Does Budget require an IDP in Singapore?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Budget in Singapore: 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.
Singapore drives on the left and accepts the IDP for short visits; tourists should carry one with their national licence.
In Singapore specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Singapore ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Budget will typically ask for it at the counter. Desks request an IDP for non-English licences; ERP road pricing applies.
Budget runs a global network; at its Singapore desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Singapore drives on the left, uses the SGD, 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 Singapore
- 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 SGD deposit; Singapore drives on the left with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Singapore Budget renters should know
- Drive on the left.
- Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries charge in busy areas.
- 0.08% alcohol limit, strictly enforced.
- Seatbelts mandatory for all occupants.
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 Singapore
Singapore uses Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries that deduct charges automatically; rental cars come fitted with an In-Vehicle Unit and a stored-value (NETS/CEPAS) card that must hold sufficient credit, or fines arrive by post.
Urban parking mixes Electronic Parking System (EPS) carparks deducting from the same stored-value card, the URA Parking.sg app for street/coupon zones, and HDB/URA paid lots; illegal or expired parking risks fines and towing.
From January 2026 speeding up to 20 km/h over draws fines from SGD 200 plus 6 demerit points; holding any mobile device (phone, tablet, smartwatch) while driving is illegal, and camera-captured offences are billed to the rental company and passed to the hirer with an admin fee.
For accidents with fatalities or serious injury requiring hospitalisation, calling police on 999 is mandatory; minor accidents need not involve police but should be reported to the Traffic Police (6547 0000) and the rental firm, and you must not obstruct traffic unnecessarily.
Full driving guide for Singapore →