Does Hertz require an IDP in Burkina Faso?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Hertz in Burkina Faso: 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.
Burkina Faso drives on the right; an IDP is recommended with your national licence, and mopeds fill the streets of Ouagadougou.
In Burkina Faso specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Burkina Faso ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Hertz will typically ask for it at the counter. Desks request an IDP for non-French licences.
Hertz runs a global network; at its Burkina Faso desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Burkina Faso drives on the right, uses the XOF, 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 Burkina Faso
- 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 XOF deposit; Burkina Faso drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Burkina Faso Hertz renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Dense moped traffic in cities.
- 0.08% alcohol limit.
- 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 Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso has no motorway toll network or electronic tags; the practical 'fees' travellers encounter are frequent military and police security checkpoints rather than tolls, where documents are inspected and small cash payments are sometimes solicited.
Ouagadougou has no formal paid-zone or app-based parking system; cars are parked in informal lots and roadside spaces where an attendant (gardien) expects a small CFA-franc tip. Use guarded hotel or compound parking overnight given vehicle-theft risk.
Enforcement is mainly via on-the-spot checks at the many security checkpoints, where licence, IDP, registration and insurance must be produced and fines paid in cash CFA francs. Have documents ready at all times; failure to present them causes lengthy delays.
Stop, do not move the vehicles, and contact the police/gendarmerie (police 17, fire/rescue 18) and obtain an official report for any claim. In injury cases wait for authorities; given the wider security situation, avoid lingering at remote crash scenes after dark.
Full driving guide for Burkina Faso →