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Budget · Belgium

Does Budget require an IDP in Belgium?

Daniel MercerWritten by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Yes, bring one
Many rental companies and local authorities in Belgium ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Budget will typically ask for it at the counter.
Budget in Belgium
Budget IDP policyBring an IDP (foreign drivers)
Budget footprintGlobal
Accepted format1949 Geneva & 1968 Vienna
Minimum rental age18+ (surcharge under 25)
Drives on theRight

Budget in Belgium: 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.

Belgium drives on the right and honours both driving conventions; non-EU visitors should carry an IDP, and the famous priority-to-the-right rule trips up newcomers.

In Belgium specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Belgium ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Budget will typically ask for it at the counter. Brussels desks request an IDP for licences issued outside the EU/EEA.

Budget runs a global network; at its Belgium desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Belgium drives on the right, uses the EUR, 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 Belgium

  • Your original national driving licence (the IDP never replaces it).
  • Your International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Convention format.
  • Your passport and a payment card in the main driver's name.
  • Local payment for the EUR deposit; Belgium drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.

Driving rules in Belgium Budget renters should know

  • Priority to the right at unmarked junctions.
  • Reflective vest and warning triangle required.
  • 0.05% alcohol limit.
  • Low-emission zones in Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent.

Budget's rental terms that affect your IDP booking

Minimum age & young-driver surcharge

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.

Deposit & accepted cards

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.

Additional drivers

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.

Cross-border & one-way

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.

IDP & foreign-licence rule

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 Belgium

Tolls & road charges

There are no motorway tolls for cars; the only paid road is the Liefkenshoektunnel near Antwerp (around 6 euros). However, Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent operate Low Emission Zones where foreign and rental cars must be registered online before entry or face fines of roughly 150-350 euros.

Parking in town

Cities use paid meter/app zones plus blue zones where a cardboard parking disc gives free time-limited parking (commonly 2 hours); pay via apps like 4411, Seety or Parking.brussels. Overstaying or no disc in a blue zone costs about 37 euros per period.

Fines & camera enforcement

Police can impose immediate fines on non-residents (paid on the spot for a receipt, otherwise you go to court), with speeding starting around 53 euros and phone/seatbelt offences over 100 euros; camera fines on rental cars are billed to the hirer after the agency hands over your details.

If you have an accident

Dial 112 for police/ambulance. Complete the European Accident Statement (constat amiable) with the other driver - the Belgian insurers' Crashform app can file it electronically - and call police if there are injuries, disputes or a foreign/uninsured vehicle.

Full driving guide for Belgium

Common questions

01
Do I need an IDP to rent from Budget in Belgium?
Many rental companies and local authorities in Belgium ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Budget will typically ask for it at the counter. 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.
02
What documents should I bring to the Budget desk in Belgium?
Bring your original national driving licence, your International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Convention format, your passport, and the payment card in the main driver's name. Belgium drives on the right and the minimum rental age is typically 18+.
03
What is the minimum age to rent from Budget in Belgium?
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. Locally, Belgium sets a minimum driving age of 18 and most desks add a young-driver surcharge under 25.
04
What deposit and card does Budget require?
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.
05
Can I take a Budget rental across the border or drop it one-way?
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.
06
Does Budget charge for an additional driver?
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.
07
How do tolls work for a rental car in Belgium?
There are no motorway tolls for cars; the only paid road is the Liefkenshoektunnel near Antwerp (around 6 euros). However, Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent operate Low Emission Zones where foreign and rental cars must be registered online before entry or face fines of roughly 150-350 euros.
08
What happens if I get a traffic fine driving a Budget car in Belgium?
Police can impose immediate fines on non-residents (paid on the spot for a receipt, otherwise you go to court), with speeding starting around 53 euros and phone/seatbelt offences over 100 euros; camera fines on rental cars are billed to the hirer after the agency hands over your details.
09
What is Budget's general policy on International Driving Permits?
Asks for a licence translation when your licence is not in the Roman alphabet. Budget is part of Avis Budget Group, operating roughly 3,000+ locations across about 120 countries with a strong US airport presence, and offers the Budget Fastbreak loyalty program for expedited pickup.
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