Does Budget require an IDP in Guyana?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Budget in Guyana: 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.
Guyana drives on the left, unlike its neighbours; an IDP is advised if your licence is not in English, and interior roads are largely unpaved.
In Guyana specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Guyana ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Budget will typically ask for it at the counter. Georgetown desks request an IDP for non-English licences; 4x4 for the interior.
Budget runs a global network; at its Guyana desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Guyana drives on the left, uses the GYD, 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 Guyana
- 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 GYD deposit; Guyana drives on the left with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Guyana Budget renters should know
- Drive on the left.
- Unpaved roads outside the coast.
- 0.08% 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 Guyana
Tolls apply at the major river crossings rather than highways: the Demerara Harbour Bridge charges about GYD 200 for a car, while the Berbice River Bridge is the priciest (historically ~GYD 1,900); pay in Guyanese dollars.
Central Georgetown has metered and attended on-street parking; congestion and informal minibus traffic make illegal parking risky, so use paid lots near the city centre and seafront.
Police issue on-the-spot tickets for speeding, no seatbelt and phone use; fines are paid in local currency and rental companies pass any tickets to the driver's card.
Dial 911 for police and 913 for ambulance; do not move vehicles after a serious crash until police attend, and obtain a police report, which is mandatory for any insurance or rental claim.
Full driving guide for Guyana →