Does Localiza require an IDP in Montenegro?
Localiza in Montenegro: 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.
Montenegro drives on the right and signs the 1968 Vienna Convention; an IDP is advised for its serpentine coastal and mountain roads.
In Montenegro specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Montenegro ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Localiza will typically ask for it at the counter. Podgorica and Tivat desks request an IDP for non-EU licences.
Localiza runs a south america network; at its Montenegro desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Montenegro 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 Montenegro
- 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 EUR deposit; Montenegro drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Montenegro Localiza renters should know
- Headlights on at all times.
- Carry a reflective vest and triangle.
- 0.03% alcohol limit.
- Tunnel toll on the Sozina route.
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 Montenegro
There is no vignette; tolls are paid per use, chiefly the Sozina tunnel on the Bar-Podgorica route (about EUR 2.50-3.50 for a car) and the new Bar-Boljare motorway, payable by cash or card at booths.
Paid zones operate in Podgorica, Kotor, Budva and other towns at roughly EUR 0.50-1 per hour, often via attendant, meter or SMS. Coastal old towns like Kotor are largely pedestrianised, so use peripheral car parks to avoid towing.
Police frequently enforce speeding and tunnel overtaking (notably inside Sozina) with on-the-spot fines typically starting around EUR 30-60; phone and seatbelt offences are also fined. Rental firms recharge camera/police fines to the renter.
Call 112 for police and ambulance. By law you must not move the vehicles before police attend and document the scene; an official police report is mandatory for any insurance or rental-damage claim.
Full driving guide for Montenegro →