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International Driving Permit

To drive a car in Japan, a valid license as described below is required.
If you do not have valid license to use in Japan, car rental will be refused upon arrival.

License Type

International Driving Permit (under the Convention on International Road Traffic of 19 September 1949)

license

Nationality

Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, Korea (Republic of), U.S.A., Canada, Macao, Malaysia, U.K., France, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand, Russian Federation, Spain, Czech Republic, Portugal (inc. Madeira & Azores), South Africa, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, India, Ireland, Bangladesh, Austria, Jamaica, etc.

List of the contracting states of the Convention at Geneva 1949

Important Notes

* Only International Driving Permits issued by a contracted signing Nationality which participated in the 1949 Geneva Convention are valid to drive in Japan. An International Driving Permit from other conventions or treaties is invalid.

* The International Driving Permit is valid for 1 year from the date of issue, and you are allowed to drive with it for 1 year from the date of your entry into Japan.

* Residents of Japan (mid- to long-term foreigners, etc): if you reenter Japan within 3 months of leaving the Nationality, you cannot drive with your International Driving Permit even if it is a new one you receive during your time outside Japan.

License type

Japanese translation of driving license

License type

Nationality

Taiwan, Germany, Switzerland, France, Monaco, Belgium

PROfficial Japanese Driving Licence Translation

Driving-Japan Drivers from Taiwan, Germany, Switzerland, France, Monaco, and Belgium must bring a Japanese certified translation document and a domestic driver's license.
A translation can be obtained through Driving-Japan (use voucher code "ToCoo22" for a 5 EUR discount), which can be delivered directly to your home outside of Japan and hotel address in Japan or printed in a 7-Eleven shop in Japan.

Important Notes

* You must carry the Japanese translation prepared by a Cabinet Order-specified authority along with your original license. The authorities specified by a Cabinet Order are as follows:

  1. The license-issuing authority, or the embassy or consulate of the issuing Nationality.
  2. The Japan Automobile Federation (JAF).
  3. The Japan-Taiwan Relations Association or the Japan Automobile Federation (for Taiwanese license holders).

* You are allowed to drive with a valid translation of your foreign license for a maximum of 1 year from the date you enter Japan.

* Residents of Japan (mid- to long-term foreigners, etc): if you reenter Japan within 3 months of leaving the Nationality, you cannot drive with your domestic license regardless of its validity.

License type

Single type International License under Geneva Convention 1949

license

Nationality

Israel

* When you pick up the rental car at the outlet, please submit all the drivers' International Driving Permits (or Japanese translation of licenses for some countries) and domestic licenses.

* International Licenses from Indonesia and P.R.C (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) are NOT valid to drive in Japan.
* To drive a car with 10 passengers, you need an International Driving Permit with a permission stamps in the D section category of vehicles permitted to drive. For those eligible to use a Japanese translation of their license to drive in Japan, a Japanese translation of a full size van license is required.
* If your nationality is different from the issuing nationality of your International Driving Permit, you may need to confirm your passport with your travel history to the international license issuing nationality. If the travel history cannot be proven, car rental may be refused. If your nationality and domestic license is different from the issuing Nationality of international license, please contact ToCoo via the Inquiry Form.

How to check the validity of your International Driving Permit

  1. The issuing Nationality marked in the International Driving Permit must be a participant in the Geneva Convention of 1949.
  2. The convention signified in the International Driving Permit must be the the Geneva Convention on International Road Traffic of 19 September 1949. * If your International Driving Permit has any other date besides September 19, 1949, you cannot drive in Japan.
  3. Date of issue must be within 1 year.
  4. If you have the appropriate permission stamps in the relevant vehicle categories.

How to check the validity of your International Driving Permit

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