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Budget · Malta

Does Budget require an IDP in Malta?

Daniel MercerWritten by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
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Malta lets visitors drive on a valid foreign licence, but Budget still asks for a licence translation if your licence is not printed in the Roman alphabet — and it removes any doubt at the counter.
Budget in Malta
Budget IDP policyRecommended for non-Roman-alphabet licences
Budget footprintGlobal
Accepted format1949 Geneva & 1968 Vienna
Minimum rental age18+ (surcharge under 25)
Drives on theLeft

Budget in Malta: 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.

Malta drives on the left, a legacy of British rule; visitors can use a valid foreign licence, with an IDP advised for non-Latin-script holders.

In Malta specifically, malta lets visitors drive on a valid foreign licence, but Budget still asks for a licence translation if your licence is not printed in the Roman alphabet — and it removes any doubt at the counter. An IDP helps non-EU and non-Latin-script drivers at Maltese desks.

Budget runs a global network; at its Malta desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Malta drives on the left, uses the EUR, 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 Malta

  • 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; Malta drives on the left with a young-driver surcharge under 25.

Driving rules in Malta Budget renters should know

  • Drive on the left.
  • Seatbelts mandatory; phone use banned.
  • 0.05% alcohol limit.
  • Narrow roads and aggressive local driving.

Budget's rental terms that affect your IDP booking

Minimum age & young-driver surcharge

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.

Deposit & accepted cards

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.

Additional drivers

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.

Cross-border & one-way

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.

IDP & foreign-licence rule

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 Malta

Tolls & road charges

Malta has no toll motorways. The only road-use charge is the Valletta CVA congestion fee inside the walled city, roughly EUR 0.82/hour (first 30 minutes free) weekdays 08:00-18:00, billed automatically by plate.

Parking in town

Curb colours govern parking: white means free public, blue is residents-only 18:00-08:00, green is residents-only 24h, and yellow means no parking. Paid meters give 1-2 hours; illegally parked cars risk clamping or towing by LESA wardens.

Fines & camera enforcement

Camera and LESA radar speeding fines are about EUR 34.94 for up to 15 km/h over and EUR 74.94 above that; mobile-phone and seatbelt offences also carry fixed penalties. Rental firms pass camera fines to the renter, often with an admin fee.

If you have an accident

Call 112 for police and ambulance. Do not move the vehicles until police arrive if there are injuries or a dispute; a police report is needed for any insurance claim, and rental firms require it.

Full driving guide for Malta

Common questions

01
Do I need an IDP to rent from Budget in Malta?
Malta lets visitors drive on a valid foreign licence, but Budget still asks for a licence translation if your licence is not printed in the Roman alphabet — and it removes any doubt at the counter. 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.
02
What documents should I bring to the Budget desk in Malta?
Bring your original national driving licence, your International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Convention format, your passport, and the payment card in the main driver's name. Malta drives on the left and the minimum rental age is typically 18+.
03
What is the minimum age to rent from Budget in Malta?
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. Locally, Malta sets a minimum driving age of 18 and most desks add a young-driver surcharge under 25.
04
What deposit and card does Budget require?
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.
05
Can I take a Budget rental across the border or drop it one-way?
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.
06
Does Budget charge for an additional driver?
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.
07
How do tolls work for a rental car in Malta?
Malta has no toll motorways. The only road-use charge is the Valletta CVA congestion fee inside the walled city, roughly EUR 0.82/hour (first 30 minutes free) weekdays 08:00-18:00, billed automatically by plate.
08
What happens if I get a traffic fine driving a Budget car in Malta?
Camera and LESA radar speeding fines are about EUR 34.94 for up to 15 km/h over and EUR 74.94 above that; mobile-phone and seatbelt offences also carry fixed penalties. Rental firms pass camera fines to the renter, often with an admin fee.
09
What is Budget's general policy on International Driving Permits?
Asks for a licence translation when your licence is not in the Roman alphabet. Budget is part of Avis Budget Group, operating roughly 3,000+ locations across about 120 countries with a strong US airport presence, and offers the Budget Fastbreak loyalty program for expedited pickup.
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