My First Car Hire - Info for Young Drivers

After navigating the challenges of the theory and driving tests, you’re now the proud owner of a driving license, eager to hit the road for an adventure with friends. With a year of driving experience under your belt, you’re ready to rent your first car, whether in the UK or abroad. Auto Europe provides young drivers the opportunity to rent vehicles from a variety of suppliers around the globe. Typically, the cars available for young renters fall into the mini and economy categories, but there’s a chance the local supplier might upgrade you to a compact model. As a young driver, it’s important to be aware of certain requirements and essential information regarding the rental process.

Minimum age

Rental companies consider people aged 19 (sometimes 18) to 24 or 26 as young drivers. Find out more about driving under 21 and hiring a car if you are younger than 26.

ID & driving licence

At the pick-up time, you are required to present an ID or passport, depending on the country where you are hiring the vehicle. In most cases you must have held a valid driving licence for a minimum of 1 year. You may be requested by the rental company to provide a DVLA code to check your driving licence record or a printed copy of the driving licence record, downloadable via DVLA website 21 days prior to rental start.

Credit Card

It is compulsory to have a valid credit card in the name of the main driver in order to be able to pick up the car. This is mandatory for the security deposit. Regardless of the method of payment used to make the booking online, drivers are required by the local supplier to leave a security deposit for the vehicle at time of pick-up. This takes the form of an amount (minimum: excess + fuel +VAT) being blocked on an international credit card in the name of the primary driver (cash deposits, maestro, switch, visa electron, prepaid credit cards and any debit cards are not accepted). This cannot be your parent's credit card. It needs the driver's first and last name on it. You must be able to provide a physical version of your credit card. The blocked amount will be returned in full at the end of the rental, provided the vehicle is returned in the same condition as rented. Sometimes suppliers offer additional insurance to block a lower deposit on a debit card. However, this must be checked before booking the car.

Young driver fee

All young drivers are required to pay the so called young driver fee which varies depending on your rental supplier. The fee ranges between 30 to 40 pounds a day in the UK and from 5 to 30 euros per day in continental Europe.

Additional driver

If another driver wants to sign up for driving the hired car, they need to pay an additional driver fee, which comes on top of the the young driver fee if the additional driver is 26 or younger.