Which Documents You Need to Rent a Car in Romania

Online, a booking takes about five minutes: you choose the car class, the dates and the pick-up location, and the final price appears straight away, with no deposit. Complications only start at the handover. If your papers do not match the requirements exactly, the agent may refuse or postpone the handover, even if you have paid and received confirmation by phone. This often happens to tourists who do not know their licence must be accompanied by another document, but also to Romanian drivers who arrive with an ID card that expired just a few days earlier or a licence issued less than a year ago.

The required documents are not hard to obtain, but it is best to gather them in good time, especially if you live outside the European Union. Below you will find the complete list, the reasoning behind the licence-holding rule and the minimum age, a description of the handover procedure, solutions if you have forgotten something at home and the concrete differences between a foreign tourist and a Romanian resident.

The documents you show on the day of pick-up

Whether you choose a Dacia Logan or a Ford Mondeo from the 9 models in our fleet, the requirements are the same for every main driver: a valid identity document and your original driving licence. Both must be shown physically, in original. Photos on your phone, scans sent by email and digital licences are not accepted, even if they are widely accepted in other countries.

Before you set off for the pick-up point – central Bucharest, Otopeni Airport or Băneasa (see our car rental Bucharest Otopeni service, car rental Otopeni Airport with non-stop handover, and car rental at Băneasa Airport) – go through this list:

• ✓Valid identity document, in original: ID card for Romanian citizens or passport for foreign citizens
• ✓Category B driving licence, in original and valid, issued at least one year ago
• ✓International Driving Permit (IDP), only needed if your licence was issued outside the EU/EEA or is not written in the Latin alphabet
• ✓No bank card needed for a deposit: the rental is without a deposit and without a surcharge
• ✓Your booking reference confirmed by phone, which speeds up identification at handover
• ✓If you add a second driver, they show the same documents: a valid identity document and a licence held for the required period

One point many people overlook: your passport must be valid until the end of the rental, not just on the day of pick-up. If you made your booking weeks in advance, check again just before you leave. A passport that expires within a few days can also cause problems at the border, not only with the rental company.

The driving licence: how long you have held it, categories and the International Driving Permit (IDP)

The main requirement is that you have held a category B licence for at least one year at the time of pick-up. The period is counted from the first issue of category B, not from obtaining another type of licence. If the document was reissued after a suspension, some companies count the holding period from the new issue date, so in that situation ask directly when you book.

Citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland can rent with their national licence only, with no other documents. For visitors from outside these countries things are different: if the licence does not use the Latin alphabet or does not follow the European model, you need an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention, to which Romania is a party. This is the usual situation for drivers from China, Russia, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, Israel or South Korea. We also recommend an IDP to those coming from the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia or Japan. Although there is partial recognition through bilateral agreements, an IDP saves you any discussion at handover.

Note that the IDP does not replace your national licence; it is shown together with it. You can only obtain it in your own country, before travelling, from the automobile club or the competent authority (in the USA, for example, AAA or AATA). A foreign visitor cannot obtain one in Romania, so anyone who realises they need it only at pick-up usually has no quick solution.

Driver age: 21 as standard, under 21 with an extra fee

The standard rental age is 21, with a licence held for at least one year. Drivers under 21 can also rent, with an additional insurance fee of €10 per day. The limit has a practical explanation: the insurers issuing the compulsory third-party liability policy, present on every car in the fleet, set the premium and cover conditions according to the driver’s risk. Traffic data consistently show that young and inexperienced drivers are involved in more accidents than their share would suggest, especially in Bucharest traffic.

The extra fee for drivers under 21 covers this risk and keeps the insurance cover valid throughout the contract. It is not a mere formality. Some rental companies add a surcharge for drivers under 25, even if they are above the minimum age. With us there is no such surcharge for drivers over 21, as long as they have held their licence for at least one year. If you are renting for the first time, it is still a good idea to confirm this in the booking form.

How the car handover works, step by step

The meeting. We meet at the pick-up point you chose: central Bucharest, Henri Coandă Airport in Otopeni or the private aviation area at Băneasa. If you chose Otopeni, read our guide to car rental at the airport in advance, where we explain where the representative waits for you and how long the formalities take after landing.

