Does Enterprise require an IDP in Portugal?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Enterprise in Portugal: 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.
Non-EU visitors should carry an IDP to drive and rent in Portugal.
In Portugal specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Portugal ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Enterprise will typically ask for it at the counter. Requested for licences issued outside the EU/EEA.
Enterprise runs a global network; at its Portugal desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Portugal drives on the right, uses the EUR, 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 Portugal
- 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; Portugal drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Portugal Enterprise renters should know
- Electronic tolls (Via Verde) — arrange with your rental car.
- Reflective vest and triangle required.
- 0.05% alcohol limit; 0.02% for new drivers.
- Dipped headlights in tunnels.
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 Portugal
Portugal mixes staffed toll plazas with fully electronic 'ex-SCUT' motorways that have no booths and read your plate via Via Verde. Rental cars carry a Via Verde transponder (about EUR 1-2/day plus tolls billed to your card); independent drivers can use EASYToll, registering a card to the plate at a border/airport kiosk for EUR 1 setup plus per-transit charges.
In Lisbon paid zones are run by EMEL (pay by machine or app), and Porto and other cities have similar metered zones; bays are scarce and illegal-parking fines reach about EUR 300. Peripheral park-and-ride plus public transport into the centre is the practical option.
Speeding fines start around EUR 60 and rise sharply, and police can demand on-the-spot payment from non-residents (a deposit) for offences such as speeding, phone use or no seatbelt before allowing you to continue. Camera fines to foreign drivers are passed on by rental firms with an admin fee.
Call 112 for emergencies (the GNR or PSP handle road policing). For a minor crash, complete the European Accident Statement (Declaracao Amigavel) jointly with the other driver; call police if there is injury, a dispute, or a driver without documents, and do not move vehicles before documenting an injury crash.
Full driving guide for Portugal →