Are you wondering if you can rent a car as a young person in Ireland? Or are you a bit older and worried about car hire age restrictions that might mean you can’t? In this article, we share everything you need to know about the car rental Ireland age restrictions and limitations, and what they mean for you.
While most countries have the same or similar minimum age for driving a car and holding a licence, not all car rental companies across the world have the same car rental age requirements. If you are going to Ireland and hiring a car, then you should be aware of the different car hire age restrictions in the country so both you and your fellow travellers are prepared.
Car Rental Ireland Age Restrictions – Everything you need to know
Like most countries around the world, Ireland has certain age restrictions for hiring a car on the island, and the restrictions are similar across both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
To avoid disappointment upon arrival to collect your hire car, you should ensure that you meet the age restrictions set by your car hire company and if required, carry any additional documentation they may require to release the car to you.
Car Rental Age Limits in Ireland
Renting a car in Ireland if you are under 25 years of age
One of the biggest questions asked when it comes to car rental in Ireland by the younger generation is “Can I hire a car in Ireland if I am under 25 years of age?”.
Unfortunately, renting a car under 25 years of age in Ireland is not possible with all car rental companies. The under 25s do not meet the minimum requirements most car rental companies have for eligibility.
Typically, to be eligible to hire a car in Ireland, the holder must have been eligible to hold a driving licence for a minimum of 8 years. This does not mean they have to have held a licence for 8 years.
Under 25s do not meet this requirement as they cannot legally hold a full driving licence in Ireland until they are 18 years of age. This places them one year short of the minimum requirements for hiring a car in Ireland.
To hire larger vehicles such as people carriers and vans, an additional 3 years is required on top of the initial 8 years.
Ireland has one of the strictest minimum age requirements for car hire in the world.
Now, there may be some car hire companies that will allow drivers younger than 25 years of age to hire a car but with additional surcharges or fees, often called a Young Drivers Fee, which will significantly increase the cost due to the additional insurance.
Renting a car in Ireland if you are over 70 years of age
If you have heard people saying you cannot hire a car in Ireland if you are over 70 years of age, then you’ve heard a myth.
While the car rental minimum age is generally 25 years of age, the upper limit can vary between car rental company to car rental company.
Typically, the upper car rental age restriction in Ireland is 70 to 75 years of age, depending on the car hire company.
However, in certain cases, car rental companies will hire cars to those over their age limit with additional documentation which may include a medical certificate from their doctor confirming they are medically fit to drive.
These should be presented at the time of arrival at the car hire company and must be recent. Failure to produce medical certificates when required will result in a forfeit of the booking and loss of any fees or deposit already paid.
If you are 70 or over, it is strongly recommended that you find out what the upper car rental age limit policy is from your car rental company and ensure you have the necessary additional documents printed and with you before you arrive in Ireland.
Irish rental car age restrictions policies
In this section, you can find the age restriction policies for My Irish Cousin and a note about the general age restrictions in Ireland across the car rental market.
My Irish Cousin car rental age restrictions policy
My Irish Cousin has a car rental minimum age limit policy of 25 years like many of the car hire companies in Ireland.
However, there is no upper age limit with My Irish Cousin. Our policy is if you are eligible to drive at home, then you are eligible to drive in Ireland. In addition (and different to other car rental companies in Ireland), My Irish Cousin does not require any additional documents or medical certificates in order to rent cars to anyone aged 70 or over).
Things to note about car rental age restrictions policies
Before deciding on which car hire company to rent your car from, be sure to check their car rental age restrictions policies, particularly in relation to young drivers and those over 75 years of age. Some car rental companies in Northern Ireland may allow those aged between 22 and 25 years to hire a car with them provided they have held their licence for 1 year and pay a Young Drivers Fee. However, this is not true for all companies. There are also some companies who restrict the class of vehicle those under 30 are permitted to rent from them. Check this carefully.
And in the case of drivers over 75, additional documentation may be required by other car rental companies (but not My Irish Cousin) in the form of:
- Confirm they regularly drive,
- A medical certificate from their doctor stating they are fit to drive and in good health, and
- A letter from their insurance company stating that they hold a valid car insurance policy and have not been in an accident in the last 5 years.
- Be prepared to undergo a driving assessment by an agent from the car rental company prior to release of the car.
Irish rental car age restrictions policies for additional drivers
When it comes to the age limit to rent a car in Ireland, the same policies and restrictions apply to all drivers, be they the main driver or a second named driver.
Even if the named driver is within the allowable age range, if a second driver falls outside the age range set by the car rental company, then the restrictions and limitations apply to them, including under 25s and the over 75s.
In the case of under 25s, the young driver surcharge, where applicable, must be paid. If the car rental company does not rent to under 25s, they will not be added as a second driver.
In the case of over 75s, additional documentation required by the car rental company must be provided before they will be added to the policy and permitted to drive the car.
Conclusion
While the legal driving age in Ireland is 17 years old, the age limit for car hire in Ireland is much higher in most cases at 25 years of age. There are some car hire companies that will allow drivers from the age of 22 to hire a car but with a young driver surcharge applied which significantly increases the cost.
For many companies, there is no upper age limit, but some car hire companies may require additional documentation from people over the age of 75. You should always confirm with the car hire company exactly what they are before you arrive at the desk.
Frequently Asked Questions
With many car rental companies, there is no maximum age to rent a car. However, some companies do require additional documentation from those over the age of 75, details of which can be confirmed with the car hire company.
Many car rental companies in Ireland have a minimum rental car age requirement of 25 years of age. In certain cases, they may allow drivers from 22 years of age to hire a car upon payment of a young drivers surcharge but not all car rental companies in Ireland will offer this. Drivers must have been eligible to hold a driving licence for 8 years to hire a car in Ireland, making the minimum age 25 years of age.
Simply answered, no. Car rental companies require drivers to have been eligible to hold a driving licence for 8 years before they will hire a car to them. This means that the minimum age required is 25 years of age.
If you are renting a car in Ireland, age restrictions will only apply if you are not between the ages of 25 and 75 years of age.
Yes, typically drivers must be between 25 and 75 years of age, depending on the car hire company. Under 25s may hire from certain companies with additional costs and over 75s may be asked for additional documentation.
If you have been wondering “can I rent a car in Ireland at age 75?” then the answer is yes and you will not be required to provide any additional documentation. While there is no upper rental car age in Ireland, some car hire companies may ask those aged 76 and above to provide additional information outlined in this article.
If you are wondering can an 18 year old drive a rental car Ireland, the answer is no. Ireland has a minimum rental car age of 25 years of age, which may be lowered by some companies to 22 with additional costs incurred.
There are a few companies that may allow those aged between 22 and 25 years of age to rent a car in Ireland with additional costs applied.
Drivers under 25 are considered high risk drivers by insurance companies. For this reason and to keep costs as low as possible for customers, car hire companies in Ireland have a minimum age of 25 years as the industry standard.
