Does Budget require an IDP in Bangladesh?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Budget in Bangladesh: 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.
Bangladesh drives on the left amid dense traffic; an IDP is commonly requested for foreign drivers, though most visitors hire a car with a driver.
In Bangladesh specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Bangladesh ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Budget will typically ask for it at the counter. Self-drive desks ask for an IDP and passport; chauffeured hire is the norm.
Budget runs a global network; at its Bangladesh desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Bangladesh drives on the left, uses the BDT, 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 Bangladesh
- 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 BDT deposit; Bangladesh drives on the left with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Bangladesh Budget renters should know
- Drive on the left.
- Heavy, mixed urban traffic — drive defensively.
- Horn use is constant.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
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 Bangladesh
There is no national vignette; tolls are collected per crossing at booths on major bridges and highways such as the Padma Bridge and Bangabandhu (Jamuna) Bridge, paid in cash (taka) at the plaza, typically a few hundred taka for a car.
Dhaka has very little formal street parking; use guarded paid lots at malls and hotels, as roadside parking is heavily congested and illegally parked cars are ticketed or towed by traffic police and DNCC/DSCC authorities.
Using a hand-held phone while driving, no seatbelt and speeding draw fines under the Road Transport Act 2018; traffic sergeants issue case slips (mamla) rather than taking cash on the spot, and rental firms pass any tickets back to the renter.
Dial the national emergency line 999 for police and ambulance; do not move vehicles after a serious crash and wait for police, as a police report is needed for any insurance claim. Crowds can gather quickly, so in a serious incident drivers are advised to drive to the nearest police station rather than confront a mob.
Full driving guide for Bangladesh →