The worst way to start a holiday is to reach gate E9 with your luggage and discover a document is missing. It happens, and nearly always for the same reason: something that was assumed to be obvious turned out not to be.
This guide sets out exactly what we ask for and why, so you can check it before you leave home.
The four essentials
| Document | What to check |
|---|---|
| Driving licence | Valid, and held for at least a year. Check it does not expire during the rental period. |
| ID card or passport | An ID card is enough for EU citizens. Outside the EU, a passport. |
| Payment card | In the main driver’s name. Debit cards are accepted for most groups. |
| Booking confirmation | Email or message. Not compulsory, but it speeds up the handover. |
The most common problem of all is not the licence but the card: it turns out to be in a spouse’s, a parent’s or a company’s name while the rental is in someone else’s. They have to match.
Age and licence held
| Age | What applies |
|---|---|
| Under 23 | We cannot rent |
| 23–25 | Most groups; a small daily surcharge may apply, stated in the quote |
| 25 and over | All groups, with no age surcharge |
Beyond age, the length of time you have held the licence matters: we ask for at least one year. For the larger groups, and for vans and minibuses, both the age and the experience criteria are stricter.
Which licences are accepted
Licences issued in the EU or EEA are valid in Greece as they are. No translation, no international permit, nothing beyond the valid licence itself.
For licences from outside the EU, the rule that matters in practice is the alphabet. If the licence is written in Latin characters — the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and others — it can usually be read and checked, but an International Driving Permit remains strongly recommended. If the licence is not in the Latin alphabet, an IDP is mandatory.
Because recognition rules change periodically and vary by issuing authority, do not rely on a table you read somewhere: send us the country of issue before you book and we confirm in writing exactly what you will need. It takes two minutes and saves the whole problem.
When you need an IDP
An International Driving Permit is not a licence. It is an official translation of your own licence and is valid only alongside the original; on its own it means nothing.
Two things to know:
- It is issued only by the country that issued your licence, before you travel. There is no way to obtain one after you arrive in Greece.
- Not every country issues one in a form recognised here. If your licence comes from a country outside the relevant international conventions, ask us first so we can look at the alternatives together.
Card and deposit
At handover a deposit is held on your card. It is not charged; it is held, and released after the vehicle is returned. The amount depends on the group and on whether you have added comprehensive cover with a reduced excess — the lower the excess, the lower the deposit.
Unlike most of the large chains, we do not insist on a credit card. Debit cards and, by arrangement, cashcover most groups. The one rule that does not bend is that the card must be in the main driver’s name.
Vans, minibuses and two-wheelers
For vans and minibuses up to nine seats no special licence is required: category B covers vehicles of up to nine seats in total and up to 3.5 tonnes gross. Stricter age and experience limits do apply. There is more in our guide to choosing a van size.
For two-wheelers the licence category is the decisive point and it cannot be worked around: category B covers mopeds up to 50cc only, a 125cc requires A1, and larger machines A2 or A. The detail is in our guide to motorbike and scooter licences in Greece.
If you want to take the vehicle to an island by ferry, that needs written approval and an authorisation certificate, which we issue when you book. See what applies in our guide to taking a rental car on a ferry, and the rest in the frequently asked questions.
