Does Enterprise require an IDP in Eswatini?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Enterprise in Eswatini: 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.
Eswatini drives on the left; an IDP is advised if your licence is not in English, and roads are generally good between towns.
In Eswatini specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Eswatini ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Enterprise will typically ask for it at the counter. Desks request an IDP for non-English licences.
Enterprise runs a global network; at its Eswatini desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Eswatini drives on the left, uses the SZL, 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 Eswatini
- 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 SZL deposit; Eswatini drives on the left with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Eswatini Enterprise renters should know
- Drive on the left.
- Watch for livestock on rural roads.
- 0.05% alcohol limit.
- Seatbelts mandatory.
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 Eswatini
Eswatini has no toll roads, vignette or e-toll system, so tourists pay no road tolls.
Mbabane and Manzini use metered/attended pay-and-display street parking enforced by marshals during business hours; pay the attendant or meter and use guarded lots to avoid clamping.
The drink-drive limit is 0.05% and strictly enforced; speeding (limits 60 urban / 80 rural / 120 highway km/h), seatbelt and hand-held phone offences draw fines, sometimes on-the-spot, which rental firms pass to your card.
Stop and do not move vehicles if there are injuries; call police on 999 (or 977 for ambulance), and any accident with injury or significant damage must be reported to the Royal Eswatini Police for a report.
Full driving guide for Eswatini →