Driving in Japan with a Foreign License: Which International Driving Permit You Need, the Translation Route and What to Bring

You cannot drive in Japan on a foreign driving license alone. As a visitor you need one of two documents to go with it: an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention, or, if your license comes from one of six specific countries and regions, an official Japanese translation.

Either route lets you drive for up to one year from the day you land, as long as the permit and your license are still valid. This guide shows which route applies to you, where to get the document and what to carry when you collect a rental car or join a self-drive tour. It is based on National Police Agency, Tokyo Metropolitan Police and JAF pages checked on 23 September 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the official links before you travel.

The short answer

• Drivers from the US, the UK, Australia and most other countries on the Geneva list: carry a paper IDP in the 1949 Geneva format together with your home license. Get the IDP in your own country before you travel.
• Licenses from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan: do not use an IDP. Carry your license with an official Japanese translation.
• Everyone: bring the originals. Photocopies, PDFs and phone images are not accepted.
• How long: one year from the date you land in Japan, or until the permit or license expires, whichever comes first.
• If your license fits neither route, it does not let you drive in Japan.

Find your route by where your license was issued

The country lists come from the National Police Agency and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police list of Geneva Convention states, last updated on 2 July 2026. The police note that some countries not shown on the list may also be covered by the Geneva Convention. If yours is missing, ask a police driver's license centre or your rental company before you rely on a permit.

Route 1: a 1949 Geneva international driving permit

An IDP is a booklet that translates your license into several languages. It does not replace your license. The US Embassy in Japan says you need both, and the Australian Automobile Association says the permit is valid only with your license, so carry the two together.

Check that it is the right permit

Japan accepts only permits issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic. A permit issued under another convention, such as the 1968 Vienna Convention, is refused even if the country that issued it also signed the Geneva Convention.

Some countries issue more than one type. The UK issues 1926, 1949 and 1968 permits, and GOV.UK lists Japan as a 1949 country. Ask for the 1949 permit by name.

Before you travel, check four things:

• Format: a paper booklet. The National Police Agency says the size is set by the Convention at 148 mm by 105 mm, and a permit that differs greatly may not be accepted. JNTO says card-type and smartphone permits are not valid in Japan.
• Vehicle category: the box for the type of vehicle you will drive must carry the issuer's stamp. The National Police Agency says you cannot drive if the categories are blank or unreadable, for example because they are only ticked, and that you can drive only the categories that are stamped.
• Dates: a 1949 permit is valid for one year from its issue date. If you got it months ago, check that it will still be valid on your last day of driving.
• Issuer: only the authorised issuer in the country that issued your license. The US Embassy in Japan warns that many imitation IDP websites charge high fees, and Toyota Rent a Car lists permits from organisations that are not authorised to issue them, including ones issued over the internet, among those that do not let you drive in Japan.

Where US, UK and Australian drivers get one

Fees are those shown on the official pages on 23 September 2026.

• United States: the US Embassy in Japan says AAA and AATA are the only issuers authorised by the US Department of State. Get the permit before you arrive, because it cannot be obtained in Japan. AAA will not issue one more than six months before the date you want it to start. Online applications take 5 business days plus shipping; if you need one sooner, AAA suggests a branch. AATA says it processes permits within 1 to 4 days, with 2 to 10 more business days in transit depending on the shipping method.
• United Kingdom: GOV.UK says a 1949 permit lasts 12 months.
• Australia: the AAA says online permits reach capital cities within 3 business days, and a branch can issue one immediately. It also warns that a digital license may not be accepted overseas, so bring your physical photocard.

Route 2: an official Japanese translation

If your license was issued in Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan, you drive on that license with a Japanese translation. The National Police Agency lists these six as the only places on this route. Carry the translation together with the original license whenever you drive.

A translation of any other license, such as a US license, does not let you drive. For other licenses, JAF's translation is only for converting to a Japanese license.

Who can issue the translation

Only these bodies, as listed by the National Police Agency and the Tokyo police:

• the authority that issued your license, or your country's embassy or consulate in Japan
• ADAC, for German licenses only
• the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association, for Taiwanese licenses only
• JAF (Japan Automobile Federation) and ALADDIN (Japan Visitor Driver Support Association)
• ZIPLUS, which the Tokyo police list for Taiwanese licenses only

This guide covers the fees and times of JAF and ALADDIN only. For the other bodies, ask them directly. A translation by a sworn or certified translator in your home country is not valid. The National Police Agency says legally certified translators of foreign countries are not included.

