Getting around
Driving in Japan
You can drive here on a short visit, but only with the right paperwork. Most permits that work elsewhere don't work here.
What to know
- Visitors can drive with an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic. Permits issued under other treaties, including the 1968 Vienna Convention, aren't valid in Japan.
- Licenses from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan work with an official Japanese translation, carried together with the original license. The Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) issues these translations online, typically in 2–3 business days.
- Either way, you can drive for up to one year from your date of entry, or until the permit expires if that comes first.
- Get your international permit in your home country before you travel.
- Japan's drink-driving rules are strict. Driving with any alcohol in your system is against the law, even below the 0.15 mg per liter breath level that triggers the main offense.
- Residents and long stays follow different rules. Check with the local Driver's License Center.
psst, check which convention your country's permit is issued under before you book the rental car. The rental desk will check too, and a Vienna permit means no car.