurance claim, and rental firms require it.
Full driving guide for Malta →