Does Budget require an IDP in Ukraine?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Budget in Ukraine: 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.
Ukraine drives on the right under the 1968 Vienna Convention and uses Cyrillic, so an IDP helps translate non-Cyrillic licences.
In Ukraine specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Ukraine ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Budget will typically ask for it at the counter. Desks ask for an IDP for non-Cyrillic licences.
Budget runs a global network; at its Ukraine desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Ukraine drives on the right, uses the UAH, 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 Ukraine
- Your original national driving licence (the IDP never replaces it).
- Your International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format.
- Your passport and a payment card in the main driver's name.
- Local payment for the UAH deposit; Ukraine drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Ukraine Budget renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Headlights on outside built-up areas Oct–Apr.
- 0.02% alcohol limit.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
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 Ukraine
Ukraine has no nationwide motorway toll or vignette system - state highways are free to use - so no toll payment is required of tourists.
In Kyiv paid parking is zone-based and commonly paid via apps (such as the Kyiv Digital app) or attendants; park only in marked bays, as towing and clamping occur in the centre.
From June 2025 speeding fines rose to as much as ~UAH 2,550 with possible licence loss; Ukraine enforces zero-tolerance drink-driving with heavy fines, suspension or imprisonment, and police frequently run roadside document checks.
Dial 102 for police (112 also routes emergencies); for any injury crash do not move the vehicles and wait for patrol police to record the accident, while minor damage-only cases can use a European-style accident report if both parties agree.
Full driving guide for Ukraine →