Does Avis require an IDP in North Macedonia?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Avis in North Macedonia: 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.
North Macedonia drives on the right with Cyrillic signage, so an IDP is advised to translate your licence for desks and police.
In North Macedonia specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in North Macedonia ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Avis will typically ask for it at the counter. Skopje desks ask for an IDP with non-Latin-script licences.
Avis runs a global network; at its North Macedonia desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. North Macedonia drives on the right, uses the MKD, 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 North Macedonia
- 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 MKD deposit; North Macedonia drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in North Macedonia Avis renters should know
- Headlights on at all times.
- Reflective vest and triangle required.
- 0.05% alcohol limit; zero for new drivers.
- Toll motorways between major 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 North Macedonia
There is no vignette; motorways (A1 Skopje-Greece, A2 toward Albania) use staffed toll booths charging roughly 0.70-1.60 EUR per section by vehicle class. Pay in Macedonian denars, euros or by card at the booth.
Skopje has paid blue/green zone street parking with kiosks and SMS payment; illegally parked cars in zone areas are wheel-clamped or towed. Always park in the direction of traffic.
Police issue on-the-spot fines (payable in cash) for speeding, no seatbelt and phone use; headlights must be on day and night or you risk a fine. Rental companies pass camera/speed fines to the renter's card plus an admin fee.
Dial the single European number 112 (or police 192). For any injury or damage that cannot be settled amicably you must call the police and obtain a report; do not move the vehicles until police authorise it.
Full driving guide for North Macedonia →