age, licence and what to bring to the desk

The rental companies listed on GetCar in Aruba rent to drivers aged 25 to 65, every class included. Other companies on the island set their own limits, and a limit often rises with the class: a driver who can rent an economy hatchback may still be refused a full-size SUV or an eight-seat van from the same company on the same day.

Age minimums are set per company and per class rather than nationally, so the number that matters is the one attached to the specific car you are booking. On GetCar the requirement is shown on the car before you book, which is the point at which it is useful to know rather than at the desk with your luggage.

Where a company does rent below 25 it usually adds a young driver surcharge, a per-day amount on top of the rate. None of the companies on GetCar in Aruba does, because none of them rents below 25 at all.

A full, valid licence from your home country, held for a reasonable period and not provisional. Most companies want to see that you have held it at least a year or two; a licence issued last month is a common reason for a refusal at the counter.

If your licence is not in the Latin alphabet, bring an international driving permit alongside it. The IDP is a translation, not a licence in its own right, so it is only ever valid presented together with the original.

The licence must be the physical document. A photograph of it on your phone is not accepted, and neither, generally, is a digital licence app from another country.

A credit card in the main driver's name, for the deposit. This is the requirement that most often stops a booking at the counter, because the name on the card must match the name on the licence and the booking. A card in a partner's name does not work even when the partner is standing next to you, unless they are the one renting.

Debit cards are accepted by some companies and not others, and where accepted the deposit is often taken as a genuine charge rather than a hold. If a debit card is your only option, confirm it before you travel rather than at the desk.

Make sure the card has enough headroom for the deposit on top of everything else you are spending on the trip. A declined pre-authorisation at the counter is an awkward way to start a holiday.

Your booking reference or voucher, which carries the pick-up instructions, the company's phone number and the conditions that apply to your specific rental.

Your flight number, if you are collecting at the airport. Put it in the booking rather than carrying it in your head: a tracked flight that lands late is not treated as a no-show, and without it companies generally hold a car about two hours past the booked time before releasing it.

Passport or ID, and the details of any additional driver you want on the agreement. Adding a second driver at the desk is straightforward and cheap; driving as an unnamed driver invalidates the damage waiver entirely, which is an expensive way to save a small fee.