Does Enterprise require an IDP in Colombia?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Enterprise in Colombia: 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.
Carry an IDP with your licence to drive and rent in Colombia.
In Colombia specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Colombia ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Enterprise will typically ask for it at the counter. Requested by major desks; pico y placa plate restrictions apply in cities.
Enterprise runs a global network; at its Colombia desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Colombia drives on the right, uses the COP, 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 Colombia
- 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 COP deposit; Colombia drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Colombia Enterprise renters should know
- Pico y placa restricts driving by plate number on set days.
- 0.02% alcohol limit, strictly enforced.
- Headlights on outside urban areas.
- Toll roads (peajes) are common.
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 Colombia
Colombia has roughly 180+ toll booths (peajes), regulated by ANI/Invías, costing about COP 10,000-17,000 (~USD 2.70-4.60) per booth for a car; carry small-denomination cash as card acceptance is not universal.
Use guarded paid lots (parqueaderos) rather than the street in Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena; heed signed restrictions and 'no parquear' zones, as towing (grúa) and immobilization are enforced in central districts.
Speed cameras (fotomultas) are widespread; speeding, no seatbelt and phone use draw fines set in daily minimum wages (often hundreds of thousands of pesos). Officers should not collect cash on the road; camera and towing fines are passed to the renter via the rental company.
Call 123 (national emergency line) for police and ambulance; do not move vehicles if there are injuries. SOAT covers bodily injury only; exchange details and get a police report for the rental insurer.
Full driving guide for Colombia →