Getting a JAF translation

This is how JAF describes its service on its English application page:

• Online, from inside Japan only. The application site accepts access only from networks in Japan. JAF stopped taking applications at its counters and by post on 1 April 2025.
• What you upload: clear, unedited images of the front and back of your current license.
• Fee: ¥6,000 (tax exempt) for a translation used to drive in Japan, plus ¥20 per page to print it. The ¥6,600 fee on the same page is for converting to a Japanese license.
• Payment: a credit card (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express or Diners Club), or cash at a convenience store. Debit and prepaid cards are not accepted.
• Time: JAF's page gives two figures. Under "Application procedures" it says "It usually takes about one to two weeks from application until printing is possible." Under "Approximate Time Required" it gives "Average: 2–3 business days" for licenses from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan. JAF does not offer same-day delivery. Plan on the longer figure.
• Collection: you print the translation at a convenience store in Japan (JAF names 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson, Ministop and the Poplar group) or at a JAF branch. It can be printed only once. Only the paper original is valid, not a PDF or a copy printed at home.
• Appendix: some translations come with an appendix that explains the license categories. If yours has one, carry it with the translation.
• Validity: the translation lasts as long as your license. If your license is renewed or its details change, you need a new translation.

If you plan to apply after you land, allow up to two weeks before your first drive.

Getting one before you arrive

Because JAF accepts applications only from inside Japan, it suggests these options if you want the translation before you land:

• ask someone in Japan to apply for you as your agent
• use an agency that offers proxy applications; JNTO's rental car page names Japan Experience and Keikaku Japan
• ask the authority that issued your license, or your embassy or consulate in Japan; German license holders can use ADAC

ALADDIN takes applications in person at its translation desk and also accepts applications by proxy. It charges ¥5,000 per copy and says issuance is possible by the next business day, and that emergency issuance within one hour may be possible. It asks you to contact your nearest office in advance. Its English page gives a phone number and an inquiry form but does not list office addresses or opening hours, so ask before you go.

How long you can drive in Japan

Visitors: one year from landing

You can drive on an IDP or a translation from the day you land until whichever of these comes first:

• one year after the date you landed in Japan
• the expiry date of your IDP, which is one year from its issue date
• the expiry date of your home license

For example, if your IDP was issued in March and you land in September, you can drive only until the IDP expires the following March, not for a full year.

If you are a visitor and not registered as a resident, leaving Japan and landing again starts a new one-year period from the new landing date, according to JAF. It is still limited by the expiry of your permit or license.

Your landing date is shown by the entry stamp in your passport, and the police may ask to see your passport while you are driving to check it.

Residents: the 3-month rule

Different rules apply if you are registered in Japan's Basic Resident Register, as mid- to long-term foreign residents are. If you leave Japan and come back less than three months later, the new landing does not restart the one-year period. This applies even if you got a new IDP while you were away.

In practice, a resident who has lived in Japan for more than a year cannot keep driving on an IDP by taking short trips abroad. If you leave for three months or more, your return counts as a new landing. The US Embassy in Japan says residents are expected to convert to or obtain a Japanese license.

Permits and documents Japan refuses

• Permits under other conventions. Toyota Rent a Car's license page names the 1926 Paris, 1943 Washington and 1968 Vienna formats as not recognised in Japan.
• Permits from Geneva countries that do not issue the 1949 format. On the Tokyo police list, these are Albania, Belgium, Botswana, Bulgaria, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, France, Ghana, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Montenegro, Russia, Rwanda, Serbia and Zimbabwe. Drivers from France, Belgium and Monaco use the translation route instead.
• Permits still under review. The same list shows 13 countries on the UN's Geneva list whose status or permit format was still under investigation or unanswered: Algeria, Barbados, the Central African Republic, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Jamaica, Lesotho, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Syria and Venezuela. Check with the police or your rental company before relying on one.
• The wrong type from a country that issues two. For the United Arab Emirates and Bangladesh, only the Geneva-format permit is valid.
• Permits from organisations that are not authorised to issue them, including ones bought online. Toyota Rent a Car lists these as permits that do not let you drive in Japan.
• Digital, card-sized or copied documents. Only the original paper permit or paper translation counts.
• Translations from anyone not designated, including certified translators abroad.

Living in Japan: the October 2025 conversion change

From 1 October 2025, Japan tightened the process for converting a foreign license to a Japanese one, known as gaimen kirikae:

• Applicants who are registered residents must submit a residence certificate (juminhyo) that shows their status of residence.
• The National Public Safety Commission said people on a short-term stay status, such as tourists, would no longer be able to apply.
• The knowledge check changed from 10 illustrated questions to 50 questions, with 45 correct needed to pass. The driving check was made stricter.

For visitors, this means you can no longer get a Japanese license during a holiday by converting your home license. It does not change the IDP and translation routes. The police notices on the change cover license applications, renewals, changes of details and conversion, and the National Police Agency's English guide published in May 2026 still describes the same two routes and one-year limit.

