Does Budget require an IDP in Antigua and Barbuda?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Budget in Antigua and Barbuda: the policy in plain terms
Asks for a licence translation when your licence is not in the Roman alphabet. Value rental brand operating in 120+ countries.
Antigua and Barbuda drive on the left and require visitors to buy a local temporary driving permit at the rental desk, often alongside an IDP.
In Antigua and Barbuda specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Antigua and Barbuda ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Budget will typically ask for it at the counter. A local temporary permit is issued on top of your licence; an IDP helps.
Budget runs a global network; at its Antigua and Barbuda desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the internationally recognised format alongside the original licence. Antigua and Barbuda drives on the left, uses the XCD, 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 Budget counter in Antigua and Barbuda
- Your original national driving licence (the IDP never replaces it).
- Your International Driving Permit in the internationally recognised format.
- Your passport and a payment card in the main driver's name.
- Local payment for the XCD deposit; Antigua and Barbuda drives on the left with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Antigua and Barbuda Budget renters should know
- Drive on the left.
- Buy a local temporary driving permit.
- Narrow, winding roads.
- Seatbelts mandatory.
Budget's rental terms that affect your IDP booking
Budget's published minimum rental age is 21 in most US states (18 in New York and Michigan), with renters under 25 paying a daily young-driver surcharge; typically around $27/day in most markets, but materially higher at corporate locations such as New York ($35/day for ages 21-24 and $84/day for 18-20) and Michigan ($28/day for 21-24 and $41/day for 18-20). No surcharge applies to drivers 25 and older.
Budget requires a valid credit or debit card; renters under 25 must use a credit card and cannot use a debit card. Deposit type and amount vary by location, with a typical credit-card hold of roughly $80 plus estimated charges plus one extra day's charges, or a minimum near $300, whichever is greater.
Budget allows up to two additional drivers per rental and a per-day additional-driver fee typically applies (varies by location), though it is commonly waived for a spouse or domestic partner; pre-authorized additional drivers must be a spouse/domestic partner, a fellow employee/employer, or a companion driver to a renter with a disability. Budget does not publish a fixed US-wide tenure requirement, but the driver must hold a valid, current full driver's licence, and many corporate-operated locations verify the renter's and additional drivers' records with the DMV before completing the rental.
Driving a Budget rental into Mexico is restricted to authorized corporate-account holders (no one-way rentals into Mexico), and Mexican auto liability insurance is required. Travel into Canada is permitted from many US locations with advance arrangement and Budget's consent, and a Canadian non-resident insurance card may be required; one-way cross-border drop-offs are availability-dependent and carry extra fees that must be authorized in the rental agreement.
Budget generally requires a valid driver's licence, passport, and an International Driving Permit issued in the driver's name from their home country; EU residents renting within the EU may present either their EU licence alone or with an IDP. If the home-country licence is not written in the Roman alphabet, an IDP is mandatory to rent.
Once you collect the keys in Antigua and Barbuda
There are no toll roads or toll systems anywhere in Antigua and Barbuda; all public roads are free to use.
Parking in St. John's is informal with no large paid-meter network; use marked lots and avoid blocking narrow streets or yellow-lined areas, where vehicles can be ticketed or towed.
Seatbelts are compulsory for all occupants and handheld phone use at the wheel is illegal; police can issue on-the-spot fines, and rental firms pass any tickets (plus an admin fee) to the renter's card.
For minor damage with no injuries you need not call emergency services, but exchange details and notify your rental firm; if anyone is injured or a vehicle is undriveable, call 911/999, do not move the vehicles and wait for police.
Full driving guide for Antigua and Barbuda →