Does Europcar require an IDP in Albania?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Europcar in Albania: the policy in plain terms
Asks for a licence translation for non-EU and non-Latin-alphabet licences across its European network. Europe's leading mobility brand.
Albania drives on the right and signs the 1968 Vienna Convention, but desks expect non-EU visitors to pair an IDP with their home licence given mountainous, fast-changing roads.
In Albania specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Albania ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Europcar will typically ask for it at the counter. Tirana airport desks ask for an IDP alongside a non-EU licence.
Europcar runs a europe / global network; at its Albania desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Albania drives on the right, uses the ALL, 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 Europcar counter in Albania
- 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 ALL deposit; Albania drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Albania Europcar renters should know
- Drive on the right; overtake on the left.
- Headlights on at all times, day and night.
- 0.01% alcohol limit — effectively zero tolerance.
- Seatbelts mandatory for all occupants.
Europcar's rental terms that affect your IDP booking
Europcar's typical minimum rental age is 21 (some categories and countries allow rental from 18 on selected vehicles), and a Young Driver Surcharge applies to drivers aged roughly 22 to 25 - published at around EUR 30 per day in addition to the rental cost, with the exact amount varying by country per the local Specific Terms.
Europcar accepts only a credit card in the main driver's name (valid with an expiry date after the scheduled return) for the deposit; the deposit amount is blocked - not debited - on the card at pick-up, or within 48 hours before pick-up for Online Check-In, and debit cards are generally not accepted for the security deposit.
Only drivers registered on the rental contract may drive the car, and each additional driver must meet the same age and licence-held requirements; an additional-driver fee typically applies and is set per country. The driver must have held a full valid driving licence for at least one year (the from-18 categories also require one year's licence holding).
Cross-border travel must be declared and authorised, and in the UK taking a vehicle abroad requires the mandatory Europdrive product (24/7 overseas breakdown cover plus VE103B proof of ownership and a Green Card); for one-way rentals a one-way fee is charged and is included in the displayed price when pickup and return locations differ.
Europcar requires a full valid licence held at least one year; if the licence is not written in English (or the language of the country of rental) the driver must present an International Driving Permit (IDP) alongside the original national licence - this typically applies to non-Roman/non-Latin-alphabet licences, while an IDP is usually not required to drive within the EU.
Once you collect the keys in Albania
There is no vignette; instead the A1 motorway (notably the Rrëshen-Kalimash 'Nation's Highway' tunnel section toward Kosovo) charges a per-passage toll paid in cash or card at barriers, while most other roads are free.
In Tirana and larger towns parking uses colour-coded zones - free white, paid blue-line bays (pay at meters or by app), and restricted red areas; central spaces are scarce and wardens are active.
Speeding, no-seatbelt and handheld-phone fines are issued, often on the spot in cash; drink-driving limits are low and enforced, and camera/police fines on rentals are passed to your card by the hire firm.
Call 112 (general emergency) or 129 for police and 127 for ambulance; do not move vehicles after an injury crash until police attend, and get a police report for any insurance claim.
Full driving guide for Albania →