Does Avis require an IDP in Moldova?
Avis in Moldova: 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.
Moldova drives on the right and uses both Latin and Cyrillic signage; an IDP is advised alongside your licence.
In Moldova specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Moldova ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Avis will typically ask for it at the counter. Chișinău desks ask for an IDP with non-EU licences.
Avis runs a global network; at its Moldova desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Moldova drives on the right, uses the MDL, 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 Moldova
- 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 MDL deposit; Moldova drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Moldova Avis renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Headlights on outside towns.
- Zero-tolerance alcohol policy.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
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 Moldova
There are no electronic toll motorways. Foreign-registered vehicles pay a road-use vignette on entry (about EUR 4 for up to 7 days), bought at the border and displayed on the windscreen.
In Chisinau use marked paid zones and central car parks; metered/app or attendant payment is common and unofficial 'parking helpers' may approach. Avoid blocking courtyards and tram lanes, where towing occurs.
Speeding fines commonly run from roughly EUR 30 up to EUR 60+ for serious excess, with phone and seatbelt offences also penalised; police may issue on-the-spot fines payable to the state, never directly in cash to the officer. Rentals pass camera/police fines back to the renter.
Call 112 for police and ambulance. Do not move vehicles before police document the scene; an official police report (proces-verbal) is mandatory for any insurance or rental claim.
Full driving guide for Moldova →