Car rental in Jordan - is an International Driving Permit required?

Hi,

I'm currently working and living in Saudi Arabia and my family are coming for a trip to visit me in Jordan. We intend to rent a car, but I only have my full UK driver's license (i.e paper license and photocard) with me in KSA. Is an IDP required to rent a car in Jordan? I keep getting mixed reviews.

Normally, I would ere on the side of caution and get one but I can't apply for one in the UK in absentia (i.e I can't get my family to get one on my behalf) and the chances of getting one here are slim to say the least.

Thanks in advance.

Nobody ever asked for mine, I think I got one for Jordan, not at the rental company nor at the roadblocks you'll find in different locations, they wanted to see the passport, didn't really look at it and wished us a happy welcome to Jordan, only one roadblock ask us where we're going to, that was from the dead sea over Mt. Nebo to Madaba.

Can't another person of your family get one and do the driving in case they ask at the rental company?

Driving in Jordan is real easy if you don't go into Amman.

Yeah they could but neither of them are comfortable driving abroad so at the moment that is a last resort. Sent off a few emails to rental companies and three replied saying I didn't need one and another said I didn't need one to drive in the country but it was their policy to ask for them. Waiting for a few more replies before I decide what would be best.

Thanks for the reply

Just rent from one that don't ask for them, after all what is an IDP, a translation of your exsiting license,
mine is in German, but the translation only includes english, french, russian and spanish, there is no arabic, hebrew or chinese in it, so your english license should be ok.

My son and I just used our US state's drivers licences. We rented with Avis--the international chain. In addition, since my son was joining me here in Amman, he mailed me a photocopy of his driver's licence and they accepted that, and added his name to the permissions to operate the vehicle--before he even arrived in Jordan. If Jordanian car rental firms demanded international driving permits, I don't think they'd have many using their services.

We also rented with AVIS and used our Spanish driving licences. No further documents were required.