Does Localiza require an IDP in Mongolia?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Localiza in Mongolia: 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.
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 Localiza will typically ask for it at the counter. Ulaanbaatar desks ask for an IDP with non-Cyrillic licences; 4x4 for off-road.
Localiza runs a south america 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 Localiza 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 Localiza renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Zero-tolerance alcohol policy.
- Few paved roads outside the capital.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
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 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 →