Most rental problems happen at the counter, and almost all of them are about documents. This is the short version of what you need to bring to an AUTOPORTRENT station, and why we cannot be flexible about it.
The four things we have to see
- The reservation voucher. This is the confirmation email you receive after payment, containing your booking number and details. Keep it: it is the voucher.
- Your driving licence. Valid for driving in Portugal, and held for a minimum of two years from the date of issue.
- Your identification. EU citizens: driving licence and citizen card or passport. Non-EU citizens: driving licence and passport.
- A credit card. In the main driver's name, physically present, with enough available balance for the security deposit and valid for more than 30 days beyond the end of the agreement.
All documents must be originals. Copies are not accepted, and neither are photographs on a phone. If one of the documents is missing, we cannot hand over the vehicle.
Why the credit card is separate from the payment
You can pay the rental itself in cash in euros, or by debit or credit card, including American Express, Diners, Mastercard and Visa. The security deposit is different. It has to be a credit card, and it has to be yours as the main driver: you cannot use someone else's card, and virtual, prepaid and top-up cards are not accepted.
We use the card to request an authorisation and hold the deposit amount, without taking any money. Your available credit is reduced by that amount for the duration of the agreement. Once the vehicle is back, provided there is nothing outstanding and our services have checked it, the hold is released. Where an additional toll deposit applies, it is released within 30 days, because remaining toll usage can still be charged during that period.
Additional drivers
Only drivers expressly named in the rental agreement may drive the vehicle. Additional drivers can be added when you collect the car, at 25€ per driver, and each of them has to present their own original documents at that moment. Adding a driver later, by phone, is not possible.
International licences
You only need an international driving licence if your own licence is not valid in Portugal. Where it is required, it is only valid when accompanied by the original national licence, so bring both.
What happens if you turn up without them
Not presenting the necessary documentation, or not presenting a credit card with funds available for the deposit, is treated as a No Show reservation. There is no entitlement to a refund in that situation. It is a hard rule, and it is the single most common reason a holiday starts badly, so it is worth ten minutes of checking before you leave home.
If you are unsure about any of this, call us on 217 815 750 before you travel, or read the full Terms and Conditions.