Does Budget require an IDP in Denmark?
Budget in Denmark: 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.
Denmark drives on the right with daytime headlights required year-round; non-EU visitors should carry an IDP with their licence.
In Denmark specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Denmark ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Budget will typically ask for it at the counter. Copenhagen desks ask for an IDP for non-EU licences.
Budget runs a global network; at its Denmark desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Denmark drives on the right, uses the DKK, 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 Denmark
- 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 DKK deposit; Denmark drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Denmark Budget renters should know
- Daytime running lights mandatory.
- Watch for cyclists at junctions.
- 0.05% alcohol limit.
- Warning triangle required.
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 Denmark
Denmark has no motorway tolls or vignette; charges apply only at two bridges - the Storebaelt/Great Belt (Funen-Zealand) at about DKK 260 one-way for a car, and the Oresund bridge to Sweden at about DKK 540. Pay by card or automatic plate recognition at the toll plaza; no booking needed.
Towns use paid zones via apps (EasyPark, ParkMan) and pay-and-display; a parking disc on the dashboard is required in free time-limited bays - available at petrol stations and kiosks. Copenhagen parking is expensive and restricted, with zones signposted and active enforcement.
Speeding fines are steep and percentage-based on the overage, easily exceeding DKK 2,000, with gross speeding risking vehicle confiscation; the alcohol limit is 0.5 g/l. Speed cameras and police are active, and rental companies forward camera fines to the renter with a handling fee.
Call 112 for emergencies/injury; for minor damage exchange details and complete a European Accident Statement. Do not leave the scene, and report to police where there is injury, dispute, or a parked/unidentified other party.
Full driving guide for Denmark →