Does Budget require an IDP in Saudi Arabia?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Budget in Saudi Arabia: 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.
Saudi Arabia drives on the right and bans alcohol entirely; tourists should carry an IDP with their national licence to rent a car.
In Saudi Arabia specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Saudi Arabia ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Budget will typically ask for it at the counter. Riyadh and Jeddah desks request an IDP for non-Arabic licences.
Budget runs a global network; at its Saudi Arabia desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Saudi Arabia drives on the right, uses the SAR, 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 Saudi Arabia
- Your original national driving licence (the IDP never replaces it).
- Your International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format.
- Your passport and a payment card in the main driver's name.
- Local payment for the SAR deposit; Saudi Arabia drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Saudi Arabia Budget renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Zero alcohol — it is prohibited nationwide.
- Saher speed cameras are extensive.
- Seatbelts mandatory.
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 Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is rolling out electronic RFID toll tags on some expressways, but most intercity roads remain free; a tourist generally pays no tolls, and any charge is handled through the rental's tag.
Park only in designated and marked bays; major cities use paid parking apps and meters, and illegal parking brings fines and towing, with rental firms adding an admin fee.
Saher cameras automatically fine speeding, phone use and no seatbelt, with penalties commonly running into hundreds to thousands of riyals; rental firms forward camera fines plus a handling fee, and you must clear them via Absher before leaving.
Call traffic police on 993 (or 911 in major cities) and the Najm insurance service; do not move the vehicles until documented, as a Najm/police report is mandatory and rental firms levy a ~SAR 150 admin fee plus fines if not reported within 24 hours via Absher.
Full driving guide for Saudi Arabia →