Does Budget require an IDP in Kuwait?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Budget in Kuwait: 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.
Kuwait drives on the right with strict speed enforcement; tourists should carry an IDP with their national licence, and alcohol is banned entirely.
In Kuwait specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Kuwait ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Budget will typically ask for it at the counter. Kuwait City desks request an IDP for most non-GCC licences.
Budget runs a global network; at its Kuwait desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Kuwait drives on the right, uses the KWD, 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 Kuwait
- 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 KWD deposit; Kuwait drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Kuwait Budget renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Zero alcohol — it is prohibited.
- Extensive speed cameras.
- Seatbelts mandatory.
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 Kuwait
Kuwait has no toll roads or vignette system; the expressway network is free to use.
Parking is free in many areas but prohibited where the kerb is painted black-and-yellow; illegal parking near malls and Kuwait City business districts is ticketed and cars may be towed, so use marked bays and mall garages.
Under the 2025 traffic law penalties are steep: running a red light rose to around KD 150 (with possible jail), reckless driving KD 150 plus impoundment, and fines range roughly KD 10-500; speed and red-light cameras are extensive and rental firms bill camera fines back to the renter.
Notify police immediately on 112, do not leave the scene, and wait for officers; a police report is mandatory for insurance and the rental company, and being involved in a crash (even if not at fault) can lead to temporary detention.
Full driving guide for Kuwait →