Type of driver’s license valid in Japan
- Japanese driver license
- international driver’s license (Geneva Convention 1949)
- Foreign driver’s license + Japanese translation
*Only licenses issued in Taiwan, Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, and Monaco are accepted.
1. Driver license issued in Japan
- Japanese driver license
- Residence card or passport
2. International driver license
The following two items are required
- International driver license
The Geneva Conventions (1949 edition) are applicable to member countries of the conventions
(See URL below for list of nations that are members)
https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/menkyo/menkyo/kokugai/kokugai04.html
- (See URL below for list of nations that are members)
The international driver’s license is valid for one year from the date of issue and valid for driving in Japan for one year from the date of landing in Japan (check the stamp of the date of landing in Japan on the passport).
However, if a person recorded in the Resident Registration has departed from Japan after receiving confirmation of departure or re-entry permission, etc. and has returned to Japan (landed) within less than three months, the date of said return (landing) shall not be the initial date of the period during which the person can drive with an international driver’s license, etc.).
*Driving with an international driver’s license obtained in a country that is a signatory to the Paris Convention (1926), Washington Convention (1943), or Vienna Convention (1968) is not authorized in Japan.
3. Foreign driver’s license + Japanese translation
Swiss, German, French, Belgian, Monaco and Taiwanese driver’s license
The following three items are required
- Driver’s license for the area and country
- Official translation document
The Japanese translation must be issued by the embassy or consulate of the applicant’s country in Japan or by JAF (Japan Automobile Federation) based on the applicant’s request.
Taiwan requires a translation issued by JAF (Japan Automobile Federation), Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, and Ziplus Corporation.
The validity period for driving in Japan is within the validity period of the above-mentioned foreign driver’s license and one year from the date of landing in Japan (to be confirmed by the date of landing in Japan stamped on the passport).
- Passport
Verify all original driver’s licenses, original Japanese translations, and original passports.
We do not accept only a copy of the license or translated document.
Verify all original driver’s licenses, original Japanese translations, and original passports.
We do not accept only a copy of the license or translated document.
Taiwan-Japan Relations Association
https://www.koryu.or.jp/consul/drivers/detail3/
Please check the remaining validity period of your passport before traveling!
There have been cases where travelers have had to give up their trip because they discovered when they were about to check in at the airline counter at the airport that their passport did not have the required remaining validity period for the country they were traveling to.
To avoid this, we recommend that you check the expiration date of your passport and if it has less than one year remaining validity. If it has less than one year remaining validity, we recommend that you switch to a new passport (you can apply for a replacement passport when your remaining validity is less than one year).
The remaining validity period required by each country for a foreigner’s passport varies depending on the length of stay, purpose of entry, and other factors, but in most cases it is 3-6 months or more. If you plan to travel abroad, please contact the embassy or consulate general of the country concerned in Japan to confirm the required remaining validity period of your passport.
If you use a rental car in Japan, you should also be aware of Japanese traffic rules and manners.
- The driving seat in Japanese cars are on the right side. Lanes are driven on the left.
- When turning right, priority should be given to oncoming traffic and pedestrians.
- Be especially careful about accidents when turning left.
- Pedestrians have priority on Japanese roads, even where there are no traffic signals or crosswalks.
- No aggressive lane changes or overtaking
- Most signs and billboards in Japan are only in Japanese. It is necessary to learn the meanings of signs and billboards.
- Back parking is the basic rule.
We would like you to enjoy a trouble-free trip in Japan, so we explain and test-drive the vehicle at the time of rental, explaining Japan’s particular traffic rules, manners, and patterns of accidents that often occur.