A car rental often comes down to the moment the agency asks for your papers. An expired licence, not having held it long enough, or a driver nobody declared, and the key handover gets complicated. Here is what to prepare, and the questions to ask the agency when your situation is not straightforward.
What documents does the agency ask for when it hands over the keys?
Two documents, for each person who will drive: an identity document, either an identity card or a passport, and a driving licence. Both must be valid.
It is the agency that checks these documents, when it hands you the car. KiraCars connects renters with approved agencies, but owns no vehicles: the car, its insurance and its handover remain the agency's responsibility. It works the other way too: the agency has also shown its papers. Before listing, it had the KiraCars team check its legal name, tax ID and trade register.
A few good habits before pick-up:
- check the expiry date of your identity document and of your licence; if either one expires during the rental, tell the agency before accepting its offer;
- take the originals, and ask the agency whether it accepts anything else rather than assuming it does;
- keep these documents on you on the day of pick-up, not in checked luggage.
How old must you be, and how long must you have held your licence?
There is no single rule. The minimum age and the minimum time holding a licence are set by each agency, model by model, and shown on the offer or on the vehicle's page. For a quote request in Tunisia, you generally need to be at least 21 and to have held your licence for two years. Some vehicles require more.
You do not need an account to request a quote. The form asks for your name, phone number, email address, date of birth and the date you obtained your licence. Give these two dates exactly: the agency will find the same ones on your documents on the day of pick-up.
If you are a young driver, or if you only got your licence recently:
- read the age and licence requirement on each offer before accepting it;
- do not give up at the first refusal: the requirement changes from one model to another, and from one agency to another;
- ask whether your age or how long you have held your licence changes the price or the deposit;
- if in doubt, ask in writing before you travel. Better a ‘no’ at the quote stage than a ‘no’ at the counter.
Can you share the driving with a second driver?
Yes, on one condition: the second driver must be declared to the agency, with their own identity document and their own driving licence. A driver who has not been declared is not covered. So do not hand over the wheel, even for a short trip, to someone the agency does not know.
Tell the agency before accepting its offer, and ask these questions:
- does the second driver have to meet the same age and licence requirements as you?
- is there a charge for declaring them?
- do they need to be present when the keys are handed over, or is it enough to show their documents?
If you think you might share the driving, even for part of your stay, declare the second driver from the start rather than telling yourself you will deal with it later.
Can a business rent a car for an employee?
Yes. In the quote request, a business can give its legal name and tax ID. But the business is not the one driving: the person who takes the wheel shows their identity document and driving licence when the keys are handed over, and must meet the model's age and licence requirements.
If several employees are going to drive the same vehicle, each one must be declared to the agency with their own documents. An undeclared employee is not covered, exactly like a forgotten second driver.
Before accepting the offer, check with the agency:
- the name that will appear on the contract: the business's, the employee's, or both;
- which of the business's documents it will ask you for when it hands over the keys;
- what documents it can give you for your accounts.
What should you ask the agency if your licence was issued abroad?
Many tourists and Tunisians from the diaspora drive with a licence obtained outside Tunisia. There is no single rule to give here: the agency checks the documents, so it is up to the agency to say what it accepts. Ask these questions in writing, before accepting its offer:
- do you accept my licence as it is?
- do you require an additional document, for example a translation or an international driving permit?
- if my licence was exchanged for one from another country, which date do you use for how long I have held it?
- is my identity document acceptable to you, or would you rather have my passport?
Keep the agency's written reply and have it to hand when the keys are handed over. If you have two licences, bring the one the agency gave you an answer about.
Do you need to bring anything other than papers?
Yes: a way to pay, and a way to leave the deposit. The rental price is paid in full to the agency, in Tunisian dinars, when the keys are handed over. Nothing is charged online and KiraCars collects nothing. The payment method, cash or card, is the agency's choice: confirm it with them before you set off.
The deposit is set by the agency and its amount is shown. Depending on the agency, it takes one of these two forms, offered as a choice or fixed in advance:
- a pre-authorisation on your bank card, made on the agency's card terminal and released on return if there is no claim. Ask whether the card must be in the driver's name;
- a cash deposit, in dinars, handed back to you in person on return. Bring the amount shown on the offer.
In both cases, the deposit never passes through KiraCars.
Who has access to your documents?
The documents you provide for a rental can only be accessed by KiraCars and by the agency concerned. They are never resold. The applicable framework is Tunisian law 2004-63. You can ask to access, correct or delete your data by writing to contact@kiracars.com.
For anything else, see the frequently asked questions about renting with KiraCars.
Are your papers ready? Request a quote from the car rental in Tunis page or the car rental in Sousse page. Agencies in the area reply with offers that state the model, the total price, the deposit and their terms. Compare them, ask your questions, then accept the one that suits you.