The documentation required varies depending on the car rental company. 

You will need a valid current driving licence. 

Some companies will require just a national driver’s licence in Roman script, others will also require an international driver’s licence. Photos or digital copies of your licence may not be accepted. Likewise, temporary copies of a licence which is being renewed or updated may not be accepted. 

Passports are usually required for ID purposes. 

Bring your credit card in order to allow for pre-authorisation of damage excess deposits.

We strongly recommend that you check on the website of the car rental company you have chosen to verify what documentation they require.

Requirements regarding the documentation required vary from company to company and from time to time, so it is essential that you check directly with the rental company you are planning to use to verify what documentation they require.

Some companies will require just a national driver’s licence in Roman script, others will also require an international driving permit (IDP).

If you are required to carry an International Driving Permit (IDP), make sure you also carry your licence along with your IDP – the permit will not be valid without it. The IDP should not be confused with an international driver’s licence – a document that can be bought online but is not an official certificate and is not accepted globally.

The Car Rental Council of Ireland is the representative trade organisation for the car rental industry in Ireland. As such, we do not rent cars. But we are happy to recommend any and all of our members listed at Rent Direct from a Member.

All member companies of the Car Rental Council of Ireland are committed to delivering high-quality vehicles, customer service, billing procedures and customer complaint resolution, in compliance with our Code of Best Practice.

We are happy to recommend any and all of our members listed at (link to “Rent Direct from a Member” page).

 All member companies of the Car Rental Council of Ireland are committed to delivering high-quality vehicles, customer service, billing procedures and customer complaint resolution, in compliance with our Code of Best Practice.

In the unlikely event that you sustain damage to your rental car, inform the company as soon as possible. In general, quotes for the repair of rental cars in Ireland are generated using the Audatex estimating system, which calculates the repair cost based on motor industry standard Thatcham Times and times supplied by the vehicle manufacturers. Audatex is used by the majority of approved repairers, insurance companies and motor assessors in Ireland. Quotes are generally used rather than invoices because during busy periods, taking a car offline to affect a repair would involve an additional cost to you for downtime . Where possible, repairs are carried out during quieter periods when there is no additional cost in taking a damaged car offline. 

Some companies apply a minimum age for rentals of 21 years or 25 years. And you will generally need to have held a current, valid, full, clean driving licence for at least 2 years.

While you can pay for your rental using a debit card, you must present a credit card in your own name in order to collect the car. This is in order to allow for the ring-fencing of any damage excess deposits/deductibles, which cannot be done with a debit card.

Most car rental companies operating in Ireland offer unlimited mileage but check directly with the rental company you are planning to use to verify this, and make sure to tell them if you intend driving in Northern Ireland.

The members of the Car Rental Council of Ireland do not apply an upper age limit to their customers. We are aware of some brokers and third-party websites selling car rental that refuse over 75s, but car rental companies have no control over these sites or their policies. 

So, if you are over 75 and wish to rent a car in Ireland, check out the members of the Car Rental Council of Ireland listed at the Rent Direct from a Member section.

While the exact requirements will vary, some car rental companies may require additional information from older drivers intending to rent a car. This is at the insistence of their insurers and is consistent with the approach of the State, which insists that “A medical report form is required when applying for a driving licence or learner permit where the driver is aged 75 years and over”. (Ref: National Driver Licence Service website)

Most car rental companies will supply a car seat, but normally, it is up to the customer to fit it. This policy is an unfortunate consequence of an extremely litigative environment existent in Ireland for many years.

Due to the different VAT rate charged in Ireland for bookings longer than 28 days, most car rental websites do not handle them. Rather, most car rental companies ask customers to contact their reservations team directly for a quote.

Most rental cars have manual/stick shift transmission so ask about booking automatics well in advance. Avoid manual/stick-shift cars if you’re not used to them. Burnt out clutches are expensive to replace and avoidable by booking an automatic car.