Car hire at Málaga Airport: where the desks are and what to check before you drive

The companies Aena lists at Málaga Airport

As of 9 October 2026, Aena's car-hire page lists eight companies at Málaga Airport: Avis, Europcar, Proa Rent a Car, Goldcar, Hertz, Record Go, Sixt and OK Rent a Car. Aena's Avis entry also carries Budget telephone numbers, and its Hertz entry carries Firefly, so those two brands are present through their parent's entry. Aena publishes only the names, location and telephone numbers: no hours, prices or terms.

On-airport and off-airport. These eight are the companies Aena lists as present at the airport. Aena lists no off-airport operator, and this page makes no claim about any company not on the list, its location, shuttle or prices.

How complete this page is. Five companies publish terms that could be read and checked on 9 October 2026: Avis, Europcar, Hertz, Goldcar and OK Mobility (OK Rent a Car). Even among those five the detail is uneven, and Budget's and Firefly's own terms were not examined. Sixt, Record Go and Proa Rent a Car publish no terms that could be read, so nothing is said about them here beyond Aena's listing and telephone numbers. That is not a sign their terms are better or worse; ask them directly.

Where to collect the car

Aena places the car-hire companies in "Basement. Terminal 2" ("Sótano. Terminal 2" on the Spanish page). Málaga has one connected passenger terminal, and "Terminal 2" is a zone label: the car-hire desks are on level -1. Avis describes the same hall as being in the arrivals area, one level down from baggage reclaim, "with the rest of car rentals".

• Follow "Alquiler de coches", "Car Rental" or "Rent a Car" after baggage reclaim. Do not follow "Parking" or "Aparcamiento": those signs lead to Aena's public car parks, a different service.
• Try not to leave the rental hall before you have your keys. Avis states that its in-terminal desk has "restricted access for fly in only", and that walk-in customers must use its separate Car Return office in the car park instead.
• OK Rent a Car: Aena's own data is not consistent about where this company's collection point is, so confirm it with OK Rent a Car before you travel.
• No rental shuttle bus is published by Aena. Goldcar states "No shuttles, no delays", and Avis and Hertz describe a walk to their cars. Ask Sixt, Record Go or Proa how to reach their cars before travelling.
• Some companies describe their own desk differently on their websites (for example "ground floor of Terminal 3"). Aena's listing is the official position; if in doubt, follow the car-hire signs and your booking confirmation.

Aena publishes no information on the step-free route to the car-hire desks. If you need help, see special assistance.

Opening hours, late arrivals and delayed flights

Aena publishes no opening hours for the car-hire desks, and several companies publish more than one set of hours for Málaga. Check the hours in your own booking on the day you book. As published by the companies (checked 9 October 2026):

If your flight is delayed: Europcar states it holds the car for up to two hours if the flight number was included in the booking. No equivalent commitment was found from Avis, Hertz or Goldcar, so add your flight number to any booking and call the company if you will be late.

Driving licence and documents

• EU and EEA licences (including Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein) are fully valid in Spain while in force. No International Driving Permit (IDP) is needed. Source: DGT, Spain's traffic authority.
• UK photocard licence: a current UK photocard licence is enough to drive in Spain. GOV.UK confirms that no International Driving Permit is needed.
• UK paper licence: GOV.UK does not address the old paper licence for Spain, so if that is what you hold, check with your rental company and the DGT before you travel. Upgrading to a photocard, or carrying a 1949-model IDP (the model GOV.UK lists for Spain), removes the doubt.
• Other non-EU licences: the DGT's current guidance says you need an international permit, carried together with your passport or identity card.
• If you live in Spain with a UK or other foreign licence, different rules on exchanging the licence apply. Check with the DGT; this page is written for visitors.
• The rental company's own rule: a company may require an IDP as a condition of its own contract even where the law does not, and it can refuse you the car at the desk. Get its position in writing.

What the companies ask for (their own terms): Avis wants the original physical licence, held for at least one year, and does not accept digital licences; the payment card used for the booking, in the booker's name and matching the main driver's licence (two cards for some high-value cars); and photo ID. Goldcar asks for a licence held for at least one year, a payment card in the main driver's name and your booking. Hertz asks for a credit card in your name. Europcar asks for a licence, identification and a payment card in the main driver's name. OK Mobility asks for a licence, ID card or passport and a card in the main driver's name, wants an IDP as a paper document issued in your own country, and accepts digital licences in official apps but not photos or copies.

Spanish law requires the driver to carry the licence, the vehicle registration document (permiso de circulación) and the technical sheet (ficha técnica), as originals or certified copies, with insurance in force. Check the car's papers are in the vehicle before you leave.

