Does National require an IDP in Albania?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
National in Albania: the policy in plain terms
Asks for a licence translation for non-Latin-alphabet licences and where local rules call for one. Business-traveller brand known for Emerald Aisle.
Albania drives on the right and signs the 1968 Vienna Convention, but desks expect non-EU visitors to pair an IDP with their home licence given mountainous, fast-changing roads.
In Albania specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Albania ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so National will typically ask for it at the counter. Tirana airport desks ask for an IDP alongside a non-EU licence.
National runs a global network; at its Albania desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna Convention format alongside the original licence. Albania drives on the right, uses the ALL, 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 National counter in Albania
- 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 ALL deposit; Albania drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Albania National renters should know
- Drive on the right; overtake on the left.
- Headlights on at all times, day and night.
- 0.01% alcohol limit — effectively zero tolerance.
- Seatbelts mandatory for all occupants.
National's rental terms that affect your IDP booking
The minimum age to rent is typically 21 (18 in Michigan and New York, as required by state law); renters aged 21-24 pay a "Youthful Surcharge" of approximately $25 per day (varies by location, lower in some states such as $5/day in New York) and may be restricted to certain car classes.
A major credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Amex) in the primary renter's name with sufficient available credit is required; National generally does not accept debit cards, and renters without a ticketed return travel itinerary must provide a hold/deposit typically between $300 and $400 depending on location and vehicle class.
The renter's spouse or domestic partner who meets the same age and licence requirements drives free; other additional authorized drivers cost about $15 per day (typically $5/day in New York), and must be at least 21 with a valid licence. National requires a valid, unexpired full driver's licence held by the renter; for under-25 drivers some locations require the licence to have been held for at least one year, though National does not publish a uniform minimum tenure across all locations.
Vehicles rented in the U.S. or Canada are prohibited from being driven into Mexico; U.S.-Canada cross-border travel is generally permitted but one-way US/Canada drop-offs are limited to participating locations, and rentals originating in certain Mexican cities (e.g. Tijuana, Mexicali, Hermosillo, Monterrey, Saltillo) may cross into the U.S. after purchasing an extension of liability protection (about $10 USD/day).
National states that an International Driving Permit (IDP) is commonly requested in select countries and is generally recommended when travelling abroad; specifically, overseas travelers whose licence uses a non-Roman alphabet may need to present an IDP alongside their home-country licence.
Once you collect the keys in Albania
There is no vignette; instead the A1 motorway (notably the Rrëshen-Kalimash 'Nation's Highway' tunnel section toward Kosovo) charges a per-passage toll paid in cash or card at barriers, while most other roads are free.
In Tirana and larger towns parking uses colour-coded zones - free white, paid blue-line bays (pay at meters or by app), and restricted red areas; central spaces are scarce and wardens are active.
Speeding, no-seatbelt and handheld-phone fines are issued, often on the spot in cash; drink-driving limits are low and enforced, and camera/police fines on rentals are passed to your card by the hire firm.
Call 112 (general emergency) or 129 for police and 127 for ambulance; do not move vehicles after an injury crash until police attend, and get a police report for any insurance claim.
Full driving guide for Albania →