Renting a luxury car with a foreign driving licence

Courchevel, Geneva, a private jet touching down in Lyon: a luxury car rented in the French Alps is often driven on a licence issued outside France. At Corsiva, the rule is simple, and it depends on the country that issued your licence. Here it is, along with the documents to prepare before you book.

In brief

Which licence you need to rent with Corsiva

The rule below is Corsiva's own, for all our self-drive rentals. It comes down to two cases.

This is our rental rule. It says nothing about the driving rules in France or in the countries you drive through: check those before you travel.

The United Kingdom is no longer part of the European Union, so we treat a UK licence the same way as a US or UAE one. The same rule applies to an additional driver, an option at €20 a day.

The International Driving Permit, in practice

An International Driving Permit does not replace your licence: it goes with it. That is why we ask for both, and both must be valid.

• Where to get it: in the country that issued your licence, before you travel. We cannot issue it for you.
• When to show it: at pick-up, together with your national licence, when we check the originals.
• Without it: self-drive rental is not possible. A car with a chauffeur still is.

An unusual situation, or a question about a document? Call us before you book and we will tell you exactly what you need.

The documents to have ready

Booking online takes about two minutes, with no payment. You upload your valid driving licence and an ID document (an ID card, front and back, or your passport's photo page), and the form also asks for your licence number. Proof of address is optional. Our team checks availability and your file before confirming.

• Your national driving licence, valid, front and back.
• An ID document: an ID card (front and back) or your passport (photo page).
• An International Driving Permit, if your licence was not issued in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland.
• A bank card, for the security deposit pre-authorisation.

On the day, the originals are checked when you collect the car, before we hand over the keys.

Security deposit and payment

The security deposit is a simple card pre-authorisation, taken when you collect the keys. The amount is held, not charged, and released when the car is returned in good condition. It depends on the model and is shown on each car's booking page.

Nothing is charged when you send your request. Once your file is approved, you receive a secure Stripe payment link by email to pay the 30% down payment that confirms your booking, by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Cancellation is free up to 7 days before pick-up.

Staying a week? For any rental of 3 days or more, please contact us for a tailored rate.

Geneva, Courchevel, private jets: where to collect the car

Pick-up is free in Chambéry, at the agency or the train station. The car can also be waiting closer to where you are staying:

• In Courchevel, a regular delivery point, with the price shown when you book. See luxury car rental in Courchevel.
• At Geneva or Lyon Saint-Exupéry airport, on quote depending on distance. See luxury car rental at the airport.
• Arriving by private jet: see our guide to flying into the Alps by private jet.

Geneva is in Switzerland. To drive there, add the international cover option, at €20 a day, subject to approval by the insurer and our team. The Swiss motorway vignette is not supplied: it is at your expense.

No International Driving Permit, or would you rather not drive on snow? With a chauffeur, the licence question does not arise: they do the driving, on quote. See car with chauffeur. And to see the whole fleet and our terms on a single page: rent a luxury car with Corsiva.

Frequently asked questions