Does Budget require an IDP in Nauru?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Budget in Nauru: 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.
Nauru drives on the left and has a single ring road around the island; an IDP is advised with your home licence.
In Nauru specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Nauru ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Budget will typically ask for it at the counter. Rental is very limited; an IDP and passport advised.
Budget runs a global network; at its Nauru desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the internationally recognised format alongside the original licence. Nauru drives on the left, uses the AUD, 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 Nauru
- 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 AUD deposit; Nauru drives on the left with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Nauru Budget renters should know
- Drive on the left.
- One main road circles the island.
- 0.08% alcohol limit.
- Very low speed limits.
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 Nauru
Nauru has no tolls, vignettes or electronic road charges; the entire ring road is free to use.
Parking is free and informal everywhere, including around the Capelle & Partner store and government buildings; there are no meters or paid zones and towing is not a practical risk.
Driving is on the left with limits of about 40 km/h in built-up areas and 60 km/h on the ring road; seatbelts are required and drink-driving is an offence, with fines generally issued on the spot rather than by camera.
Dial 110 for the Nauru Police Force (or the Crimes Unit on 557 2979); report any injury accident, and leave vehicles where they are until police arrive when someone is hurt.
Full driving guide for Nauru →