Does Budget require an IDP in Bolivia?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Budget in Bolivia: the policy in plain terms
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Bolivia drives on the right and signs the 1968 Vienna Convention; an IDP is advised with your licence for its high-altitude and mountain roads.
In Bolivia specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Bolivia ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Budget will typically ask for it at the counter. La Paz desks request an IDP; 4x4 advised for altiplano and mountain routes.
Budget runs a global network; at its Bolivia desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Bolivia drives on the right, uses the BOB, 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 Bolivia
- Your original national driving licence (the IDP never replaces it).
- Your International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format.
- Your passport and a payment card in the main driver's name.
- Local payment for the BOB deposit; Bolivia drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Bolivia Budget renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- High altitude affects engine and driver performance.
- 0.07% alcohol limit.
- 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 Bolivia
Most major intercity highways have toll plazas (peajes) operated by ABC and local administrations; charges are modest (a few bolivianos to ~20 Bs) and must be paid in cash, as cards are rarely accepted.
In central La Paz and Santa Cruz, paid on-street parking is managed by municipal zones and parqueo attendants; illegal or double-parked cars in congested centres can be wheel-clamped or towed, so use guarded lots (playas de estacionamiento).
Fines for speeding, no seatbelt or using a phone are issued by transit police, often expected on the spot in cash; rental firms pass on any camera or unpaid fines by charging the card on file plus an admin fee.
Call the Policia Nacional on 110 (or 911 in some cities) and the ambulance on 118; do not move vehicles until the transit police arrive and a report is filed, as the official accident report is required for any insurance or rental claim.
Full driving guide for Bolivia →