Does InterRent require an IDP in Lebanon?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
InterRent in Lebanon: the policy in plain terms
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Lebanon drives on the right with assertive Beirut traffic; tourists should carry an IDP with their national licence.
In Lebanon specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Lebanon ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so InterRent will typically ask for it at the counter. Beirut desks request an IDP for non-Latin-script licences.
InterRent runs a europe network; at its Lebanon desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Lebanon drives on the right, uses the LBP, 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 Lebanon
- 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 LBP deposit; Lebanon drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Lebanon InterRent renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Seatbelts mandatory.
- 0.05% alcohol limit.
- Drive defensively in dense city traffic.
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 Lebanon
Lebanon has no functioning highway toll or vignette system, so tourists pay nothing for road use beyond fuel.
Beirut has paid metered and zoned street parking plus many attended private lots; illegal parking, even where locals do it, risks fines and towing, and valet parking is widespread at restaurants and hotels.
Under the current traffic law, driving ~20 km/h over the limit costs around 200,000 LL and no seatbelt around 350,000 LL, with phone use and red-light running similarly fined; tickets may be handled on the spot, and rental firms pass camera/parking fines to the card on file.
Dial 112 for police and 140 for the Lebanese Red Cross ambulance; stop at the scene, do not leave, and wait for the Internal Security Forces to file a report, which insurers and the rental company will require for any claim.
Full driving guide for Lebanon →