Does Budget require an IDP in Myanmar?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Budget in Myanmar: 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.
Myanmar drives on the right yet many cars are right-hand drive, a quirky combination; an IDP is recommended, though guided transport is common.
In Myanmar specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Myanmar ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Budget will typically ask for it at the counter. Self-drive is restricted for tourists; chauffeured hire is the norm.
Budget runs a global network; at its Myanmar desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the internationally recognised format alongside the original licence. Myanmar drives on the right, uses the MMK, 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 Myanmar
- Your original national driving licence (the IDP never replaces it).
- Your International Driving Permit in the internationally recognised format.
- Your passport and a payment card in the main driver's name.
- Local payment for the MMK deposit; Myanmar drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Myanmar Budget renters should know
- Drive on the right (despite right-hand-drive cars).
- Horns used frequently.
- 0.05% alcohol limit.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
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 Myanmar
Major expressways such as the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway and several trunk roads have manual cash toll gates charging kyat by vehicle class; there is no electronic toll tag system. Your hired driver pays these tolls.
In central Yangon paid street parking uses attendants and coupon/ticket systems, with strict no-parking zones and a downtown ban on motorcycles; parking is congested and enforced by towing and clamping. Visitors with a driver rarely deal with this directly.
Police enforce speeding, seatbelt and phone-use rules with on-the-spot cash fines; documentation requirements are unpredictable and IDPs may be questioned. Because a driver is hired, fines and camera penalties are typically the operator's responsibility.
Dial 199 for police and 192 for ambulance. Report any accident to the police and do not move the vehicles after an injury collision; with a hired driver, let them and the rental company manage the report and insurance.
Full driving guide for Myanmar →