Does Budget require an IDP in Syria?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Budget in Syria: 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.
Syria drives on the right; an IDP is expected with your home licence, though travel conditions mean most visitors rely on arranged drivers.
In Syria specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Syria 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 rare; an IDP and passport are expected where rental exists.
Budget runs a global network; at its Syria desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Syria drives on the right, uses the SYP, 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 Syria
- 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 SYP deposit; Syria drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Syria Budget renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Numerous security checkpoints.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
- Drive defensively on intercity roads.
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 Syria
There is no modern electronic toll network; intercity highways are generally untolled, though occasional checkpoints and informal fees may be encountered, and most road payments in practice are cash in Syrian pounds.
Parking in Damascus and other cities is informal and congested, commonly on-street with attendants collecting cash; there are no standardised colour-coded paid zones, and vehicles are best left in guarded lots where available.
Traffic police levy on-the-spot cash fines for speeding, seatbelt and phone-use violations; enforcement is inconsistent and largely manual rather than camera-based, and driving without an IDP plus national licence can lead to problems at checkpoints.
After a crash you must stop and not move vehicles until authorities arrive; contact police (general emergency 112) and obtain an official report for any insurance or legal process, noting checkpoints and language barriers make documentation essential.
Full driving guide for Syria →