Sixt rental cars are a great way to tour Europe. Before you rent a car, you should make sure you meet all the criteria each country demands. Do this before your arrival, and your rental car experience will be smooth and pleasurable.
The requirements for a car rental vary slightly from country to country. Keep in mind that the requirements for renting a car are not necessarily the same as the requirements for driving the car.
You may be able to rent if you are 18, but not be allowed to drive unless you are 21.
Below is a breakdown of the regulations for a car rental in some of Europe’s most popular destinations:
General Rental Information for the UK
The renter and the driver have to be in possession of a valid driving license for at least 1 year in the United Kingdom.
There are documents/cards that you must bring when collecting the vehicle:
- A full driving license (UK customers must include the paper counterpart) for all named drivers, with details of all endorsements.If you have 6 points or below on your license you can still hire from us. If you have above 6 points or have a DD, DR or BA endorsement that is within less than 5 years you are not able to hire from us. International driving permits must be accompanied by the national driving license.
- A credit card or Sixt Express card. The credit card must be in the name of one of the drivers.
- A passport (mandatory for all customers with a Non-EU license) or valid identity card. Customers who hold a Sixt Express card do not require a passport.
Please note: Customers who are paying by debit card should also bring an additional form of identification in addition to a passport such as an identity card, utility bill (up to 3 months old), recent council tax or tendency agreement (up to 3 months old), bank statement (up to 3 months old).
Driving license printed with non-Roman Alphabet (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Cyrillic etc) must be complemented by an International driving license.
Please show a valid ID card or passport at the time of pick up!
Age Restrictions for car rentals in the UK
In Great Britain, the following rules apply for the minimum age and possession of a driver’s license:
- 21 years/1 year for vehicles in groups MCME, MDME, ECMN, ECMR, ECAN, EDAN, EDMR, EDMN, EXMR, CCMN, CDMR, CLMR, CXMR, CDAR, CLAR, CXAR, CXAH, CWMR, CWAR and CYAR.
- 23 years/1 year for vehicles in groups IDMR, IXMR, IDAR, IXAR, IWMR, IWAR, IYAR, IVMR and ITMR.
- 25 years/1 year for vehicles in groups CCAR, CCMR, ILAR, ILMR, SSMR, SDMR, SXMR, SDAR, SXAR, SWMR, SWAR, SYAR, SVMR, SVAR, FDMR, FXMR, FDAR, FXAR, FWAR, FYAR, FVMR, FVAR, PDAR, PWAR, FFAR, FTMR and SFAR.
- 25 years/3 years for vehicles in groups COMN, CNMN.
- 30 years/3 years for vehicles in groups LDAR, LSAR, XDAR, XFAR,PFAR, PTAR and LTAR.
Please contact your Sixt local rental station or our hotline +44 (0)844 248 6620.
Maximum age in Great Britain is 75. A Young Driver Surcharge of GBP 30.00 per day for vehicle groups MBMR, ECMN, ECMR, ECAN, EDMR, EXMR, CDMR, CLMR, CXMR, CDAR, CLAR, CXAR, CXAH, CWMR, CWAR, CYAR applies for drivers under 23 years. Vehicle groups not listed are not available for drivers under 23 years of age (see above).
Rent a car regulations in France
The renter and the driver have to be in possession of a valid driving license.
Driving license printed with non-Roman Alphabet (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Cyrillic etc) must be complemented by an International driving license.
Please show a valid ID card or passport at the time of pick up.
Age Restrictions for auto rentals in France
Minimum age in France is 21 and the driver has to be in possession of a valid driving license for at least 1 year.
Apart from this, the following restrictions for minimum age and possession of a valid driving license are valid:
- 23 years/2 years for vehicles in groups CCMR, CLMR, CDMX, IDMR to SWAR, FVMR, CTMR, ITMR, STMR, SFMR, SSMR,
- 25 years/3 years for vehicles in groups FDMR to LWAR, FTMR to LTMR, FFMR to LFMR,
- 28 years/5 years for vehicles in groups XDAR, XTAR, XTAX, XXAR, XXAX, XFAR.
