Does Enterprise require an IDP in Iran?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Enterprise in Iran: 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.
Iran drives on the right and accepts the 1949 Geneva IDP; tourists should carry it with their national licence and passport.
In Iran specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Iran ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Enterprise will typically ask for it at the counter. Tehran desks ask for an IDP; self-drive is uncommon for tourists.
Enterprise runs a global network; at its Iran desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Iran drives on the right, uses the IRR, 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 Iran
- 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 IRR deposit; Iran drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Iran Enterprise renters should know
- Drive on the right amid heavy city traffic.
- Zero alcohol — alcohol is prohibited.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
- Speed cameras on highways.
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 Iran
Major intercity freeways (e.g. Tehran-Qom, Tehran-Karaj) are tolled, increasingly via automated free-flow camera systems billed to the vehicle owner; urban congestion-charge zones in Tehran also require a paid permit. Tolls are inexpensive in foreign-currency terms but a rental will pass them on.
Big-city parking is scarce and chaotic; Tehran uses paid zones and app/SMS-based payment in central districts, and cars parked in restricted areas are ticketed or towed. Use guarded car parks where possible, especially in central Tehran.
Speeding, phone use and no seatbelt are camera- and patrol-enforced with fines, and the odd/even and traffic-zone violations are charged automatically; fines are typically settled through the rental company or online rather than cash to an officer. Penalties for serious offences can escalate quickly.
Contact the police immediately for any accident, even a minor fender-bender, and do not move the vehicles until officers document the scene; the road-police emergency number is 110. A police report is mandatory for insurance, and without a licence translation insurance coverage can be void.