Does Hertz require an IDP in Greece?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Hertz in Greece: 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.
Rental companies and local authorities in Greece commonly ask non-EU drivers to carry an IDP alongside their national licence.
In Greece specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Greece ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Hertz will typically ask for it at the counter. Island and mainland rental desks consistently ask for the IDP.
Hertz runs a global network; at its Greece desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Greece 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 Hertz counter in Greece
- 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; Greece drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Greece Hertz renters should know
- Carry a first-aid kit, fire extinguisher and warning triangle.
- Seatbelts and motorcycle helmets are mandatory.
- 0.05% alcohol limit.
- Tolls on national highways (Attiki Odos, etc.).
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 Greece
Major motorways (Attiki Odos, the A1, the Olympia Odos and others) use staffed cash/card toll plazas charging fixed per-section amounts of roughly EUR 1.50-3; there is no national vignette, and Crete has no toll roads at all. An optional e-pass transponder exists but tourists normally just pay at the booth.
City-centre parking in Athens and Thessaloniki is controlled-zone paid parking (white/blue marked bays) paid via app or kiosk ticket, and is genuinely scarce. White-and-yellow kerbs and resident-only zones are off-limits and towing/clamping is common, so a guarded public garage is the safer choice.
Under the September 2025 Traffic Code fines are steep and digital: exceeding the limit by even up to 20 km/h is EUR 150, and handheld phone use and no-seatbelt each draw large fines with possible licence-point penalties. Camera and digital violations are increasingly forwarded to rental firms and billed to your card.
Call 112 for emergencies; for any injury or dispute you must wait for and obtain a police report, which insurers and rental firms require. Vehicles should not be moved until documented if there is injury, and both driver and rental company can each be fined EUR 1,000 if the driver lacked a required IDP.
Full driving guide for Greece →