Age limits, payment cards and deposits

Minimum age is a company rule, not a Spanish rule:

• Avis: 21, licence held at least one year; a surcharge under 25 and some car groups unavailable. No maximum age, but extra steps may apply to drivers over 75 at the planned return date.
• Goldcar: 21. Under 25: €7.95 a day. Licence held 1–3 years: €5.95 a day, capped at €72 per rental. Additional driver: €9.23 a day.
• Hertz: 25, with some cars from 21 on a young-driver surcharge.
• OK Mobility: from 18 in most countries with a young-driver rate always applying; its minimum age for Spain is in general conditions that could not be read.
• Europcar: no minimum age published for Málaga.

Debit or credit card. Goldcar states it accepts debit cards, with the deposit charged to the card rather than held, and does not accept Maestro, prepaid cards, gift cards, Diners Club, American Express, Postepay or cash. OK Mobility accepts debit at the counter but requires a credit card for the excess hold, and its website bookings are credit card only. Hertz, Avis and Europcar do not confirm debit acceptance at Málaga. Take a credit card in the main driver's name unless your company has confirmed otherwise in writing.

The deposit is a hold on your card, not a charge (except Goldcar's on a debit card), and it reduces your available balance until released. What each company publishes (checked 9 October 2026):

• Goldcar (Spain terms used for the Málaga office): Small/Mini €950, Compact €1,400, Intermediate/Standard €1,400, Full Size €2,000; €300 with its Relax Cover and €0 with Super Relax or Mega Relax.
• Avis: the rental price plus €200, less anything already paid; released as a rule within 15 days, at most 28.
• Hertz: at least the estimated charges on your rental agreement; up to 30 days to release.
• OK Mobility: the amount depends on the car category and is not on its help pages; release takes 14–31 days depending on the bank.
• Europcar: no amount or method published; its Málaga page tells you to check the deposit before booking.

Excess, cover, fuel and mileage

"Basic insurance included" means third-party liability. It does not remove your own liability for damage to the car, which is capped by the excess. Only Goldcar publishes excess amounts for Spain: €2,300 Small/Mini, €3,000 Compact, €3,500 Intermediate/Standard and €4,000 Full Size. Avis, Europcar and OK Mobility publish no excess figure, and Hertz shows it on the rental agreement rather than in advance.

• Goldcar's basic cover expressly excludes damage to tyres, alloy wheels, the interior, wing mirrors, windows and the underbody, plus punctures, clutch and gearbox, towing and battery recharging. Its Relax covers are the paid way to buy that back. It charges a €92.12 damage-administration fee on new damage, with published exceptions for minor marks.
• OK Mobility's Premium Cover covers tyres, glass, bodywork, wheels and windscreens (not luxury vehicles), but not roadside assistance or towing; OK itself says it is not fully comprehensive.
• Avis sells a glass-protection product (LLI) alongside its damage and theft waivers. It does not charge for scratches and dents under 25 mm that have not broken the paint, or stone chips under 3 mm.
• Hertz and Europcar publish nothing for Málaga on glass, tyres or underbody.

Fuel policy depends on the company and on the rate. Goldcar offers full-to-full and "Flex Fuel" and charges €50 plus the missing fuel if it has to refuel. OK Mobility uses full/refund or full/full depending on the rate. Hertz supplies the car full and expects it back full, or sells fuel in advance with no refund for what you do not use. Read the fuel policy before you pay, not at the desk.

Unlimited mileage is not the default. Goldcar puts Málaga in its limited-mileage group: 300 km a day for 1–3 days, 250 for 4–6 days, 150 for 7–14 days, 100 beyond 15 days, and 3,000 km per rental, with extra kilometres at €0.25. It sells unlimited mileage at the counter (€29.95 per rental up to 7 days). OK Mobility applies 300 km a day and 3,000 km per contract to cars unless the store has unlimited kilometres, and does not say whether Málaga does. Hertz says a rate may include a maximum, and Avis confirms restrictions exist without naming one. Europcar publishes nothing. Plan day trips to Ronda, Granada or Gibraltar with this in mind.

One-way rentals, driving abroad and ferries

One-way is possible but never automatically free. Avis allows return to another Avis office in Spain or elsewhere in Europe if you specify it when booking. Hertz charges a one-way fee that depends on the drop-off point. Europcar allows returns elsewhere in Spain. Goldcar's cross-border cover does not include its one-way fee.

