Car rental requirements are straightforward. What is not straightforward is the insurance, and that is where renters lose money — either by paying for cover they do not need or by declining cover and discovering the excess afterwards.
This page covers what is required to rent and then the insurance decision, which is worth understanding before you reach the counter.
Driver or Vehicle Requirements at a Glance
What renting a car generally requires.
- A valid driver’s licence held for the minimum period the company requires
- An International Driving Permit or a sworn translation, where the licence is not in English
- Be at least the company’s minimum age, with a young driver surcharge below a higher age
- A credit card in the main driver’s name for the deposit, at most companies
- A valid ID or passport
- Proof of residential address, where the company requires it
- Every additional driver registered and licensed
- Acceptance of the rental agreement and the insurance option chosen
Licence and Eligibility Requirements
Confirm the requirements with the rental company before booking. Minimum age, licence-held period, accepted payment methods and deposit amounts are set by each company and differ, including between branches of the same company.
The credit card requirement catches people out. Most companies require a credit card in the main driver’s name for the deposit, and a debit card is not always accepted. Confirm before booking, because a booking you cannot collect is a wasted trip and sometimes a forfeited payment.
Every driver must be registered. An unregistered driver at the wheel voids the cover entirely, which turns a minor incident into the full value of the vehicle. Register everyone who might drive, even for one journey.
Foreign licences are generally accepted where they are in English and carry a photograph; otherwise an International Driving Permit or a sworn translation is required. Confirm with the company for the specific country.
A temporary driving licence may not be accepted. Rental companies set their own policy on temporary licences, and it is better established before the counter.
Vehicle, Inspection and Safety Requirements
Understand the excess before choosing cover. Standard rental cover typically leaves you liable for a substantial excess, and the reduction options reduce or remove it at a daily cost. The question is not whether cover exists but what you are liable for if something happens.
Check your own cover first. Some credit cards provide rental vehicle cover as a card benefit, and some personal motor policies extend to rental vehicles. Both have conditions — commonly that the rental was paid for with that card, or that the vehicle class qualifies. Confirm in writing before declining the company’s cover, because a card benefit you assumed you had and do not is an expensive assumption.
Tyres, glass and the undercarriage are commonly excluded from standard reduction options and are the most frequent damage in South African conditions. Ask specifically whether they are covered and at what additional cost.
Photograph the vehicle thoroughly at collection and return, dated, including the roof, the undercarriage where you can, the wheels, the interior, the fuel gauge and the odometer. Damage disputes are common and photographs are the only reliable defence.
Note the fuel policy. Full-to-full is usually cheapest; a prepaid tank is convenient and usually more expensive, and you rarely return it empty.
Check the cross-border policy if you intend to leave South Africa. Most companies require advance notice and written authority, and some prohibit it entirely. Driving a rental across a border without authority voids everything.
Check the road condition restrictions. Many agreements exclude gravel roads or specific areas, which matters in South Africa more than in most countries. Driving where the agreement prohibits voids the cover.
Documents, PrDP or Supporting Evidence
What to bring.
- A valid driver’s licence for every driver
- An International Driving Permit or sworn translation, where required
- A valid ID or passport for every driver
- A credit card in the main driver’s name for the deposit
- Proof of residential address, where required
- Your booking confirmation
- Written confirmation of any credit card or personal policy cover you are relying on
- Written authority for cross-border travel, where arranged
Registration or Application Process
Book directly with the company or through a channel you can verify, and read the terms on insurance, fuel, mileage, cross-border travel and road restrictions before arriving.
Confirm the excess figure in writing and decide on the cover before the counter. The counter is a poor place to make a financial decision under time pressure.
Photograph everything at collection and again at return, and insist that any existing damage is recorded on the agreement before you drive away.
Report any incident immediately to the company and, where required, to the police, and obtain a case number. Failing to report as the agreement requires can void the cover.
Be wary of unofficial rental arrangements. Renting from an individual through a classified advertisement carries none of the insurance, roadworthiness or recourse protections of a registered company, and the vehicle’s licence and insurance position is unknown.
- Confirm the age, licence and payment requirements before booking
- Check whether a credit card in the main driver’s name is required
- Register every driver — an unregistered driver voids the cover
- Confirm the excess figure in writing before choosing cover
- Verify any credit card or personal policy cover in writing first
- Ask specifically about tyres, glass and undercarriage
- Photograph the vehicle thoroughly at collection and return
- Have existing damage recorded on the agreement before driving away
- Check cross-border and gravel road restrictions
- Report any incident immediately and obtain a case number
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a credit card?
Most companies require a credit card in the main driver’s name for the deposit, and a debit card is not always accepted. Confirm before booking — a booking you cannot collect is a wasted trip.
Should I take the company’s insurance?
Decide before the counter. Check whether your credit card or personal motor policy covers rentals, and confirm those conditions in writing — a card benefit you assumed you had and do not is expensive.
What is usually excluded?
Tyres, glass and the undercarriage from standard reduction options, and often gravel roads and cross-border travel. Ask specifically about each.
How do I avoid a damage dispute?
Photograph the vehicle thoroughly and dated at collection and return, and insist that existing damage is recorded on the agreement before you drive away.
Rental requirements, age limits, deposits, insurance options, excesses and restrictions are set by each rental company and are revised. Confirm current terms with the company and get the excess and cover position in writing before collection.