Does InterRent require an IDP in Mongolia?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
InterRent in Mongolia: the policy in plain terms
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Mongolia drives on the right and uses Cyrillic; an IDP is advised with your licence, and much of the country is trackless steppe best crossed by 4x4.
In Mongolia specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Mongolia ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so InterRent will typically ask for it at the counter. Ulaanbaatar desks ask for an IDP with non-Cyrillic licences; 4x4 for off-road.
InterRent runs a europe network; at its Mongolia desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Mongolia drives on the right, uses the MNT, 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 Mongolia
- 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 MNT deposit; Mongolia drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Mongolia InterRent renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Zero-tolerance alcohol policy.
- Few paved roads outside the capital.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
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 Mongolia
There is no nationwide electronic toll system; a few paved intercity highways (such as sections out of Ulaanbaatar toward the airport and Zuunmod) have manual cash toll booths charging small tugrik amounts. Most of the country is unpaved with no tolls.
Central Ulaanbaatar has paid attended parking lots and metered street bays; pay the attendant or kiosk in tugrik, and illegally parked cars are ticketed or towed. Parking is scarce and chaotic around Sukhbaatar Square and the State Department Store.
The drink-drive limit is a strict 0.02% BAC and default speed limits are 40 km/h in town and 80 km/h on rural roads; police issue on-the-spot fines, often payable in cash. Rental companies pass any traffic or camera fines back to the renter.
Dial 102 for police and 103 for ambulance (the unified 112 is being rolled out). Report any accident to police and leave the vehicles in place until officers arrive, as a police report is needed for insurance and to leave the country.
Full driving guide for Mongolia →