Does Enterprise require an IDP in Gambia?
Enterprise in Gambia: 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.
The Gambia drives on the right; an IDP is recommended with your home licence for its narrow riverside roads.
In Gambia specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Gambia ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Enterprise will typically ask for it at the counter. Banjul desks request an IDP for non-English licences.
Enterprise runs a global network; at its Gambia desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Gambia drives on the right, uses the GMD, 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 Gambia
- Your original national driving licence (the IDP never replaces it).
- Your International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format.
- Your passport and a payment card in the main driver's name.
- Local payment for the GMD deposit; Gambia drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Gambia Enterprise renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Watch for pedestrians and carts.
- 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 Gambia
The Gambia has no toll roads or vignette scheme; the main highways and the Senegambia bridge over the river are used without tolls for cars.
Parking in Banjul, Serrekunda and the tourist coast is informal and on-street, frequently overseen by attendants who expect a few dalasi; there are no formal paid zones, but poorly lit, narrow streets make double-parking and obstruction a towing or clamping risk near markets.
Police roadblocks are common throughout the country and ID and vehicle documents are routinely requested; expect on-the-spot cash fines for speeding, seatbelt or phone offences, and rental firms recover any unpaid fines from your deposit.
Drive on the left; for any injury, dispute or more than a trivial scratch you must call the Gambia Police Force on 117 and obtain a police report before moving the vehicles, which insurers and rental firms require.
Full driving guide for Gambia →