Does Localiza require an IDP in Greece?
Localiza in Greece: the policy in plain terms
Asks foreign renters to present a licence translation with their home licence at the counter across Brazil and Latin America. The largest car-rental company in Latin America.
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 Localiza will typically ask for it at the counter. Island and mainland rental desks consistently ask for the IDP.
Localiza runs a south america 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 Localiza 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 Localiza 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.).
Localiza's rental terms that affect your IDP booking
Localiza's minimum rental age is 18 (lowered from 21 across Brazil), but drivers under 21 must add the mandatory "Condutor Jovem" (Young Driver) surcharge at booking; the exact fee is set per rental/location and quoted at reservation rather than published as a flat amount.
A credit card (physical or contactless) in the reservation holder's or financial responsible party's name is required for a pre-authorization hold; debit cards are not accepted for the security guarantee. Customers without a credit card can instead pass a weekday business-hours credit evaluation, with daily rentals up to 28 days available for an approximately R$39.90 fee if approved.
Each additional driver must be registered on the contract and present a valid licence and ID at the counter; Localiza does not publish a flat additional-driver fee, charging it per rate plan and location at pickup. Localiza requires a valid full driver's licence but does not publish a fixed minimum holding period; instead the young-driver surcharge (under-21) is the gating control, so a valid current licence is the stated requirement.
Cross-border driving within Mercosur (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay) requires the mandatory "Carta Verde"/Green Card insurance and advance authorization, typically requested at booking; one-way rentals returning in a different country incur a one-way fee that is usually higher than the cross-border fee, so both must be arranged in advance.
Foreign customers must present a valid licence from a country in Brazil's "Reciprocity Agreement" plus a passport, and may drive for up to 180 days from their date of entry (respecting the original licence validity); entry must be proven with a passport stamp, boarding pass, or immigration approval document. An International Driving Permit is referenced under the applicable legislation for non-reciprocity or non-Roman-alphabet licences.
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 →