Driving abroad, company by company:

• Goldcar authorises Andorra, continental France, continental Italy, continental Portugal and the territory of Gibraltar, with authorisation from the collection branch and its Cross-Border cover at €12 a day. Going to an authorised country without the cover costs €15 a day; anywhere else, €300. Its cover also allows the mainland–Balearics ferry, but never Ibiza or Formentera.
• OK Mobility's contract allows Spain, the EU, Andorra and Gibraltar, except Bulgaria, Romania, Albania and the UK, with its INTERNATIONAL Supplement. The car may not go on any ferry without OK's prior written authorisation. Another answer on the same OK page names only France, Portugal and Andorra, so get OK's written confirmation for your destination.
• Hertz: you may only drive in the country of rental; any other country needs Hertz's prior permission and a cross-border fee, and without it your insurance or waivers may be invalidated.
• Avis warns that not all border crossings are permitted and names none.
• Europcar requires prior written authorisation and a cross-border fee for other European countries, and advance notice for Portugal.
• Sixt, Record Go and Proa: nothing could be read.

Morocco: no company examined permits it, and none publishes a rule for the ferries to Morocco. Do not plan a crossing in a hire car without written permission. Silence in a company's terms is not permission. Gibraltar is also a passport and customs frontier, separate from the rental question.

Collection checks and returning the car

At collection:

• Have your physical licence, passport or ID card, the card you booked with and your booking confirmation in hand.
• Accept or decline extra cover deliberately; know your excess before you sign.
• Photograph and film every panel, the bumpers, all wheels and tyres, the windscreen and glass, the roof, the interior, the fuel gauge and the odometer before you drive off. This is our recommendation: none of the companies examined publishes a photo procedure, so your record may be the only one. Ask for any existing damage to be written on the agreement.
• Check the fuel level matches the agreement.

At return:

• Allow plenty of time before check-in: return, inspection and the walk back to the terminal all come first.
• Refuel first if your policy requires it. Aena lists no petrol station at the airport; Europcar says there is a BP station at the airport entrance, but plan a backup on your route.
• Follow "Car Rental" / "Rent a Car" / "Alquiler de coches" back to the rental area, not "Parking", and use your company's own bays. Goldcar says to return to the same car park following its rental drop-off signs.
• Photograph the car again, including fuel gauge and odometer, before handing over the keys. Hertz carries out an inspection on return.
• Out of hours: Avis's key box outside its Car Return office (22:45–07:00); Hertz with prior arrangement (park in the Hertz area, documents on the driver's seat, keys in the secure box). With no one present, your photos are the only record.
• Expect the deposit to be released days or weeks later, not at once (see deposits).

Tolls on the Costa del Sol

The AP-7 along the Costa del Sol is a toll motorway; the A-7 is the toll-free alternative along the coast. Toll levels for a car, in force from 1 January 2026 (Ministerio de Transportes y Movilidad Sostenible; checked 9 October 2026):

The special level applies in high season (June, July, August, September and 17 days around Easter) to anyone who cannot prove habitual use (at least 60 transits in the previous four months). A holiday driver pays the special level in summer.

The AP-46 inland towards Antequera and Granada charges a car €4.35 in low season and €6.60 in high season at Casabermeja. Its high season is May to October, every Saturday and Sunday of the year and the Easter period, and it is free for cars from 00:00 to 06:00 every day.

The DGT confirms tolls are paid at the booth in cash or by bank card, and that foreign electronic toll devices should be checked for validity in Spain. Spain also uses average-speed cameras that read your plate at the start and end of a stretch.

Driving into Málaga: low-emission zone and parking

Low-emission zone (ZBE). Central Málaga is a Zona de Bajas Emisiones of 404.03 hectares, enforced by number-plate cameras (34 entry and 33 exit points) linked to DGT and municipal records. You do not need to display any sticker. Driving in the zone in a vehicle that does not meet the rules is a serious offence with a €200 fine. Vehicles not registered in Málaga with a B environmental label lose their exemption from fines in December 2026. Whether a particular hire car may enter depends on its label and where it is registered, so ask your rental company in writing, or park outside the zone and walk in. Taxis and VTC vehicles have free access to the zone.

Street parking in Málaga (SARE). The city's regulated on-street parking costs €1.00 an hour, with a minimum of €0.50 for 30 minutes and a maximum of €2.50 for 150 minutes (Ordenanza Fiscal no. 22, published 31 December 2025; checked 9 October 2026). Pay at the meter in cash or by card, or by app; if the payment does not register your plate, put the ticket inside the windscreen. If you overstay, you can settle voluntarily within three days for €5.00, or €9.00 if you had no ticket at all.

Other towns have their own rules. The DGT notes that bay colours, time limits and prices vary from one municipality to another, and that white lines mark free parking. Read the signs in each town rather than applying Málaga's tariff.

Collecting someone or parking at the airport itself is a different service: see airport parking.

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