Does Enterprise require an IDP in Malta?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Enterprise in Malta: 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.
Malta drives on the left, a legacy of British rule; visitors can use a valid foreign licence, with an IDP advised for non-Latin-script holders.
In Malta specifically, malta lets visitors drive on a valid foreign licence, but Enterprise still asks for a licence translation if your licence is not printed in the Roman alphabet — and it removes any doubt at the counter. An IDP helps non-EU and non-Latin-script drivers at Maltese desks.
Enterprise runs a global network; at its Malta desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Malta drives on the left, uses the EUR, and sets a minimum driving age of 18; an IDP is still the safest way to avoid a refused booking.
What to bring to the Enterprise counter in Malta
- Your original national driving licence (the IDP never replaces it).
- Your International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Convention format.
- Your passport and a payment card in the main driver's name.
- Local payment for the EUR deposit; Malta drives on the left with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Malta Enterprise renters should know
- Drive on the left.
- Seatbelts mandatory; phone use banned.
- 0.05% alcohol limit.
- Narrow roads and aggressive local driving.
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 Malta
Malta has no toll motorways. The only road-use charge is the Valletta CVA congestion fee inside the walled city, roughly EUR 0.82/hour (first 30 minutes free) weekdays 08:00-18:00, billed automatically by plate.
Curb colours govern parking: white means free public, blue is residents-only 18:00-08:00, green is residents-only 24h, and yellow means no parking. Paid meters give 1-2 hours; illegally parked cars risk clamping or towing by LESA wardens.
Camera and LESA radar speeding fines are about EUR 34.94 for up to 15 km/h over and EUR 74.94 above that; mobile-phone and seatbelt offences also carry fixed penalties. Rental firms pass camera fines to the renter, often with an admin fee.
Call 112 for police and ambulance. Do not move the vehicles until police arrive if there are injuries or a dispute; a police report is needed for any insurance claim, and rental firms require it.
Full driving guide for Malta →