Does Enterprise require an IDP in Equatorial Guinea?
Enterprise in Equatorial Guinea: 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.
Equatorial Guinea drives on the right; an IDP is recommended with your home licence, and checkpoints are common.
In Equatorial Guinea specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Equatorial Guinea ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Enterprise will typically ask for it at the counter. Malabo desks request an IDP; carry passport and home licence too.
Enterprise runs a global network; at its Equatorial Guinea desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the internationally recognised format alongside the original licence. Equatorial Guinea drives on the right, uses the XAF, 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 Equatorial Guinea
- 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 XAF deposit; Equatorial Guinea drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Equatorial Guinea Enterprise renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Numerous police checkpoints.
- 0.05% alcohol limit.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
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 Equatorial Guinea
There are no electronic toll motorways; the country has no vignette or e-toll system, so no toll payment is required of tourists.
Parking is largely informal and unmetered in Malabo and Bata, with no formal paid-zone color system; park in guarded lots where possible as enforcement and signage are minimal.
Mobile phone use (even hands-free) and no seatbelt are prohibited and fined; officers may demand on-the-spot cash payment at checkpoints, and rental firms pass any fines to the renter's card.
Stop immediately, do not move vehicles, and call police on 114 (or 112); a police report is required for any insurance or rental claim and leaving the scene is an offence.
Full driving guide for Equatorial Guinea →