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10 July 2026 · SunnVio

Taking a rental car across the border: is it allowed and what to arrange?

You rent a car in Spain and fancy a day trip to Portugal. Or you pick one up in Germany and drive on to Austria. Sounds obvious – but taking a rental car across the border is far from always allowed by default. Drive into another country without permission and you may be uninsured and in real trouble. This guide explains what to arrange in advance.

Crossing the border is not automatic – check your contract

The key rule: a rental car is, by default, only insured and permitted in the country where you collect it. To drive into another country you usually need prior permission from the rental company. Within Western Europe (say Spain to France, or Germany to the Netherlands) that is often no problem and sometimes allowed as standard, but it is not always spelled out in the small print. So read the terms before you book, or ask explicitly at pick-up. If you get verbal permission, ask for confirmation on paper or by email – without proof you are empty-handed at a check or after damage.

Countries with restrictions: watch Eastern Europe and islands

Some destinations are more sensitive. Many companies do not allow you to drive to certain Eastern European countries (think Albania, Kosovo, Moldova or sometimes further east), because of theft or damage risk. Rent on an island – the Greek islands, Mallorca or Sardinia, for example – and you almost never may take the car by ferry to the mainland or another island. And watch the special cases: from Great Britain to the mainland, or between Ireland and Northern Ireland, separate rules often apply. In doubt? Do not assume it is allowed – ask.

Insurance and the green card across the border

If you drive into another country with permission, your insurance travels with you in principle – but check that the cover (liability, collision, breakdown assistance) also applies in that country. Ask about the green card (international insurance certificate): within the EU it is not always mandatory anymore, but outside the EU or in doubtful cases it is a valuable document to carry. Important detail: the excess waiver and breakdown cover you take out at pick-up sometimes only apply in the collection country. So check whether your extra insurance works across borders, or a breakdown abroad still lands you with unexpected costs.

Extra costs: the cross-border fee

Permission to cross the border is often not free. Many companies charge a cross-border fee – sometimes a one-off amount, sometimes a daily rate. Additional costs may come on top, such as a compulsory extension of breakdown cover or a toll device for the neighbouring country. Ask at pick-up for the exact amount and what it covers, so you are not surprised later on your credit card statement. Factor this into your comparison: sometimes it is cheaper to rent a car in the neighbouring country itself than to pay the surcharge.

How to arrange it in advance without hassle

If you want to take your rental car across the border, keep a simple routine: decide in advance which countries you want to drive to, check whether that is allowed, ask for written permission and the right insurance documents, and ask about the cross-border fee and whether your extra cover travels with you. Do that and you cross the border stress-free. At SunnVio we look at your route with you up front: we arrange a car you are actually allowed to drive where you want, explain which surcharges and insurance apply, and make sure you set off without surprises – so you can focus on the trip, not the fine print.