Does Hertz require an IDP in Egypt?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Hertz in Egypt: 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.
An IDP is commonly requested to drive in Egypt.
In Egypt specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Egypt ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Hertz will typically ask for it at the counter. Requested at rental desks; many visitors hire a driver.
Hertz runs a global network; at its Egypt desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Egypt drives on the right, uses the EGP, 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 Egypt
- 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 EGP deposit; Egypt drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Egypt Hertz renters should know
- Dense, assertive urban traffic.
- Headlights used sparingly at night by locals — drive defensively.
- Checkpoints common between cities.
- Carry passport, licence and IDP.
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 Egypt
Major intercity roads (Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road, Cairo-Suez, Cairo-Ain Sokhna, the Regional Ring Road) are tolled via overhead ANPR cameras and a smart electronic system, with cash booths still in use; tourists in rentals normally just pay the small cash toll at the gate.
In central Cairo parking is chaotic and largely informal, with 'sayes' (freelance attendants) directing cars and expecting a few pounds; illegally parked or obstructing vehicles can be ticketed or have plates removed by traffic police.
Under the 2025/26 tightened traffic law, speeding and lane violations carry fines of roughly EGP 2,000-10,000; seatbelt and handheld-phone offences are enforced, and radar cameras issue plate-based fines that rental companies later charge to your card.
Call 122 for police or 128 for the traffic police, and 123 for an ambulance; do not move the vehicles unless they block traffic dangerously, as a police report ('mahdar') is mandatory for any insurance claim.
Full driving guide for Egypt →