Driving

Table of Contents

In order to drive in Japan, you are required to carry one of the following:

  1. Japanese driver's license (issued only for those who reside in Japan)

  2. International Driving Permit (the one issued by the signatory country of the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, following the fixed format of 1949 Geneva Convention)

  3. Overseas driver's license accompanied by an official Japanese translation of the license (only applies to the licenses issued in Switzerland, Germany, France, Taiwan, Belgium, Estonia, and Monaco)

Driving with an International Driving Permit

If you are driving with a valid International Driving Permit in Japan, you will have to carry a passport issued in the country which issued the International Driving Permit along with the International Driving Permit.

You can drive in Japan with an International Driving Permit for a maximum of one year, even if the International Driving Permit is valid for a longer period. It is not possible to drive on an International Driving Permit again after a year has passed unless you spend at least three consecutive months outside Japan in between.

If you currently drive on an International Driving Permit and intend to stay in Japan for more than one year and want to keep driving after a year has passed, you will need to convert your driver's license to Japanese. The license conversion process may take several months depending on your situation Therefore, we strongly recommend you to consult OIST Resource Center to start planning your conversion process way before you become unable to drive on your International Driving Permit.

Driving with your driver's license accompanied by an official Japanese translation of the license

Switzerland, Germany, France, Taiwan, Belgium, Estonia, and Monaco do not issue International Driving Permits based on the 1949 Geneva Convention, but instead, have a separate agreement that allows those who possess driver's licenses issued by those countries to drive in Japan for up to one year, counted from their arrival date with an official Japanese translation of their driver's license. The translation can be obtained from the Japan Automobile Federation(JAF) or some of the respective countries' embassies or consulates in Japan.

Japanese driver's license

If you don't possess any driver's license at all, you will need to follow the steps to obtain a Japanese driver's license if you want to drive in Japan. Please visit the following pages to find more about the Japanese driver's licenses.