Does InterRent require an IDP in India?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
InterRent in India: the policy in plain terms
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Foreign visitors are commonly asked for an IDP to drive in India; most travellers hire a car with a driver.
In India specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in India ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so InterRent will typically ask for it at the counter. Self-drive desks ask for an IDP plus passport.
InterRent runs a europe network; at its India desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. India drives on the left, uses the INR, 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 InterRent counter in India
- 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 INR deposit; India drives on the left with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in India InterRent renters should know
- Drive on the left amid dense, unpredictable traffic.
- Horn use is routine.
- 0.03% alcohol limit.
- Inter-state toll plazas common.
InterRent's rental terms that affect your IDP booking
InterRent's minimum rental age is typically 19-21 depending on country (19 in Spain, 21 in the UK and France), and drivers aged roughly 21-24 (24 and under in some markets) pay a young-driver surcharge that varies by location, for example around 8.50 EUR/day (max ~93 EUR) in Spain, 12.95 EUR/day (max ~181 EUR) in France, and about 35 GBP/day (max ~350 GBP) in the UK; some vehicle categories require drivers to be over 25.
A refundable security deposit is pre-authorised (held, not debited) on the main driver's credit card at pick-up; the card (Visa or Mastercard, sometimes Amex) must be in the main driver's name with an expiry date after the return date, and debit cards are not accepted because their rules do not fit InterRent's deposit policy.
Additional drivers must present their own valid driving licence at the counter and sign the rental agreement at pick-up; InterRent charges an extra-driver fee per day that varies by location, though it is frequently included in promotional/package rates. The main driver must have held a full, valid driving licence for a minimum of 12 months (one year) prior to picking up the vehicle.
Cross-border travel and one-way rentals are restricted and must be authorised in advance; cross-border fees and one-way drop-off charges apply and vary by route, with certain countries (typically higher-risk or non-EU destinations) excluded entirely under the rental conditions.
InterRent requires a full, valid driving licence held for at least 12 months; for licences not written in the Latin/Roman alphabet (or otherwise not understandable to the rental agent), an International Driving Permit (IDP) must be presented alongside the original national licence, as the IDP is a translation and never replaces the physical licence.
Once you collect the keys in India
National highways run on the FASTag electronic toll system; most rental vehicles already carry a windscreen FASTag linked to a prepaid wallet, and lanes are FASTag-only so cash is largely phased out. Confirm at pickup whether tolls are prepaid in the rental or billed to you; typical highway tolls run tens to a few hundred rupees per plaza.
Use authorised paid lots and attended parking; unauthorised or 'no-parking' kerbside parking risks clamping, towing and fines in metros like Delhi and Mumbai. Many malls, stations and markets have ticketed multi-level or attended lots charging roughly 20-50 INR per hour.
Under the amended Motor Vehicles Act, speeding is fined ~1,000-2,000 INR, no-seatbelt and phone use ~1,000-5,000 INR, and drink-driving (limit 0.03% BAC) brings heavy fines or jail; traffic police can issue on-the-spot e-challans or cash fines. Camera challans and tolls are passed to the renter with a fee.
Call the all-in-one emergency number 112 (or 100 police / 108 ambulance); for any injury, third-party claim or significant damage you must report to police and an FIR may be filed. Do not move an injured person improperly, but be aware crowds can gather - prioritise reaching a police station/hospital safely.
Full driving guide for India →