Does Avis require an IDP in Taiwan?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Avis in Taiwan: 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.
Taiwan drives on the right and accepts the IDP for short stays; tourists should carry one with their national licence, validated locally if staying longer.
In Taiwan specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Taiwan ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Avis will typically ask for it at the counter. Desks request an IDP; longer stays may need motor-vehicle office registration.
Avis runs a global network; at its Taiwan desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Taiwan drives on the right, uses the TWD, 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 Taiwan
- Your original national driving licence (the IDP never replaces it).
- Your International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format.
- Your passport and a payment card in the main driver's name.
- Local payment for the TWD deposit; Taiwan drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Taiwan Avis renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Scooters are everywhere — watch waiting zones at lights.
- 0.03% alcohol limit.
- Electronic (eTag) freeway tolls.
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 Taiwan
National Freeways 1, 3, 3A and 5 use distance-based eTag electronic tolling (ETC) with no cash booths; rental cars carry an eTag and the toll (first 20 km free per day, then about TWD 1.2/km) is settled and billed by the rental company.
City parking uses metered/coupon street bays and attendants who issue paper tickets you pay later (or via apps), plus paid lots; red-line curbs mean no parking/stopping and yellow lines restrict it, with towing and fines for violations.
Speed, red-light and lane cameras issue tickets passed to the rental firm and on to the hirer; fines apply for speeding, no seatbelt and handheld phone use, and Taiwan enforces strict drink-driving limits with heavy penalties.
Stop, photograph the vehicles and scene, and call 110 for police (or 119 for fire/ambulance if injuries); obtain the police accident report and notify the rental agency, as the report is required for insurance.
Full driving guide for Taiwan →