Do You Need an International Driving Permit in Costa Rica?

Do You Need an International Driving Permit in Costa Rica?

Most international visitors do not need an International Driving Permit (IDP) simply to drive in Costa Rica if they have a valid foreign driver’s license for the vehicle they are driving. For rental pickup, however, an IDP or accepted translation can be required when the original license uses a non-Latin script. An IDP does not replace your original driver’s license.

Is an International Driving Permit Required in Costa Rica?

Costa Rica’s current Traffic Law does not impose a general IDP requirement on tourists who hold a valid foreign driver’s license. Article 91 allows qualifying visitors and travelers in transit to drive the same vehicle type authorized by their foreign license for the same period as their authorized legal stay in Costa Rica.

Rental companies can still impose document requirements for handing over a vehicle. Check both the legal driving rule and the terms of the exact rental location. Current Alamo, National and Enterprise Costa Rica policies include their own renter-document conditions.

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When Can an IDP Be Required for a Rental Car?

The main issue is the alphabet used on your home-country license.

Current Alamo, National and Enterprise Costa Rica airport policies state that when a driver’s license uses a non-Latin script, such as Chinese, Arabic or Cyrillic, the renter must provide an International Driving Permit or an accepted notarized English translation.

Those location policies distinguish this from licenses that can be read using Latin characters. An IDP may be recommended for translation purposes in some circumstances without being stated as mandatory for every foreign renter.

Do U.S., Canadian or Other Latin-Alphabet Licenses Need an IDP?

Usually not because of the license format. Standard U.S., Canadian, UK and Australian licenses use Latin characters, as do licenses from many other countries.

Enterprise’s current Costa Rica country guidance states that an international driver’s license is not required when the traveler has a valid home-country license. The rental location can still impose its normal eligibility and document requirements.

Bring the original valid license. An IDP cannot substitute for an expired, suspended or otherwise unacceptable home-country license.

What If Your License Uses a Non-Latin Script?

Plan on the additional documentation required by the rental location.

Current Alamo, National and Enterprise SJO and LIR policies specifically identify scripts such as Chinese, Arabic and Cyrillic and require an IDP or a notarized English translation accepted by the location.

Bring the original home-country license too. The IDP or translation helps interpret that license; it does not create driving privileges on its own. Enterprise describes an IDP as a translation of a government-issued driver’s license, and Alamo’s general license policy states that an IDP cannot be used by itself to rent a vehicle.

If your license displays both non-Latin and Latin characters, confirm the exact requirement with the rental office rather than assuming no additional document is needed.

Does an IDP Replace Your Regular Driver’s License?

No. Do not arrive with only an International Driving Permit.

An IDP supports the home-country license rather than replacing it. Alamo’s published driver-license policy explicitly says customers may not rent solely with an International Driving Permit.

Your original license remains essential and must be valid for the vehicle category being driven.

What About the Old 90-Day Rule?

Costa Rica changed Article 91 through Law 10,591. The current statute allows eligible foreign-license holders to drive for a period identical to their authorized legal stay rather than applying the former general three-month limit.

However, current Alamo, National and Enterprise Costa Rica location pages still state that visitors may use their foreign license for up to 90 days and should obtain an IDP after that period.

That rental-company wording does not match the newer statutory time limit. Because it remains published in current rental terms, travelers planning a rental longer than 90 days should confirm the exact office’s policy before pickup.

Does an IDP Extend an Expired License?

No. An IDP is not a way to extend an expired license or bypass Costa Rica’s legal-stay rules.

Current Alamo, National and Enterprise renter policies require a valid, unexpired home-country license and reject temporary driving permits or renewal documents at the locations reviewed.

Check the expiration date before traveling, especially when the license will expire during the trip.

Should You Get an IDP If It Is Not Required?

It can be useful as translation support, but it is not necessary for every traveler.

For a straightforward rental using a valid license in English or another Latin-based alphabet, the policies reviewed do not make an IDP a universal requirement. Obtain one when your license format requires it, the rental company specifically requests it or it provides useful translation support.

Use an issuer recognized by the appropriate authorities in your home country rather than assuming any online “international license” product satisfies the rental company’s requirements.

IDP Checklist Before Your Trip

Confirm that your home-country license:

• Is valid for the full rental period.

• Authorizes the vehicle you will drive.

• Uses a format accepted by the rental location.

• Is accompanied by an IDP or accepted translation when required.

Bring the original license together with the passport, payment card and other documents required for your reservation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Americans need an International Driving Permit in Costa Rica?

Normally no. A valid U.S. driver’s license uses Latin characters, and Enterprise’s current Costa Rica guidance says an international license is not required with a valid home-country license. The exact rental office can still apply its own pickup requirements.

Do Canadians need an IDP to rent a car in Costa Rica?

A standard valid Canadian license normally does not trigger the non-Latin-script requirement in the Alamo, National and Enterprise Costa Rica policies reviewed. Confirm the exact rental terms before travel.

Is an IDP required if my license is in Spanish?

The reviewed Costa Rica rental policies do not make an IDP mandatory solely because a license is in Spanish. Spanish uses Latin characters. The original license must still be valid and acceptable to the rental location.

What if my driver’s license is in Arabic or Cyrillic?

Current Alamo, National and Enterprise Costa Rica airport policies require an IDP or accepted notarized English translation when the license uses a non-Latin script such as Arabic or Cyrillic. Bring the original license too.

Can I rent a car with only an International Driving Permit?

No. An IDP supplements the home-country driver’s license; it does not replace it. Bring the original valid license and any additional IDP or translation required by the rental location.

Do I need an IDP after 90 days in Costa Rica?

Costa Rica’s current Article 91 ties foreign-license validity to the traveler’s authorized legal stay rather than a universal 90-day limit. Some current rental-company pages still publish a 90-day IDP rule, so rentals extending beyond 90 days should be confirmed with the exact office.

Last reviewed: August 2026.

Driver-license law and rental-company document policies can change. Costa Rican law determines legal driving status, while the terms of the specific rental location and rental agreement govern whether a vehicle will be released.