"Ireland sets a higher age bar than most travellers expect. Most major suppliers require 25. Three allow younger drivers — Sixt from 21, Europcar from 22, Hertz from 23 — but each comes with daily surcharges, vehicle restrictions, and licence-holding requirements that change the maths on any booking."
Most major car rental suppliers in Ireland — Avis, Enterprise, Budget, and most smaller operators at Dublin Airport — require drivers to be 25. That's a higher floor than you'll find in the US or most of continental Europe, and it catches a lot of travellers off guard. Three suppliers do rent to younger drivers: Sixt from 21, Europcar from 22, and Hertz from 23. All three charge a daily young driver surcharge, and each comes with restrictions on which vehicle classes you can book. For the full picture on renting in Ireland, see the Ireland rental guide.
If you're in the 21–24 bracket, you have real options — but the cheapest headline rate isn't always cheapest once the daily surcharge is added, and some suppliers restrict which vehicle classes younger drivers can book. This covers what each of the three permissive suppliers actually allows, what it costs over a typical trip, and the one thing most young renters miss before they book.
Age rules and surcharges
| Age | Surcharge | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Under 21 | Not eligible | No supplier in Ireland rents to drivers under 21. Sixt is the floor at 21, and requires a licence held for at least 4 years. |
| 21–24 | €26–€38/day | Sixt (from 21), Europcar (from 22), and Hertz (from 23) are the only options. A daily young driver surcharge applies at each. Avis and Enterprise do not rent to under-25s. Vehicle class access is restricted at some suppliers — particularly Hertz, where 23–24 year olds are limited to economy cars. |
| 25 and over | No surcharge | Full supplier choice and full fleet access. No age-related restrictions or surcharges. |
Hertz Ireland T&Cs (Sept 2025); Avis ROI Rental Conditions (April 2026); Enterprise Ireland FAQ; Europcar Ireland Help Centre; Sixt Ireland T&Cs.
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How the young driver surcharge works
The surcharge is per day, on top of the base rate, and runs for every day of the rental. Sixt charges €38/day, Europcar €30/day, Hertz €26/day. On a 7-day trip that's €266, €210, or €182 before insurance — enough to shift which supplier is actually cheapest once you add it to the base rate. Ireland's young driver surcharges sit at the higher end of what European markets charge, so it's worth doing the full maths rather than comparing headline rates.
Hertz: age unlocks vehicle classes progressively
At 23 and 24, Hertz limits you to economy and small cars — groups A, B, and E. That's fine for getting around Dublin or doing the main coastal roads. But if you're planning the Wild Atlantic Way or heading into Connemara, you probably want something bigger — and at Hertz that means waiting until 25. Compact and intermediate cars open at 25, estates and minivans at 27, larger SUVs and 4WDs at 30. Worth knowing before you build an itinerary around a vehicle class that's not available to you yet.
Europcar: the Super CDW restriction for under-26s
Europcar's €30/day surcharge is one thing. The less obvious issue is that drivers under 26 cannot purchase Super CDW — the add-on that eliminates the damage excess entirely. That means a 23-year-old renting from Europcar pays the daily surcharge and carries a higher excess exposure than a 26-year-old in the same car. If your credit card doesn't cover Ireland-specific damage (wheels, tyres, glass), that gap matters.
The licence-holding requirement — often the real barrier
Every supplier sets a minimum period for how long the driver must have held a licence — separately from the minimum age, and often the requirement that actually catches people out. Sixt requires four years. A 21-year-old who passed at 17 qualifies; one who passed at 19 doesn't, even though they're above the age minimum. Europcar requires two years — a 22-year-old who passed at 20 makes it, one who passed at 21 doesn't. Hertz requires just one year, which is the most accessible threshold for younger drivers. Avis's requirement of 8–12 years depending on vehicle class is what makes their "no stated minimum age" policy less meaningful in practice than it sounds — most under-21s simply haven't been eligible to hold a licence for that long.
