Does Enterprise require an IDP in Belgium?
Enterprise in Belgium: the policy in plain terms
Asks for a licence translation alongside your home licence in many countries across Europe, Asia and South America. The world's largest car-rental brand by fleet size.
Belgium drives on the right and honours both driving conventions; non-EU visitors should carry an IDP, and the famous priority-to-the-right rule trips up newcomers.
In Belgium specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Belgium ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Enterprise will typically ask for it at the counter. Brussels desks request an IDP for licences issued outside the EU/EEA.
Enterprise runs a global network; at its Belgium desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Belgium drives on the right, uses the EUR, 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 Enterprise counter in Belgium
- Your original national driving licence (the IDP never replaces it).
- Your International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Convention format.
- Your passport and a payment card in the main driver's name.
- Local payment for the EUR deposit; Belgium drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Belgium Enterprise renters should know
- Priority to the right at unmarked junctions.
- Reflective vest and warning triangle required.
- 0.05% alcohol limit.
- Low-emission zones in Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent.
Enterprise's rental terms that affect your IDP booking
Enterprise's minimum rental age is 21 in most of the U.S. (18 in Michigan and New York, and 18 for U.S. government employees on official orders); renters aged 21-24 pay a "Young Renter Fee" that typically averages around $25/day but varies by location (e.g., 21-24 is $15.75/day in Michigan and $30.75/day in New York, with 18-20 fees of $36.50 and $64.75/day respectively).
The contract holder must present their own credit card in their name with sufficient available credit; deposits typically run between $200 and $850 depending on location and vehicle class (airport holds are typically about 120% of the rental). Debit cards bearing a Visa, Mastercard, or Discover logo may be accepted at some locations, but at airports only with a ticketed return-travel itinerary, and prepaid cards are not accepted.
Each additional authorized driver is typically charged about $15.00 per day, but a renter's spouse or domestic partner who meets the same age and licence requirements is added at no charge. Enterprise requires each renter and additional driver to hold a valid, unexpired driver's licence; it does not publish a fixed minimum holding period in the U.S., though young-renter (under-25) restrictions and surcharges apply instead.
Taking a U.S.-rented vehicle across the Mexican or Canadian border requires advance approval; renters must contact the renting branch or call center for the correct procedure and any required insurance, and cross-border travel is restricted or prohibited at many locations. One-way rentals are offered but availability and drop-off fees vary by branch.
For renters under 25, Enterprise states it does not accept an International Driver's Permit as identification; a valid photo driver's licence is required. Foreign renters generally need their home-country licence (an IDP is recommended as a translation supplement but is not a stand-alone substitute for the licence).
Once you collect the keys in Belgium
There are no motorway tolls for cars; the only paid road is the Liefkenshoektunnel near Antwerp (around 6 euros). However, Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent operate Low Emission Zones where foreign and rental cars must be registered online before entry or face fines of roughly 150-350 euros.
Cities use paid meter/app zones plus blue zones where a cardboard parking disc gives free time-limited parking (commonly 2 hours); pay via apps like 4411, Seety or Parking.brussels. Overstaying or no disc in a blue zone costs about 37 euros per period.
Police can impose immediate fines on non-residents (paid on the spot for a receipt, otherwise you go to court), with speeding starting around 53 euros and phone/seatbelt offences over 100 euros; camera fines on rental cars are billed to the hirer after the agency hands over your details.
Dial 112 for police/ambulance. Complete the European Accident Statement (constat amiable) with the other driver - the Belgian insurers' Crashform app can file it electronically - and call police if there are injuries, disputes or a foreign/uninsured vehicle.
Full driving guide for Belgium →