We often get asked, ‘what documents do i need to hire a car?’ In general when hiring a car you will need to have the same set of documentation, however it is worth knowing that this will vary, depending on your country of residence and where you intend to hire a car so always read the T&Cs.
That being said, if you’ve never hired a car before the process may seem confusing to you, and you might not understand exactly what documents you require upon rental. In this article we go through exactly how to hire a car step by step and exactly what documents you may require at pick up.
What Documentation Do I Need To Hire A Car?
When you hire a car as mentioned above the documentation required will vary slightly dependent on the location, we’ve listed all the potential documents you may require but some of them won’t be necessary in some situations.
- Full Driving Licence
- Passport
- Proof Of Your Home Address
- Dvla Licence Check Code
- Proof Of Return Travel
- International Driving Permit (Idp)
The most important document is your driving licence. This needs to be provided to show the rental company that you are indeed eligible to drive the vehicle that you intend to hire.
Your passport may be required by some suppliers. This is used as photo Id and must match the name and details on the driving licence.
If you are hiring in the same country as your home address then you will be required to provide, proof of your home address. A Bank Statement or utility bill dated within the last 3 months tend to be the ones requested.
Since the termination of the paper counterpart licence, for a supplier to be able to check your licence for points or convictions they need a code for the Dvla. You can read more on the Dvla check code here.
In some countries, you will need to provide proof that you intend to leave the country when returning the vehicle. Your return flight ticket usually does the trick.
Most of us have used one of these before when travelling further afield. However, with the uncertainty of Brexit, we may now be required to have one when hiring anywhere in Europe. Find out more about Idp’s and Brexit here.
Again, this can very depending on various factors. The best thing you can do before making a booking is to speak to one of our reservations team. Our team are trained to be able to answer any questions when it comes to documentation required around the world.
How To Hire A Car
Our aim is to always make hiring a car as easy as possible, to hire a car with us you can either go through our online booking system or you can call us directly. If you call us directly we will handle everything for you and explain the process over the phone, however if you choose to go down the online route here are the steps:
- Type your pick-up location & dates into the above search
- Once the search is complete, pick the option that best suits your needs & budget
- Read the important information carefully
- Select your choice, add any additional extras such as car seats or additional drivers and click to book
- Fill in the details of the main driver and continue on to payment
- Ensure you have your confirmation and documentation when you arrive on your given dates to the car hire desk of the supplier you selected
That’s pretty much it. If you book with Indigo Car Hire, then we are always just a phone call away to help talk you through the process or if you have any questions you wish to confirm before booking.