What to bring when you collect the car

• Home license: the original card, valid for your whole trip.
• 1949 IDP or official Japanese translation: the paper original, plus any appendix. Check its dates against your last day of driving.
• Passport: the police can ask for it to check your landing date, and rental companies can ask for it at pickup.
• Entry stamp: automated immigration gates do not stamp your passport. JNTO advises visitors who plan to rent a car to use a non-automated gate so they get a stamp, and says that if you have already passed through an automated gate you should visit the customs inspection desk to have a stamp placed in your passport. Omoshiro Rent-a-Car says it cannot rent a car without the stamp and asks visitors who use the automated gates to ask staff for one. Toyota Rent a Car likewise says that if you use an automated gate you should ask staff for a stamp or carry a "specific registrant card", and that without either it cannot rent you a car because it cannot confirm your landing date. That card is issued by Japan's Immigration Services Agency under its Trusted Traveler Program, to short-stay visitors it recognises as trusted travelers, and lets them use the automated gates. If you arrive by cruise ship, Toyota asks for your passport or the "permit to land in Japan for cruise ship tourists" showing the start of your landing period. These are rental companies' rules, not separate legal documents, and practice varies, so ask your company.
• Every driver: each person who will drive needs their own license and IDP or translation.
• The company's own rules: age, years of driving, the payment card it accepts and the identity documents it takes. Omoshiro, for example, says US passport cards are not accepted, and warns that it will not rent a car if any document is missing, in which case a cancellation fee may apply.

Frequently asked questions

Can I drive in Japan with a US license?

Not on its own. The US Embassy in Japan says Americans cannot drive in Japan with only a US license. You need a 1949 Geneva IDP from AAA or AATA, carried with your US license. Get it before you travel, as it cannot be issued in Japan.

Which international driving permit is valid in Japan?

Only a paper permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention by the authorised issuer of a country that issues that format. Permits issued under other conventions, including the 1968 Vienna Convention, are refused.

Can I get an IDP after I arrive in Japan?

Not from Japan. An IDP comes from the country that issued your license, and the National Police Agency says a US permit cannot be renewed in Japan. Some issuers accept applications from people already abroad: AAA says travellers who are overseas can apply online or by post, and asks postal applicants to allow 5 to 7 weeks for return mail. How long delivery to Japan takes, and whether your rental company accepts a permit issued after you arrived, are not covered by these pages, so ask the company. The US Embassy advises getting the permit before you arrive, so do not plan a drive around a permit that is still in the post.

Is a digital or card-sized IDP accepted?

No. The National Police Agency says a digital permit shown on a phone is not accepted and that you must carry the original paper permit. JNTO says card-type and smartphone permits are not valid in Japan.

How long can I drive on an IDP?

For one year from the day you land in Japan, or until the IDP or your license expires, whichever comes first. An IDP is valid for one year from its issue date, so a permit issued long before your trip can run out early.

Does leaving Japan and coming back reset the year?

For visitors who are not registered residents, JAF says a new landing starts a new one-year period, still within the permit's own validity. For registered residents, a return counts as a new start only if you were away for three months or more.

I have a German, French or Swiss license. Can I use an IDP?

No. Licenses from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan use the translation route. Carry the original license with an official Japanese translation.

Can I get a JAF translation before I fly?

Not directly. JAF accepts applications online from inside Japan only. Before you arrive, someone in Japan can apply as your agent, or you can use a proxy service or get the translation from your license authority, your embassy or consulate in Japan, or ADAC for German licenses.

Will a certified translation made at home work?

No. Only the bodies designated under Japanese law can make the translation. The National Police Agency says legally certified translators of foreign countries are not included.

Do I need an entry stamp in my passport?

Your driving must fall within one year of your landing date, and the entry stamp is how that date is shown. JNTO advises visitors who plan to rent a car to use a non-automated immigration gate. Some rental companies, such as Omoshiro Rent-a-Car and Toyota Rent a Car, will not rent to you if they cannot confirm your landing date. If you used an automated gate, JNTO says to visit the customs inspection desk, and Omoshiro and Toyota say to ask staff, for a stamp.

Do I need an IDP for a lead-car tour?

Yes, if you drive. On a lead-car tour you drive on public roads behind a guide, so you need a valid IDP or translation, just as for a rental. If you only ride as a passenger, you do not.

What happens if I drive without a valid permit?

It counts as driving without a license. The National Police Agency says a resident who drives on a permit outside the allowed period is punished for unlicensed driving. The US Embassy in Japan warns of fines, arrest and possible deportation, and says driving without a license may void your insurance.

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