Car Rental in Montevideo (2026) - Driving Guide & Best Rates
Explore Montevideo with ease by renting a car-discover its impressive beaches, lively restaurants, and top attractions at your own pace.
Driving Requirements
LEGAL: Uruguay accepts foreign driver's licenses for the duration of a visitor's authorized stay, typically up to 90 days for most nationalities. An International Driving Permit (IDP) is not legally mandated but is strongly advisable if your license is not in Spanish or does not include a photograph, as it provides an official translation that police and rental staff can read. RENTAL POLICY: Most rental companies require the IDP as a condition of the rental contract when the issuing country uses a non-Latin alphabet or non-standard format, confirm with your specific provider before arrival.
LEGAL: The minimum age to hold a driver's license in Uruguay is 18. RENTAL POLICY: This is a separate matter, rental companies set their own minimums, which vary by provider. Some companies rent from age 21, others require 25, and most charge a young-driver surcharge for drivers under 25. Confirm the exact age policy and any associated fees directly with your chosen rental company, as these differ meaningfully across providers.
LEGAL: Uruguay requires all vehicles to carry the SOAT (Seguro Obligatorio de Accidentes de Tránsito), which is compulsory third-party liability coverage for personal injury. Rental vehicles will already carry this, it is included in the rental by law. RENTAL POLICY: Companies typically offer additional products such as a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and theft protection on top of the legal minimum. These are optional but recommended, if your personal travel insurance or credit card does not provide equivalent coverage.
RENTAL POLICY (not a legal requirement): Virtually all car rental companies in Montevideo require a valid credit card, not a debit card, at pickup to place a security deposit hold. The hold amount varies by company and vehicle category. Some premium or international rental brands may also require the card to be in the primary driver's name. Bring a card with sufficient available credit above your rental cost to cover the deposit hold.
LEGAL: Uruguay drives on the right. A rule that surprises many visitors is prioridad de la derecha, at uncontrolled intersections (those without stop signs, traffic lights, or explicit signage), vehicles arriving from the right have automatic priority. Right turns on red are not permitted unless a sign explicitly allows them. Seatbelts are mandatory for all occupants, and handheld mobile phone use while driving is prohibited. Speed limits in urban Montevideo are generally 45 km/h on standard streets and 30 km/h in residential zones, watch for posted signs.
Helpful Tips
Carrasco International Airport (MVD) is convenient for picking up on arrival. But most agencies apply an airport location surcharge. If you don't need the car immediately, collecting from a city-center branch can reduce that fee, though you'll need a separate transfer into town first.
Before accepting the keys, photograph or video every panel, wheel arch, and the interior in good light, rental paperwork in Uruguay can be brief, and undocumented pre-existing damage typically becomes your liability. Also confirm explicitly whether the collision damage waiver covers tires and windshields, as these are frequently excluded regardless of which company you use.
Google Maps and Waze both have reliable coverage in Montevideo and on main intercity routes. Download an offline map before you leave the hotel, since mobile data can drop on rural stretches, built-in GPS units vary widely in map freshness, so ask the agent when the maps were last updated before relying on one.
Most rental vehicles run on nafta (petrol); ANCAP, Uruguay's state fuel company, operates stations throughout the city and along major highways, so supply is generally not a concern, the near-universal return policy is full-to-full, but confirm this at pickup, as prepaid-fuel options are occasionally offered and are typically priced above pump rate.
The city center and Ciudad Vieja operate a paid on-street parking system during business hours, with meters or roving attendants. For overnight stays, covered garages (playas de estacionamiento) are common in central neighborhoods and are the more secure option compared to leaving the car on an unattended street.
Driving Warnings
At unmarked intersections throughout Montevideo's residential neighborhoods, the vehicle approaching from the right has absolute legal priority regardless of road width, many visitors assume the wider or busier road has right-of-way, as in their home countries. But Uruguayan law does not work that way, and failing to yield is a fineable traffic offense.
Uruguay enforces a strict 0.0 g/L blood alcohol limit for all drivers, stricter than most of Europe and the Americas, and police set up random breath-test checkpoints (operativos) on weekend nights. Any detectable alcohol can result in on-the-spot fines and potential vehicle impoundment.
Uruguayan traffic law requires every vehicle to carry a working fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, at least two warning triangles, and a reflective safety vest. Traffic police conduct roadside equipment checks, and liability for missing items falls on the driver, so verify your rental car is fully equipped before leaving the lot.
The Rambla, the coastal boulevard running along the Río de la Plata, becomes heavily congested on summer weekend afternoons and during evening rush hours, while Ciudad Vieja's historic center is a dense grid of one-way streets that routinely disorients first-time visitors. Build in extra time and rely on a navigation app for both areas.