Does Hertz require an IDP in Algeria?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Hertz in Algeria: the policy in plain terms
Asks foreign drivers for a licence translation when the licence is not printed in the Roman alphabet, and often for non-EU renters in much of Europe. One of the largest global rental networks, operating in 150+ countries.
Algeria drives on the right and signs the 1968 Vienna Convention; an IDP is advised to translate non-Arabic licences for desks and checkpoints.
In Algeria specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Algeria ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Hertz will typically ask for it at the counter. Algiers desks request an IDP for non-Arabic, non-French licences.
Hertz runs a global network; at its Algeria desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Algeria drives on the right, uses the DZD, 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 Hertz counter in Algeria
- 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 DZD deposit; Algeria drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Algeria Hertz renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Zero alcohol tolerance for driving.
- Checkpoints common between cities.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
Hertz's rental terms that affect your IDP booking
Hertz's standard minimum rental age in the US and Canada is 20, though it drops to 18 in Michigan, New York and Quebec, and 19 in Alabama and Nebraska. Renters aged 20-24 pay a Young Renter fee of about USD 19 per day, and under-25s are blocked from premium, luxury and high-performance car classes.
Hertz places a hold on the renter's card for the estimated rental charges plus a security deposit that varies by location and vehicle class; debit cards are accepted at many US locations but must be Visa, MasterCard or Discover branded, in the main driver's name, and carry sufficient available funds, with extra ID/credit checks sometimes required.
Hertz charges a per-day additional-driver fee that varies by location (commonly around USD 13.50/day in the US, capped per rental); in many markets a spouse/domestic partner can be added free, and the fee is often waived for Gold Plus Rewards members. Hertz requires each driver to hold a valid full driver's licence that has typically been held for at least one year, with longer tenure (often one to two years) required for some markets and premium vehicle classes.
Driving a Hertz vehicle across a country border (e.g. US to Canada or Mexico) requires advance permission and may incur a cross-border fee, and travel into Mexico generally requires separate Mexican insurance; one-way rentals are permitted on many routes but typically carry a drop-off/one-way charge.
Hertz states that a valid driver's licence issued by the renter's home country must always be presented; an International Driving Permit is recommended (and effectively required) when the home-country licence is not in the Roman alphabet or not in English, but Hertz will not rent on an IDP alone.
Once you collect the keys in Algeria
Most Algerian roads are toll-free; the main exception is the East-West Highway (Autoroute Est-Ouest) linking the Tunisian and Moroccan borders, where booths take cash in Algerian dinar, so carry small notes. There is no vignette or electronic-tag system to buy in advance.
In Algiers, parking is informal: roving attendants (gardiens/parkingueurs) in reflective vests direct you into street spaces and expect a small dinar tip to watch the car. Formal enforcement is light and ticketing/towing mainly happens when you obstruct traffic; use guarded hotel parking overnight where possible.
An overhauled traffic code (190 articles) sharply increased penalties; speeding, red-light running, phone use and seatbelt offences draw graduated fines that can include licence points or bans, and minor fines are often collected on the spot in cash. Alcohol behind the wheel is heavily penalised. Rental firms recover camera/checkpoint fines from the renter.
Stop, do not move the vehicles, and call police on 17 (or 1548) in towns or the Gendarmerie on 1055 on rural roads; the unified mobile emergency number is 112. Photograph the scene and obtain a police report (constat) for your insurer or rental company before vehicles are moved.
Full driving guide for Algeria →