Germany Car Rentals

Foreigners on short-term visit may rent a car and drive with a valid foreign driver’s license for up to 6 months in Germany. All licenses issued in the European Union are accepted. Driver's licenses from non-EU countries (except Switzerland) are accepted if you have a visa in your passport and at the time of rental have not been in Europe for longer than 6 months. Longer than that, you need to get a driver's license from an EU country.

To drive in Germany, the driver must present a valid national driver's license that has been held for at least 1 or 2 years (according to different car rental company).

If your domestic driver's license is printed with non Roman Alphabet (Arabic, Japanese, Cyrillic etc), an International Driving Permit (IDP/IDL) or an official translation in English is required when you drive in Germany. Please note that an International Driving Permit (often referred to as an International Driver's License) does not replace the requirement for a regular driver's license. And you must carry your current overseas driver's license, IDP or translation with you all the time when driving in Germany.

Tips

Some German car rental companies require you to have a photo ID licence. If your foreign license does not have a photo ID, you should get an IDP before travelling to Germany if you intend to rent a car. UK drivers with the new-style photo card license will need both the paper counterpart and photo card. UK license holders who have a paper license only will also need an official photo for identification when driving in Germany.

Age Requirement

To rent a car in Germany you must be at least 18 years old (age may vary by car category). Each car rental company has its own age requirements and a deviation from the minimum age is possible depending on the vehicle. If you're 18-23, you are likely to have to pay a young driver fee.

*Attention! Some car rental companies would have different requirements. Please check Terms and Conditions during the booking process.