A Young Driver Surcharge of EUR 29.- per day, max. EUR 290.- per month started applies for drivers under 25 years.
Minimum age in France is 21 and the driver has to be in possession of a valid driving license for at least 1 year.
Rent a car requirements in Spain
The renter and the driver have to be in possession of a valid driving license in Spain.
Driving licenses from non-EU countries (except Switzerland) are accepted if:
- no visa has been entered in the passport.
- the customer has a visa in his passport and at the time of hire has not been in Europe for longer than 6 months. If he has been in Europe for longer than 6 months, he must present a driving license from an EU country.
Driving license printed with non-Roman Alphabet (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Cyrillic etc) must be complemented by an International driving license. Please show a valid ID card or passport at the time of pick up!
Age requirements for renting a car in Spain
In Spain, the following rules apply for the minimum age and possession of a driver’s license:
- 18 years/1 day for vehicles in groups MBMR to CWMR, CVMR
- 21 years/2 years for vehicles in groups IDMR to LWAR, IVMR to FVMR, CTMR, ITMR, SSMR to LSMR, SFMR
- 25 years/3 years for vehicles in groups XDAR, FTMR, PTMR, LTMR, XTAR, XTAX, XSAR, XXAR, XXAX, PFMR, LFMR, XFAR, XFAX.
A Young Driver Surcharge of EUR 9.99 per day, max. EUR 99.99 applies for drivers under 23 years.
Car rental information for Germany
The renter and the driver have to be in possession of a valid driving license.
Driving licenses from non-EU countries (except Switzerland) are accepted if:
- no visa has been entered in the passport
- the customer has a visa in his passport and at the time of hire has not been in Europe for longer than 6 months. If he has been in Europe for longer than 6 months, he must present a driving license from an EU country.
Driving license printed with non-Roman Alphabet (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Cyrillic etc) must be complemented by an International driving license.
Please show your driver’s license, a valid ID card or passport (ID card with a German address absolutely required when renting using a German giro card) at the time of pick up!
Age Restrictions for car rentals in Germany
In Germany, the following rules apply for the minimum age and possession of a driver’s license:
- 18 years/1 day for vehicles in groups MBMR to CWMR, MTMR, CCCC
- 21 years/2 years for vehicles in groups IDMR to LWAR, CTMR, ITMR, SSMR to LSMR, SFMR to FFMR
- 25 years/3 years for vehicles in groups XDAR, STMR, FTMR, PTMR, LTMR, XTMR, XTAR, XSMR, XSAR, PFMR, LFMR, XFAR, LSMN, LSAN, LTAN, XJAN, XSAN, XXAX,XTAX, LTAX, XDAN, XSAM, XNAM, XTAM, XEAM, XRAM, LPAN.
A Young Driver Surcharge of EUR 10.- per day, max. EUR 50.- per month started applies for drivers under 23 years.
It’s important to remember that car rental agencies may have varying requirements, no matter what the national laws are. Make inquiries into any car rental agency you plan to use. Some companies may add surcharges for drivers under a certain age.
Although there are generally no health restrictions in European countries, some rental car companies may require you to present a certificate of good health if you are over a certain age. Also check travel limitations, such as crossing borders and limitations on types of cars that you are allowed to rent.
Before you actually begin driving your rental car, be sure that you know all of the country’s motor vehicle laws so that you don’t get a ticket. For example, in Spain, you must park completely away from all the traffic before you use a cell phone—you are not allowed to pull over to the side of the road and use your phone.
Finally, even if you meet all other criteria for renting a car in Europe, any car rental agency has the right to refuse to rent a car to you if you have a poor driving record.
Sixt rent a car makes sure that you have the best possible experience while renting a car with us! Try our modern fleet which includes convertibles, luxury vehicles, SUV’s, minivans, and hybrids. If you’re planning a road trip or simply want to see Europe with a rental car, we also offer long-term car rentals in Europe.
See you soon at our car rental locations and have a safe drive with Sixt!
Passionate about travel, Katie likes to eat her way through as many different countries as possible.
