One of the first questions visitors to Turkey ask when planning to hire a car is: will my home country licence be accepted? Do I need an International Driving Permit? This guide answers those questions clearly and covers every document you need to have ready at the rental counter.
You must hold a valid driving licence to rent a car in Turkey. Licences printed in the Latin alphabet — including those issued in Germany, the UK, Austria, the Netherlands, and most EU countries — are generally accepted directly without additional documentation.
Licences written in the Cyrillic alphabet (Russian, Ukrainian, etc.) or Arabic script are not always readable by rental company staff or traffic authorities. In these cases, presenting an International Driving Permit (IDP) alongside your national licence is strongly recommended.
Turkey recognises driving licences issued by countries party to the 1949 Geneva Convention and the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. Visitors from EU member states and most Western countries can rent a car using their national licence alone.
However, if your licence is not in the Latin alphabet or does not conform to international standards, rental companies may request an IDP. We strongly recommend obtaining one before your trip — it is issued by your national motoring authority and takes only a short time to arrange.
Foreign nationals are required to present a valid passport at vehicle handover. In some cases, EU citizens may use their national identity card, but a passport is always the safest option and avoids any complications.
Most rental companies require a valid credit card at pickup. The card is used as a guarantee for the deposit or any incidental charges. Debit cards may not be accepted by all companies. Customers who take a RepeatCar protection package are exempt from paying a deposit at handover.
The standard minimum age to rent a car in Turkey is 21, with at least 1–2 years of driving experience. For premium or larger vehicle categories, some companies apply a minimum age of 25. RepeatCar lists the exact age and licence duration requirements for each vehicle on the car detail pages.
Only drivers named in the rental contract are permitted to drive the vehicle. If your partner or a travel companion also wants to drive, they must be added as an additional driver at pickup. The same document requirements — driving licence and passport — apply to all additional drivers.
A Russian licence written in the Cyrillic alphabet may not be accepted on its own. We strongly recommend obtaining an International Driving Permit (IDP) before travelling. In Russia, IDPs are issued by the traffic police (GIBDD) and are straightforward to obtain.
Yes. Licences issued in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and all other EU member states are directly valid in Turkey. You do not need an IDP.
No. A physical (printed) driving licence must be presented at vehicle handover. A digital copy displayed on a phone is not accepted.
At RepeatCar, the document check at pickup is handled quickly and without fuss. Our customer service team is available 24/7 in Turkish, English, German, and Russian. If you're unsure which documents you need before your trip, get in touch — we'll give you a clear answer.
Book and enquire at: repeatcar.com
