You have a driving license from your own country and wonder if and how you can drive in Japan for instance for a trip with a レンタカー “rental car” far from the beaten paths of well-known sightseeing places. This short guide was written to help you get the papers needed to use your driving license in Japan.
First of all if you own an 国際運転免許 “international driving license” you are almost good to go except if it was emitted by some countries like France who happens to use a newer convention that was not signed by Japan. If you are unlucky enough to be in that specific case, don’t throw away your “international” driving license just yet : there is a solution.
The administrative procedure to follow in order to be able to drive in Japan with your license is relatively simple. First, if you own a recognized international driving license you can just go to the nearby rent-a-car. This is true only if you have been in Japan for less than one year. Be aware that you have to go back to your country for at least 3 months to reset your “stay counter” and get a new international driving license. If you have the usual driving license or a non recognized international driving license you have to 翻訳 “translate” it. There is no point to send me your driving license asking for a translation and asking to your japanese neightboors doesn’t help either. The translation needs to be done by an authorized organization like your country’s ambassy or the regional bureau of the JAF. Beside your driving license and its translation you will need your 外国人登録証明書 “resident card”, your passport (sometimes both new and old ones) and 3000 japanese yens. In some cases, you might be asked to justify that you stayed for at least 3 months after you got your driving license. Generally, the translation is done in a few hours but you can have it sent to the closest post-office closest.
If you have been in Japan for less than a year, you can drive with your driving license and its translation. As said before, you need to go back to your own country for at least 3 months and get a new translation of your driving license if you stayed for more than a year in Japan. You certainly are ready to yell that this is not a practical way to deal with the problem. Fortunately, there is a second solution that consists in switching your driving license to a japanese 運転免許 “driving license”. The procedure is called 外免切替 “license foreigner switching”. You have to go to your local 運転免許センター “driving license center” with your driving license, its translation, a 3×2.4cm photo and about 6000 yens. I would recommend that you go there early in the morning as the centers are so crowded that some procedures could take a day. Also applications are limited to a very short time window.
You should first go to the
案内所 “information desk” and ask about the 窓口 “application desk” for the procedure of switching your driving license to a japanese one. You will have to fill a form with some “tricky” questions like “Have you ever drive without a license ?”.
When you are done, you can give back the form and wait for the vision test. You can also go buy the 2400 yens fiscal stamp for the filing of your driving license. If you have a driving license emitted by one of the 20 countries listed at the end of this article, you will not have to take the driving test on the circuit of the center (1100 yens). The next step consists in taking a picture for your driving license. The filing of your license will cost you 1750 japanese yens. Finally, you will have to go to the delivery office at the specified time. While waiting for your driving license you will probably notice that the center offers sessions about the recent changes to the traffic laws or on the topic of safe driving for instance.
At the specified time, an agent will come with a pile of driving license and proceed to the distribution for each category of vehicles. He will also explain different things like new rules or the validity of your permit (until your second or third birthday after you got your license). You will also be told that you don’t need to put 初心運転者標識 “the beginner driver sticker” that represents the green and yellow feather of an arrow but definitely looks like young leaf. Let’s note that there is also a similar mark for the “Senior” driver for drivers over 70 years old: a red and orange leaf like the 紅葉 “autumn leaves”. You should also renew your driving license in time otherwise you will have to start the whole procedure. Depending on your driving (accidents and fee) your renewed driving license will be valid for 3 or 5 years. The last thing that you must know is that Japan is very strict on 飲酒運転 “drunk driving”. The limit is a very low with only 0.15 mg. One drink will cost you a lot as you will have your driving license suspended along with an high fee. Have a nice and safe drive !
NB: the owners of a driving license delivered by one of the following countries are not required to take the driving test : Autriche, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, England, Greece, Italia, Island, Irlande, Luxembourg, Hollanda, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
