Does Avis require an IDP in Tanzania?
Avis in Tanzania: 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.
Tanzania drives on the left; an IDP is advised if your licence is not in English, and self-drive safaris need a sturdy 4x4.
In Tanzania specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Tanzania ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Avis will typically ask for it at the counter. Dar es Salaam and Arusha desks request an IDP for non-English licences.
Avis runs a global network; at its Tanzania desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Tanzania drives on the left, uses the TZS, 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 Tanzania
- 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 TZS deposit; Tanzania drives on the left with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Tanzania Avis renters should know
- Drive on the left.
- Wildlife and pedestrians on roads.
- 0.08% alcohol limit.
- Police speed checks are routine.
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 Tanzania
Tanzania has no electronic toll-tag system but levies cash road tolls at booths on some trunk roads, payable in Tanzanian shillings; carry small cash as cards are not accepted at toll points or most fuel stations.
In Dar es Salaam designated parking zones operate with attendant- or city-collected fees; parking on pedestrian walkways or blocking driveways risks fines or towing, so use marked bays or hotel parking.
Speed limits are 50 km/h urban and 80 km/h on highways, with radar guns and growing speed-camera use; phone-use and seatbelt offences and speeding draw immediate on-the-spot fines, and rental firms pass camera fines to the hirer.
Stop and remain at the scene; call police (general emergency 112, or 111/115) and obtain a police report, which is required for insurance and for the rental company. Do not move vehicles where there are injuries.
Full driving guide for Tanzania →