For Holders of Foreign Driver's Licenses
How to Drive in Japan

In order to drive in Japan, drivers need to hold any one of the following driver's licenses:
1) A Japanese driver's license
2) An International Driving Permit pursuant to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic* In cases where International Driving Permits are issued by countries or regions that are
not contracting parties to the Geneva Convention, or where countries or regions that arecontracting parties to the Convention do not issue such permits in the forms prescribedin the Convention, drivers cannot drive with International Driving Permits issued bythese countries or regions.
3) Foreign driver's licenses
Driver's licenses issued by foreign countries or regions*1 (limited to driver's licenses thatare accompanied by Japanese translations prepared by persons*2 prescribed by the Cabinet
Order)*1

Only countries or regions that do not issue International Driving Permits and are prescribed by Cabinet
Order as those with a system of driver licensing that is deemed to be of an equivalent standard to that ofJapan (Kingdom of Belgium, French Republic, Federal Republic of Germany, Principality of Monaco,
Swiss Confederation, and Taiwan (as of September 7, 2021. Please check with the prefectural driver's
license centers for the latest updates.))*2

Persons that the Cabinet Order prescribes as those who may prepare Japanese translations are as
follows (they do not include legally certified translators of foreign countries or regions):
1) Competent administrative agencies with the authority to issue driver's licenses of foreign countries
or regions, or the consular offices of the countries or regions (agencies that issue driver's licenses offoreign countries or regions, or embassies or consulates of the countries or regions in Japan)
2) Among legal or other persons notified by administrative agencies that have jurisdiction over laws
equivalent to the Road Traffic Act (limited to the part pertaining to driver licensing) of foreigncountries or regions to the National Public Safety Commission as those with the capacity to prepare
Japanese translations of driver's licenses of the foreign countries or regions, those who the National
Public Safety Commission finds to be appropriate (the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association in casesof Taiwanese driver's licenses and Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club e.V. in cases of German
driver's licenses are recognized at the present time); and3) Legal persons designated by the National Public Safety Commission as those who can properly andreliably prepare Japanese translations of driver's licenses by the administrative agencies of foreigncountries or regions that pertain to licenses to drive vehicles, etc.

- 1 -How long are drivers allowed to drive in Japan?
1) Japanese driver's licenses: during the valid period of the Japanese driver's license indicatedtherein
2) International Driving Permits or foreign driver's licenses: a period of not more than one
year after the date of the driver's landing in Japan or the valid period of the International
Driving Permits or foreign driver's licenses, whichever is shorter (however, in cases wherepersons registered in the Residential Basic Book departed Japan after the confirmation ofdeparture, the granting of re-entry permission, etc., and returned to Japan within a periodof not more than three months, their date of return to Japan (landing in Japan) shall not be
the initial day of reckoning for the period when drivers with an International Driving
Permit or foreign driver's license are allowed to drive*).
* Please refer to the attached figure for the period when drivers are allowed to drive withan International Driving Permit.

How to Obtain a Japanese Driver's License

When the prefectural public safety commission confirms that persons granted driver's licenses
by foreign countries or regions have:(1) Knowledge of road traffic rules and other knowledge on driving motor vehicles, etc.
(2) Records of driving motor vehicles, etc.
(3) Skills related to driving motor vehicles, etc.
they will be exempted from the Japanese knowledge and skills tests and be able to obtain aJapanese driver's license to drive motor vehicles, etc., the driving of which was allowed by thedriver's license of the foreign country or region.
In addition, persons with driver's licenses issued by countries or regions (*) that have a systemof driver licensing that is deemed to be of an equivalent standard to that of Japan will be
exempted from the confirmation of their driving knowledge and skills as well.
*Please check with the prefectural driver's license centers for the applicable countries.

Place of application
Driver's license centers, etc., of the prefectural police with jurisdiction for the domicile of theapplicant in Japan- 2 -Notes
1) The applicant must have stayed in a country or region for a period of three months orlonger in total after he or she was granted a driver's license of the country or region(documents that can verify the length of their stay, such as passports with the seals ofverification for departure and entry, are required).
2) Applications by agents are not allowed. Please ensure that the applicant applies in person.

