Does Sixt require an IDP in Costa Rica?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Sixt in Costa Rica: the policy in plain terms
Asks for a licence translation for licences issued outside the EU and not in the Roman alphabet. Premium European brand with a fast-growing global network.
Costa Rica drives on the right and lets visitors drive on a valid foreign licence for up to 90 days; an IDP is advised for non-Latin scripts.
In Costa Rica specifically, costa Rica lets visitors drive on a valid foreign licence, but Sixt still asks for a licence translation if your licence is not printed in the Roman alphabet — and it removes any doubt at the counter. Mandatory liability insurance is added at the desk; an IDP helps non-Latin scripts.
Sixt runs a europe / global network; at its Costa Rica desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Costa Rica drives on the right, uses the CRC, and sets a minimum driving age of 18; an IDP is still the safest way to avoid a refused booking.
What to bring to the Sixt counter in Costa Rica
- 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 CRC deposit; Costa Rica drives on the right with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Costa Rica Sixt renters should know
- Drive on the right.
- Mandatory state liability insurance on rentals.
- 0.05% alcohol limit.
- 4x4 advised for rural and rainy-season roads.
Sixt's rental terms that affect your IDP booking
Minimum age is region-specific: typically 21 in the US (18 in New York, where an under-25 fee still applies) and 18 in much of continental Europe such as Germany and France; drivers aged 21-24 pay a young-driver surcharge of roughly USD 25-30 per day in the US (about GBP 36 per rental in the UK, around EUR 5-6 per day in markets like Cyprus), and under-25s are usually limited to economy through full-size sedans, midsize SUVs and minivans.
A credit or debit card in the main driver's name must be presented at pickup; Sixt holds a security deposit of at least USD 200 plus the rental amount on the card, with substantially higher holds on premium/high-value vehicles, and debit-card acceptance and limits vary by branch and vehicle class.
A per-rental additional-driver fee applies; extra drivers can be added at any Sixt branch during the rental provided the main driver is present and the additional driver shows a valid licence (some European markets waive the fee for a spouse/partner). The driver must typically have held a full valid licence for at least 1 year (rising to 2-3 years in higher-risk markets such as Cyprus, while Germany requires the licence be held only since at least the day before pickup).
Most Sixt passenger vehicles may be driven across borders into listed neighbouring countries (e.g. France, Germany, Spain, Italy within Europe), but you must notify and get authorisation from the pickup branch in advance; a cross-border and/or one-way drop-off fee applies, and certain vehicle classes and destination countries are restricted.
Sixt does not require an International Driving Permit everywhere, but states that where local law requires it the IDP must be carried alongside the original home licence; if the licence is in a non-Roman alphabet (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Cyrillic, etc.) the renter must present an IDP or an official translation, and an official translation is also required if the issuing country is not party to the international driving-permit treaty.
Once you collect the keys in Costa Rica
A handful of routes are tolled, most notably Ruta 27 (San Jose to the Pacific via Caldera) with several small booths; tourists pay cash in colones (typically a few hundred to ~1,000 colones per booth) at the cabin.
Curbs painted yellow forbid stopping near hydrants, bus stops and taxi stands; many town centres run paid street zones ('boletas de parquimetro') where you buy and display a paper ticket, and 'cuidacarros' informally watch parked cars for a small tip.
Speeding tickets are notoriously steep (roughly 100,000-300,000+ colones, around US$200-450 for serious excess), and fines for phone use or no seatbelt also run into the tens of thousands of colones; transit police issue a ticket rather than collect cash roadside, and rental firms pass camera/photo-radar fines to the renter's card.
Call 911 and notify the rental company immediately; by law you must NOT move the vehicles until the transit police (Transito) and the INS insurance inspector arrive and document the scene, even if you are blocking traffic.
Full driving guide for Costa Rica →