Booking a rental car in Ireland under 25
Start by searching with your age entered correctly. Most comparison platforms filter by driver age at the search stage, so suppliers who won't rent to you drop out of results automatically — you're not left manually checking T&Cs for each one. The surcharge also shows in the total, which makes the real cost comparison straightforward.
Think about what you actually need the car for before choosing a supplier. If you're 21 or 22 and want flexibility on vehicle size — or you're doing a rural circuit where a bigger car would be genuinely useful — Sixt is the only option that far down the age range, even though it carries the highest surcharge. At 22 or 23, Europcar becomes an option with a lower daily fee, though the Super CDW exclusion means your excess exposure is higher. Hertz makes sense at 23 or 24 if a small car genuinely covers your trip and you want the lowest surcharge — just confirm the vehicle class works for your itinerary first.
When you're comparing prices: add the daily surcharge multiplied by your trip length to the base rate, then factor in your insurance position. That's the real number. The gap between a €26/day Hertz surcharge and a €38/day Sixt surcharge is €84 on a 7-day trip — sometimes enough to change the call, sometimes not, but worth doing the maths before you decide on the cheapest headline rate.
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- Meeting the minimum age doesn't guarantee access to every vehicle class — Hertz restricts 23- and 24-year-olds to economy cars only, which rules out 4WDs for the Wild Atlantic Way or Connemara routes.
- Europcar's Super CDW — the add-on that eliminates your damage excess — is unavailable to drivers under 26, regardless of the surcharge paid.
- Sixt's minimum age of 21 requires a licence held for 4 years. A 21-year-old who passed at 19 doesn't qualify even if they meet the age floor.
- Avis requires drivers to have been eligible to hold a licence for 8–12 years. Their 'no minimum age' policy is not a route in for most under-21 travellers.
- Young driver surcharges are per day and charged on top of the rental rate. At Sixt's €38/day, a 7-day rental adds €266 before insurance or other extras.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum age to rent a car in Ireland?
It depends on the supplier. Sixt rents from age 21, Europcar from 22, Hertz from 23. Avis, Enterprise, and most other suppliers at Dublin Airport require 25. There is no single minimum set by Irish law — each supplier sets its own floor, and most have set it at 25.
Can I rent a car in Ireland if I'm under 25?
Yes, through Sixt (from 21), Europcar (from 22), or Hertz (from 23), provided you also meet the licence-holding requirement for each supplier. A young driver surcharge applies at each — €38/day at Sixt, €30/day at Europcar, €26/day at Hertz for economy cars only.
Does Ireland have a young driver fee for car rentals?
Three suppliers charge one: Sixt at €38/day for drivers under 25, Europcar at €30/day for drivers aged 22–25, and Hertz at €26/day for drivers aged 23–24. Avis and Enterprise do not charge a young driver surcharge — Avis because their licence-holding requirements function as the constraint, and Enterprise because they simply don't rent to under-25s in Ireland.
Can I rent a 4WD or SUV in Ireland if I'm under 25?
Not at Hertz — drivers aged 23–24 are restricted to economy and small car groups (A, B, E). Larger vehicles, SUVs, and 4WDs require you to be 25 or older. Sixt allows some SUV categories from 21, but premium and larger 4WD groups still require 25. If an SUV is important for your itinerary — the Wild Atlantic Way or Connemara in particular — confirm vehicle availability for your age before booking.
What licence-holding requirements apply to young drivers in Ireland?
Each supplier has its own: Hertz requires the licence valid for at least 1 year; Europcar requires 2 years; Sixt requires 4 years; Avis requires 8–12 years depending on vehicle class; Enterprise requires 8 years for standard cars. These are separate from the minimum age requirement. A 22-year-old who passed their test at 21 meets Europcar's age floor but not their 2-year licence requirement.
Does Europcar's young driver surcharge cover full insurance in Ireland?
No. The €30/day young driver surcharge is separate from insurance. Drivers under 26 at Europcar also cannot purchase Super CDW — the add-on that eliminates the damage excess. That means young renters are paying the surcharge and carrying a higher excess liability than older drivers renting the same car.
