Does Budget require an IDP in Vanuatu?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Budget in Vanuatu: 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.
Vanuatu drives on the right and lets visitors use a valid foreign licence for short stays; an IDP is advised for non-Latin scripts.
In Vanuatu specifically, vanuatu lets visitors drive on a valid foreign licence, but Budget still asks for a licence translation if your licence is not printed in the Roman alphabet — and it removes any doubt at the counter. Port Vila desks accept many licences; an IDP helps non-Latin scripts.
Budget runs a global network; at its Vanuatu desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the internationally recognised format alongside the original licence. Vanuatu drives on the right, uses the VUV, and sets a minimum driving age of 18; an IDP is still the safest way to avoid a refused booking.
What to bring to the Budget counter in Vanuatu
- Your original national driving licence (the IDP never replaces it).
- Your International Driving Permit in the internationally recognised format.
- Your passport and a payment card in the main driver's name.
- Local payment for the VUV deposit; Vanuatu drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Vanuatu Budget renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Unsealed roads outside Port Vila.
- 0.05% alcohol limit.
- Watch for pedestrians and animals.
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 Vanuatu
Vanuatu has no toll roads or electronic toll system; including the sealed Efate ring road, all roads are toll-free.
Port Vila has no metered parking zones or parking apps and overnight street parking is largely unregulated, but the central market and waterfront road become heavily congested on weekday mornings. Park in attended or hotel lots and never leave valuables visible, as break-ins occur.
Town speed limit is 50 km/h and 80 km/h outside towns; police run frequent roadside checks and fine for speeding, no seatbelt, phone use or failure to produce licence and IDP, which can mean on-the-spot fines or temporary suspension. Rental companies pass any infringement and camera charges back to the hirer's card.
Report any accident to the local police within 24 hours (emergency 112) and file damage with your insurer; do not move vehicles after a serious or injury crash until police attend. Keep the police report for your rental claim.
Full driving guide for Vanuatu →