Does Budget require an IDP in Maldives?
Budget in Maldives: the policy in plain terms
Requires an IDP when your licence is not in the Roman alphabet. Value rental brand operating in 120+ countries.
The Maldives drives on the left, but with resorts spread across islands there is little driving; an IDP is rarely needed beyond Malé.
In Maldives specifically, maldives lets visitors drive on a valid foreign licence, but Budget still requires an IDP if your licence is not printed in the Roman alphabet — and it removes any doubt at the counter. Car rental is minimal; transport is mostly by boat and seaplane.
Budget runs a global network; at its Maldives desks, foreign renters are asked for the 1949 Geneva-format International Driving Permit alongside the original licence. Maldives drives on the left, uses the MVR, and sets a minimum driving age of 18; an IDP is still the safest way to avoid a refused booking.
What to bring to the Budget counter in Maldives
- Your original national driving licence (the IDP never replaces it).
- Your International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva format.
- Your passport and a payment card in the main driver's name.
- Local payment for the MVR deposit; Maldives drives on the left with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Maldives Budget renters should know
- Drive on the left in Malé.
- Motorbikes dominate the capital.
- 0.0% alcohol tolerance.
- Most islands have no roads to drive.