Document check. The agent checks your identity document, original licence and, where applicable, your International Driving Permit, then confirms the booking details. At other companies an amount is often blocked on your card (pre-authorisation) as a deposit and released only after the car is returned. At Închirieri Auto Otopeni all rentals are without a deposit: nothing is blocked on your card, Full CASCO insurance is included in the price and no surcharge is added. To understand the difference in detail, read our article on deposit versus no deposit.

Contract and inspection. You sign the rental contract, whose full clauses are published in the terms and conditions on our site. Then the car is inspected: a full walk-around is done, and any existing scratch, dent or defect is recorded on the handover sheet, usually with photos. Both parties sign the sheet. The fuel level is also checked. Our rule is „same fuel level”: you return the car with the same amount of fuel you picked it up with, paying only for what you used. If you return the car with less fuel, a refuelling fee is charged, at a higher rate than at the pump.

Handing over the keys. Finally, you receive the keys and the car documents, as well as a phone number you can call at any time during the rental, whether for a breakdown, a minor incident, a question about the route or an extension.

What to do if you have left a document at home

There is not much flexibility here. Without your original identity document or your physical, valid licence, the agent is not allowed to hand over the car, however many verbal assurances or phone photos you show. The same applies to the International Driving Permit: if you come from a country where it is required and you do not have it with you, you cannot get it on the spot, because it is issued only in your country of residence.

The most common mistake we see at Otopeni is putting the licence in checked luggage „so it does not get lost” – exactly what you should not do. Check all your documents the evening before, keep your licence (and IDP, if applicable) in your hand luggage, not in the bag you check in, and have your booking reference to hand. If you notice a problem before the pick-up date, for example a passport close to expiry or a licence that has not been held long enough, write to us or call us as soon as possible. We can often reschedule the booking or sort out the situation at no extra cost if you let us know in time.

Foreign tourist or Romanian resident: what is actually different

Foreign tourists usually show their passport, their home-country licence, possibly an International Driving Permit and, if they want to pay by card, a working bank card – no deposit is blocked on it. A few local traffic rules are also useful: in Romania you drive on the right, as in most of continental Europe. If you want to cross the border with the rental car, read the contract in advance to find out whether this is allowed and under what conditions.

For Romanian residents, the documents are simply the ID card and a licence issued in Romania, with no IDP. The same one-year licence rule and age rule apply (under 21, with an extra fee of €10 per day), and the holding period is counted, as for foreigners, from the date category B was issued. What counts is the issue date, not turning 18, especially if the licence was obtained later or reissued in the meantime.

Frequently asked questions about documents and renting

Can I add another driver? Yes, provided they meet the same minimum age and licence-holding requirements and show their own documents at pick-up. They can be added to the contract when booking or directly at handover, usually for a small extra fee.

What do I do if my licence does not use the Latin alphabet (Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese, etc.)? You need either an International Driving Permit or a certified translation to accompany your original licence. Without one of them, the agent cannot confirm the validity and category of your licence.

Is a credit card required for a deposit? No. At Închirieri Auto Otopeni rentals are without a deposit, so you do not need a credit card for a pre-authorisation. A debit card is usually enough, because no amount is blocked.

What happens if my ID card expired a few days before pick-up? The document must be valid on the day of pick-up, otherwise we cannot hand over the car. Check the expiry date before travelling, not only when you make the booking.

For other special situations, the frequently asked questions section on our site covers further cases, from age and licence history to mileage and cancellation.

Conclusion

To avoid surprises, get your documents ready before filling in the booking form. Check the expiry date of your ID card or passport and how long you have held your licence, which must be at least one year. If you are coming from outside the European Union, apply in good time for an International Driving Permit from the authority in your country. Once everything is ready, open the booking form, choose the right car from the available fleet, the period and the pick-up location, and our team will call you shortly to confirm the details.

See also: car rental without a credit card · deposit or no deposit · online booking

October 2026 update: for licences issued outside the European Union an International Driving Permit may also be required. If this applies to you, ask us before booking so there are no surprises at handover.

If you want to compare more offers, you can also find no-deposit car rental Otopeni, with pick-up right at the airport, as well as no-deposit car rental Bucharest for those collecting the car in the city. In both cases no amount is blocked on your card.