No — UK and Irish drivers do not need an International Driving Permit to hire a car or drive in the Canary Islands. Your ordinary photocard driving licence is accepted throughout Spain for tourist stays, so you can pick up a hire car and get on the road with nothing more than the licence you carry every day. This page clears up the confusion (there is a lot of it online) and tells you exactly what to bring.
The clear answer
Spain recognises full UK and Irish driving licences for visitors, and the Canary Islands are part of Spain. An International Driving Permit (IDP) is an official translation of your licence — useful in some non-European countries, but not required here for a normal holiday. Car hire companies at Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura airports rent to UK and Irish licence holders every day without one.
An IDP is a paper translation, not a licence in its own right — it is only ever valid alongside your actual licence. Since Spain accepts your licence directly, there is simply nothing for an IDP to translate.
What you DO need to bring
- Your full photocard driving licence. The plastic card is what you present at the hire desk and what you must carry while driving. Make sure it is current and not expired.
- Your passport. Bring it to the hire desk as photo ID, and it is sensible to carry it (or a copy) with the licence when driving, as Spanish police can ask to see identification.
- The payment card in the main driver's name. Hire firms take a deposit and usually require a credit card in the driver's name — this trips people up more often than any licence issue.
Older UK paper licences without a photo can cause problems and should be replaced with a photocard before you travel. If your address or name has changed, update the licence first so it matches your other documents.
The old "paper counterpart" and licence checks
UK licences no longer have a paper counterpart, and there is no longer any endorsement information printed on the card. Some hire companies like to see your driving record — points, categories and so on. Rather than an IDP, the thing to sort before you travel is a DVLA licence "check code", generated free on the gov.uk "view or share your driving licence" service, which lets the hire firm view your record online. Not every company asks, but generating one takes two minutes and saves any awkwardness at the desk.
What about the green card and car insurance?
This is where post-Brexit worries creep in, but it does not apply to hire cars. The "green card" (proof of motor insurance) and related paperwork are only relevant if you drive your own vehicle abroad. When you rent a car in the Canaries, insurance is arranged through the hire company as part of the booking, so there is no green card for you to obtain. The only insurance question worth thinking about is whether to add excess-reduction cover — a separate matter we cover in our car hire guide.
Driving here: quick orientation
Once you have the keys, the basics will feel familiar to any European driver, with a few local points worth knowing before you set off.
- Drive on the right and overtake on the left — the opposite of home, so take extra care at junctions and roundabouts for the first day.
- Roads are generally excellent, but mountain routes are steep, winding and narrow in places; take your time and use low gears on long descents.
- Speed limits and drink-drive rules are strict and enforced. Keep to posted limits and don't drink and drive — the limit is lower than in the UK.
For the full picture — parking, fuel, mountain roads and local etiquette — see our detailed guide to driving in the Canary Islands.
Book your hire car in advance for the best price and to guarantee availability in peak season, and read the fuel policy and excess terms carefully — those, not paperwork, are where holiday hire costs really add up.
Minimum age and other hire conditions
The licence itself is only part of what car-hire firms check. A few conditions catch British and Irish holidaymakers out more often than any documentation:
- Minimum age. Most companies rent from 21, and drivers under about 25 usually pay a young-driver surcharge. A few premium categories require you to be older.
- Licence held for a minimum period. You typically need to have held your full licence for at least a year, sometimes two. Bring a licence that shows this, or have your check code ready.
- Named drivers. Anyone who will drive must be added to the agreement and present at the desk with their own licence — an unnamed driver is uninsured.
None of these change the IDP answer, but sorting them in advance saves stress at the desk. Our car hire guide runs through the full booking checklist.
Non-UK, non-Irish licences
Drivers from other EU and EEA countries are also fine on their home licence. If your licence is from further afield — and especially if it is not in the Latin alphabet — an IDP may genuinely be required, so check your specific national situation before you travel. For everyone from the British Isles, though, the answer stays a simple no.
The bottom line
British and Irish visitors need no International Driving Permit to hire or drive in the Canary Islands — just your photocard licence, your passport and the driver's payment card. Consider generating a free DVLA check code, forget the green card (it is for your own vehicle, not hire cars), and read our car hire and driving guides so you set off relaxed and road-ready.