Does Localiza require an IDP in Iran?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Localiza in Iran: 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.
Iran drives on the right and accepts the 1949 Geneva IDP; tourists should carry it with their national licence and passport.
In Iran specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Iran ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Localiza will typically ask for it at the counter. Tehran desks ask for an IDP; self-drive is uncommon for tourists.
Localiza runs a south america network; at its Iran desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Iran drives on the right, uses the IRR, 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 Iran
- 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 IRR deposit; Iran drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Iran Localiza renters should know
- Drive on the right amid heavy city traffic.
- Zero alcohol — alcohol is prohibited.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
- Speed cameras on highways.
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 Iran
Major intercity freeways (e.g. Tehran-Qom, Tehran-Karaj) are tolled, increasingly via automated free-flow camera systems billed to the vehicle owner; urban congestion-charge zones in Tehran also require a paid permit. Tolls are inexpensive in foreign-currency terms but a rental will pass them on.
Big-city parking is scarce and chaotic; Tehran uses paid zones and app/SMS-based payment in central districts, and cars parked in restricted areas are ticketed or towed. Use guarded car parks where possible, especially in central Tehran.
Speeding, phone use and no seatbelt are camera- and patrol-enforced with fines, and the odd/even and traffic-zone violations are charged automatically; fines are typically settled through the rental company or online rather than cash to an officer. Penalties for serious offences can escalate quickly.
Contact the police immediately for any accident, even a minor fender-bender, and do not move the vehicles until officers document the scene; the road-police emergency number is 110. A police report is mandatory for insurance, and without a licence translation insurance coverage can be void.