Documents, etc., necessary to apply for a driver's license
1) Application form
* Along with the application form, the applicant needs to complete and submit thequestionnaire on symptoms of diseases and other matters (available in 18 foreign
languages, including English and Chinese). If the applicant has any pertinent question
answer, officials will ask him or her about said answer, such as symptoms, in detail.
2) One photo for application* The photo must be taken within six months of the date of application and be 3.0 cm
long and 2.4 cm wide, showing the applicant hatless (the applicant is allowed to cover
his or her head with a cloth, etc., for religious or medical reasons, as long as the facial
contour of the applicant is clear), in a front-facing pose, from the waist up, and against asolid background, with the name of the applicant and the date and time it was taken
written on its back side.
3) An official copy of the applicant's resident record that includes his or her registereddomicile (passport, etc., in cases where the applicant is not subject to the Residential BasicBook Act)
4) The health insurance card, Individual Number Card (My Number Card), residence card,etc., of the applicant (for presentation)5) The driver's license of a foreign country or region (an International Driving Permit alone isnot allowed)
6) Japanese translation of the above license (limited to one that is prepared by personsprescribed by Cabinet Ordinance (see *2 on pages 1) and specifies the type of motor
vehicles, etc., which the applicant is allowed to drive under the license, the valid period of
the license, and the conditions imposed on the license)
7) Documents that can verify that the applicant stayed in the foreign country or region forthree months or longer in total after the license was granted, including the passport withthe seals of verification for departure and entry8) Fees

- 3 -

Other Matters
The safety driving consultation desks of the prefectural police, etc., can provide consultations
on diseases, disabilities, and other matters.

Please inquire about the details of the place of application, hours for acceptance of applications,documents necessary for application, fees, and any other matters to the driver's license centers of
the prefectural police where you are applying.

- 4 -Attached Figure

How Long Drivers with International Driving Permits Are Allowed to Drive
1 If persons not registered in the Residential Basic Book land in Japan(1) If they landed in Japan for the first time after obtaining an International Driving Permit

Period when they areallowed to drive withan International
Driving Permit

InitialDate

Stayed overseas

Obtained anInternational DrivingPermit(One year after the date of landing)LandedinJapan

Valid period of the International
Driving Permit(one year after the date of issuance)(2) If they obtained an International Driving Permit after the first landing in Japan
Period when they
are allowed to drivewith an International
Driving Permit

InitialDate

Stayed overseas

LandedinJapan(One year after the date of landing)

Valid period of the International
Driving Permit(one year after the date of issuance)

Obtained an International
Driving Permit by mail, etc.,
without departing from Japan

2 If persons registered in the Residential Basic Book departed from and relanded in Japan(1) If they relanded in Japan after staying overseas for a period not shorter than three months
Period when they
are allowed to drivewith an International
Driving Permit

Stayed overseas for notshorter than three months

Stayed in Japan

InitialDate(One year after the date of landing)Mid- to long-term stay(registered inthe ResidentialBasic Book)
LandedinJapan

Obtained re-entry
permission anddeparted fromJapan

Obtained anInternational
DrivingPermit

LandedinJapan- 5 -Valid period of the International
Driving Permit(one year after the date of issuance)(2) If they relanded in Japan after staying overseas for less than three months(common cases for foreign nationals)
Despite their International
Driving Permits, they are
not allowed to drive inJapan, as it is not within
one year after the date of
their landing in Japan.
Stayed overseas for lessthan three months

Stayed in Japan

Stay in Japan

Registered in theResidential BasicBook (mid- to longterm residents, etc.)
Obtainedre-entry
permission
and departedfrom Japan

LandedinJapan

Obtained anInternational
Driving Permit

LandedinJapan

The initial date ofreckoning is theprevious date oflanding.

Valid period of the International
Driving Permit(one year after the date of issuance)

The date of landing is not the initial date ofreckoning, as they relanded in Japan after
staying overseas for less than three months.

(3) If they relanded in Japan after staying overseas for less than three months(common cases for Japanese nationals)
Despite their International
Driving Permits, they are notallowed to drive in Japan, as
there is no initial date ofreckoning for a "period of one
year after the date of landing."

Stayed overseas for lessthan three months

Stayed in Japan

Stay in Japan

Japanese nationals,etc., registered inthe Residential
Basic Book
DepartedfromJapan

Obtained anInternational
Driving Permit

LandedinJapanThe date of landing is not the initial date ofreckoning, as they relanded in (returned to)Japan after staying overseas for less than
three months.
In addition, there is no initial date ofreckoning for a "period of one year after thedate of landing," as there is no other date oflanding.

- 6 -Valid period of the International
Driving Permit(one year after the date of issuance)