Does Budget require an IDP in Malaysia?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Budget in Malaysia: 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.
Malaysia drives on the left and accepts the IDP; tourists should carry one with their national licence to rent and drive.
In Malaysia specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Malaysia ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Budget will typically ask for it at the counter. Kuala Lumpur desks request an IDP for non-English licences.
Budget runs a global network; at its Malaysia desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Malaysia drives on the left, uses the MYR, 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 Malaysia
- 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 MYR deposit; Malaysia drives on the left with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Malaysia Budget renters should know
- Drive on the left.
- Touch 'n Go electronic tolls on highways.
- 0.05% alcohol limit.
- Helmets mandatory for motorbikes.
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 Malaysia
Most expressways (PLUS network, including the North-South Expressway) are electronic-only via the Touch 'n Go RFID/SmartTAG system; cash is no longer accepted. Buy a Touch 'n Go card for about RM10 at Petronas, Shell, 7-Eleven or MyNews and load credit, or confirm whether your rental includes one.
Urban paid parking uses coupons or apps (Flexi Parking, JomParking, KL's official systems); look for white-lined bays and yellow-line no-parking zones. Illegally parked cars are clamped or towed in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, and double-yellow lines mean no stopping.
Speeding caught by AES/AWAS cameras draws fines from RM100 up to RM300; using a phone or no seatbelt also attracts compounds. Camera fines are billed to the registered owner, so rental firms pass them to your card plus an admin fee.
Dial 999 for police and ambulance. A police report must be lodged within 24 hours of any accident (now possible online via PDRM e-Reporting for PLUS highway and single-vehicle cases); do not move vehicles until photographed if there are injuries or a dispute.
Full driving guide for Malaysia →