Does Budget require an IDP in Zimbabwe?
Budget in Zimbabwe: 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.
Zimbabwe drives on the left and signs the 1968 Vienna Convention; an IDP is advised if your licence is not in English.
In Zimbabwe specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Zimbabwe ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Budget will typically ask for it at the counter. Harare desks request an IDP for non-English licences.
Budget runs a global network; at its Zimbabwe desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Zimbabwe drives on the left, uses the USD, 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 Zimbabwe
- 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 USD deposit; Zimbabwe drives on the left with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Zimbabwe Budget renters should know
- Drive on the left.
- Frequent police roadblocks.
- 0.08% alcohol limit.
- Carry reflective triangles and a fire extinguisher.
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 Zimbabwe
Numerous toll gates sit on inter-city highways, charging roughly USD 2-5 per car depending on the road, payable in cash (US dollars or local bond/ZiG notes); keep small USD notes for each gate.
In Harare and Bulawayo town-centre parking is paid via council attendants or parking apps; secure guarded paid parking is strongly recommended, as theft from cars in unattended areas is a concern.
Spot fines run from about USD 5 to USD 100 for offences like no seatbelt, defective equipment, no insurance or speeding, and are collected on the spot in USD - always demand an official receipt. The drink-drive limit is 80mg/100ml; rental firms pass on outstanding fines.
Call police on 995 (or 999); for minor damage with no injuries you need not call police, but for injuries do not move the vehicles, photograph the scene and obtain a police report. A report is important for the rental firm and insurance.
Full driving guide for Zimbabwe →