This year, Greece tightened its rules for renting cars to tourists from non-EU countries. In particular, without an international driver's license (in Russia, this is issued in addition to a regular driver's license and is valid for only three years – Travel.ru note), a Russian tourist will not be able to rent a car.
According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, citing Greek media, tourists who drive without an international driver's license and the company that rented them the vehicle face a fine, and the rented vehicle may be confiscated.
The law requiring an International Driving Permit (IDP) for tourists from non-EU countries has been in place for a long time. Greek authorities have revived this law in response to the increasing number of road accidents involving tourists who are unable to cover the damage. Some Greek car rental companies have already stated that they are not ruling out the possibility of renting a car to tourists without an IDP, guaranteeing that they will cover any damages in an accident out of their own pockets. This decision inevitably increases the cost of car rentals, so tourists are advised to obtain an international driver's license in advance and avoid overpaying for car rentals. An IDP can be obtained through the government services portal or at a traffic police department.
Source: travel.ru