Does Budget require an IDP in Uruguay?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Budget in Uruguay: 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.
Uruguay drives on the right and enforces a strict zero-alcohol rule; an IDP is advised with your national licence to rent and drive.
In Uruguay specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Uruguay ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Budget will typically ask for it at the counter. Montevideo desks request an IDP for non-Latin-script licences.
Budget runs a global network; at its Uruguay desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Uruguay drives on the right, uses the UYU, 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 Uruguay
- 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 UYU deposit; Uruguay drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Uruguay Budget renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Zero-tolerance alcohol limit (0.0%).
- Headlights on at all times on highways.
- 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 Uruguay
Tolls (peajes) on national routes are about 90-130 UYU each and since July 2022 many no longer take cash; foreigners register the vehicle plate online via the Tourist Pass at telepeaje.com.uy/paseturista or the Telepeajeuy app so booths read the plate automatically.
Montevideo uses paid "Zona Azul" blue zones on weekdays, paid via parking app or kiosk for set time slots; parking is free on Sundays, but unpaid or over-stay parking in the zone risks fines.
Enforcement is strict with a 0.0% blood-alcohol limit; speeding fines start around USD 25 but alcohol and phone offences are far costlier, and rental companies forward camera and toll fines to your card. Many fines are ticketed rather than cash on the spot.
Dial 911 (or 02-911 from the interior) for police and ambulance; stop, do not leave the scene, and obtain the police report for insurance and the rental firm. Alcohol limit is 0.0%, so never drive after any drinking before or after a crash.
Full driving guide for Uruguay →