Can you drive a rental car in Japan on a foreign licence?
There are two routes. It depends on the country, and every driver needs the documents
For visitors who want to drive in Japan on their own country's licence, the National Police Agency gives two routes: an International Driving Permit in the Geneva Convention format, or a licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan with a Japanese translation. Mix them up, and arrive with an International Driving Permit under a different convention or a licence without a translation, and you cannot drive in Japan. Children under 6 also need a child seat each, as a rule.
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The line is drawn by countryWhich route is your licence on? Start with the country
The answer: first check whether the country that issued your licence is one of the "6 countries and regions for translations". If it is, your route is a translation; if not, it is an International Driving Permit in the Geneva Convention format.
The National Police Agency says that to drive in Japan you need a Japanese licence or one of these two. International Driving Permits in the format of a different convention, such as the Vienna Convention, cannot be used in Japan (Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department).
| Route | What you carry | Which licences |
|---|---|---|
| Route 1: International Driving Permit | An International Driving Permit in the format of the Geneva Convention (Convention on Road Traffic) | Issued in the convention format by a party to the Geneva Convention |
| Route 2: foreign licence + Japanese translation | The original of your own licence and a Japanese translation | Only the 6 countries and regions: Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan |
- Whether your country's International Driving Permit is in the Geneva Convention format is something to ask the authority that issued it. If you are not sure, check with your country's issuing authority or its embassy in Japan before you leave.
- Every driver needs the documents. If two people in the family will take turns driving, both need the documents for one of the two routes.
International Driving Permit: Geneva Convention format, within 1 year of issue
The answer: not every International Driving Permit can be used. Only the Geneva Convention format is valid in Japan, and it must be within 1 year of issue.
- Even if your licence comes from a party to the Geneva Convention, an International Driving Permit made in the format of a different convention, such as the Vienna Convention, cannot be used in Japan (Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department).
- On the day you drive, the permit must be within 1 year of its issue date, and also within 1 year of the day you entered Japan.
Translation: licences from the 6 countries and regions use a Japanese translation, not an IDP
The answer: with a licence from one of the 6 countries and regions, such as France, Germany or Taiwan, you drive with a Japanese translation attached, not an International Driving Permit. Only designated organisations can produce the translation.
- Who can produce the translation: the authority that issued the licence, that country's or region's embassy or consulate in Japan and similar bodies, JAF (Japan Automobile Federation), and a support association for visiting drivers (Hōnichi Untensha Shien Kyōkai). German licences can also be translated by the German automobile club ADAC, and Taiwanese licences by the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association, among others (Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department).
- JAF accepts translation applications online only, not at a counter or by post. It takes 2–3 business days on average to issue. The fee for a Japanese translation for driving in Japan is ¥6,000 per document (not taxable), plus ¥20 per sheet if you print it at a convenience store (JAF fee table, as of October 2026).
- Because this counts business days, weekends and public holidays make it take longer. Apply with plenty of time before you leave.
- When you drive, always carry the original of your foreign licence together with the translation (JAF guidance). A police officer may also ask to see your passport while you are driving, to check how many days have passed since you entered Japan.
- A translation is made for one licence. If two or more people will drive, prepare a translation for each person's licence.
How long you can drive: 1 year from arriving in Japan
The answer: on either route, you can drive for 1 year from the day you entered Japan. If your licence (or International Driving Permit) expires before then, only until that date.
This is rarely a problem on a short trip, but if your licence is due for renewal soon, check the expiry date.
Child seatsChild seats: as a rule one per child under 6, and you cannot skip them even in an 8-seater
The answer: when you drive with children under 6, the rule is that they use child seats (Road Traffic Act). There is an exception that can apply to big families, but it does not apply if you rent a large car with seats to spare.
- The cases where you do not have to use one are set out in law (the Order for Enforcement of the Road Traffic Act). The one relevant to big families is "when you are within the seating capacity, but fitting child seats for every child would mean not everyone can ride" (even then, you fit as many as you can).
- If you rent a large car with seats to spare (for example an 8-seater), this exception does not apply. With two children under 6, book two seats.
- Taxis, jumbo taxis, route buses and sightseeing buses have no child-seat obligation, because the driver is carrying the child as a passenger.
- That exception is for drivers who carry passengers for work, such as bus and taxi drivers. It reads as not applying to a rental car the family drives themselves, so give the children's ages and the number of seats when you book.
- Even at ages with no legal obligation, the police recommend a booster seat for smaller children (roughly 4 to 12, up to about 150 cm tall).
| Ages of the two children | Seats required | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Both 6 or older | 0 | A booster seat is recommended for smaller children |
| One under 6 | 1 | A booster seat is recommended for the other |
| Both under 6 | 2 | Cannot be skipped even in an 8-seater |
Pre-departure check (for each driver)
The answer: before you leave, check for each driver "which route, are the documents ready, will anything expire", and finally add the number of child seats to the booking.
Is the country or region that issued the licence one of the 6 for translations?
If it is, apply for a translation (JAF: online, 2–3 business days on average).
If not, check the format and date of the International Driving Permit
Is it in the Geneva Convention format, and within 1 year of issue?
The last day you will drive
Will you finish driving within 1 year of entering Japan and before the licence expires?
What to carry while driving
The original licence and the translation (or the International Driving Permit), and your passport.
Number of child seats
Put one for each child under 6 in the rental car booking.
You can also plan to get around without driving
The answer: families for whom neither route applies, or who would rather avoid driving on the left, can plan their trip without driving. Some places, like Naha, can be covered by monorail and sightseeing bus.
- Getting from Naha Airport into the city is covered in Naha Airport to Kokusai-dori for a family of 6.
- To compare a rental car with booked buses from Naha to the north, see Naha Airport to northern Okinawa.
- For day trips from Naha to Churaumi and Shurijo without driving, see day trips from Naha without a car.
Honest caveats (three things we could not confirm or did not include)
These are things we have not been able to verify, so we do not assert them.
Each rental company's conditions and prices
They differ by company, so they are not covered here. Check the guidance of the company you rent from.
The list of parties to the Geneva Convention
Not included, because we could not present it in a form that can be checked against a primary source. Check with your country's issuing authority or its embassy in Japan.
That rental cars do not fall under the child-seat exception
We have not found a police document that names "rental cars". We say it reads as not applying, based on how the exception is listed (only drivers who carry passengers for work).
Driving in Japan on a foreign licence FAQ
How do I rent a car in Japan with a French licence?
France is one of the 6 countries and regions whose licences are used with a Japanese translation rather than an International Driving Permit. Get a translation from the French embassy or a consulate in Japan or similar, or from JAF, and carry the original licence and the translation while driving. JAF takes applications online only and takes 2–3 business days on average to issue.
How do I rent a car in Japan with a Taiwanese licence?
Taiwan is also one of the 6 countries and regions whose licences are used with a Japanese translation rather than an International Driving Permit. Besides JAF, the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association and others can produce the translation. You can drive for up to 1 year after entering Japan.
With an International Driving Permit, can people from any country drive?
No. Only permits made in the Geneva Convention format and within 1 year of issue can be used in Japan. International Driving Permits in other formats, such as the Vienna Convention, cannot be used.
Until when can I drive?
For 1 year from the day you entered Japan. If your licence (or International Driving Permit) expires earlier, until that date.
If 4 adults and children aged 5 and 3 ride in an 8-seater, do we need child seats?
As a rule, yes. There are two children under 6, so two seats. There are seats to spare, so the "not everyone can ride" exception does not apply. On days you travel by taxi or bus, there is no obligation.
📍 One of the articles in our Naha trip plan (Naha | Trip plan for large families / all Tips articles)