Does Budget require an IDP in Lithuania?
Budget in Lithuania: 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.
Lithuania drives on the right and keeps headlights on year-round; non-EU visitors should carry an IDP alongside their licence.
In Lithuania specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Lithuania ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Budget will typically ask for it at the counter. Vilnius desks request an IDP for non-EU licences.
Budget runs a global network; at its Lithuania desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Lithuania 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 Lithuania
- 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; Lithuania drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Lithuania Budget renters should know
- Headlights on day and night.
- Winter tyres mandatory Nov–Mar.
- 0.04% alcohol limit; zero for novice/professional drivers.
- Reflective vest and 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 Lithuania
There is no toll or vignette for passenger cars - only trucks and buses need the e-vignette tied to the plate; driving a rental car costs nothing on the road network, though the truck e-vignette rose roughly 5-8% from 1 January 2026.
Vilnius Old Town sits in paid zones payable via meters or apps (e.g. m.Parking); never park on tram lines, within 15m of a bus stop or 5m of a junction, and use guarded car parks as break-ins occur.
Police can issue on-the-spot fines: speeding 20 km/h over starts around EUR 30 rising to EUR 450+ for 50 km/h over, and driving without a required (truck) vignette risks up to EUR 300. Camera fines for rentals are billed to the renter with a handling fee.
Call 112 for injuries; damage-only collisions need not involve police if both parties agree and complete the European Accident Statement, but you must notify the rental supplier and obtain an accident report, and leave vehicles in place where there is injury or dispute.
Full driving guide for Lithuania →