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I have dual Argentina and United States citizenship and am currently residing in the US. I will be traveling to Brazil in February. My plan is to enter Brazil with my Argentinian passport since Argentinians are visa exempt. I will also be driving a rental car with my US driver's license since my Argentinian driver's license has expired.

Could presenting my US driver's license and passport be a problem in renting a car, or if I were to be stopped by the police? I wouldn't have a tourist visa, which is required for Americans, since I will enter the country as an Argentinian citizen. Alternatively, would it be acceptable to show my international driver's license with my Argentinian passport?

Looking forward to clarification.

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    Licenses are issued by residence, not citizenship. Most Argentine citizens living in the US will have US licenses; there must be literally thousands of them who are not also US citizens and therefore do not have US passports.
    – phoog
    Nov 22, 2016 at 0:03

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You are in the country legally and have the licence required to hire /drive the car - I can't see any problem. Immigration does not care about your driving and the car hire company does not care about your immigration status. The police may be interested in both but you have the paperwork for each.

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  • I think hire company care about customer's status in country, but OP will be ok, as he will be legally there. Hire company care because of insurance, liability issues. Their insurance might have a condition that they could rent to somebody who has licence, status. ( Here in Qatar age for licence is 18, but no hire company rents to people younger than 25). And they need both Status proof (work visa / tourist) and appropriate licence.
    – DavChana
    Nov 22, 2016 at 3:16
  • DavChana I am also concerned about the Liability insurance offered by the Rental car Company, in the case of an accident, will i be protected by insurance company based on my Driver's license/ status? I guess I should call the Rental car Agency in Brazil and find out.
    – Marina
    Nov 22, 2016 at 4:00
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    @Marina the insurer probably cares only that you are a licensed driver. They might care that you have valid immigration status, but it's not likely. There cannot be a requirement that the license be issued in the same country whose passport you used to enter Brazil, however, since that would exclude most long-term expatriates from renting cars. Still, if this worries you, you should read the policy and see for yourself what it says about nationality and immigration status, if anything.
    – phoog
    Nov 22, 2016 at 12:52

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