Does Hertz require an IDP in Guinea?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Hertz in Guinea: 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.
Guinea drives on the right; an IDP is recommended with your home licence, and road conditions deteriorate fast outside Conakry.
In Guinea specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Guinea ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Hertz will typically ask for it at the counter. Conakry desks request an IDP for non-French licences.
Hertz runs a global network; at its Guinea desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Guinea drives on the right, uses the GNF, 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 Guinea
- 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 GNF deposit; Guinea drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Guinea Hertz renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Poor roads outside the capital.
- 0.05% 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 Guinea
Guinea has no established toll-road or vignette system for tourists; main routes out of Conakry are used without tolls, though some bridges and barriers may attract informal charges.
Parking in Conakry is informal and on-street, typically watched by attendants expecting a small Guinean-franc tip; there are no colour-coded paid zones, and the city's congested, potholed streets mean obstruction near markets risks your car being blocked in.
Foreign drivers are frequently targeted at document checkpoints; expect on-the-spot cash fines for speeding, seatbelt or phone offences and requests for informal payments, with rental firms recovering any unpaid penalties from your deposit.
Drive on the right; call the police on 117 (or gendarmerie 118/122), do not move vehicles after an injury crash and wait for police to file a report needed for any claim; beware of people posing as officials soliciting informal payments.
Full driving guide for Guinea →