Does Budget require an IDP in San Marino?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Budget in San Marino: 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.
This enclave inside Italy drives on the right and follows Italian-style rules; an IDP is rarely required but useful for non-EU visitors.
In San Marino specifically, san Marino 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. Cars are typically rented in Italy; an IDP helps non-EU drivers.
Budget runs a global network; at its San Marino desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. San Marino drives on the right, 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 San Marino
- 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; San Marino drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in San Marino Budget renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Headlights on motorways and in tunnels.
- 0.05% alcohol limit.
- Reflective vest and triangle required.
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 San Marino
San Marino has no motorways and no toll roads, so no vignette or toll payment is required; the connecting Italian roads (SS72) are likewise toll-free.
Parking in the historic Città (old town) is restricted to colour-coded paid bays and several public garages, since the walled centre is largely pedestrian-only; pay at meters and avoid double-white-line and crossing areas.
Italian-style on-the-spot fines apply for speeding, no seatbelt and handheld phone use (drink-drive limit 0.05%); rental companies operating across the Italy border pass camera fines back to the hirer with an admin charge.
Call 112/113 for police; exchange details and complete the European Accident Statement (CID/constat) form, and do not move vehicles after an injury crash until authorities attend.
Full driving guide for San Marino →