Driver's License

  1. International Driver's License (the 1949 Geneva Convention)
  2. Foreign Driver's License with Official Japanese Translation （Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Monaco, Taiwan）
  3. Japanese Driver's License

1.International Driver's License (the 1949 Geneva Convention)

Only International driver's license issued by signatory to the 1949 Geneva Convention in conformity with the Convention's provisions are valid in Japan.

Please make sure:

  1. Your driver's license is issued by a country from the 1949 Geneva Convention.
  2. The text “Convention on Road Traffic of September 1949” is stated. *Licenses based on other conventions are not valid in Japan.
  3. License's validity period is one year from the date of issue. Car rental date must be within the permit's validity period.
  4. Your driver's license has a stamp on an appropriate place allowing you to drive a vehicle you rent.

Please note:

  • *International driving permits issued by Japan are not acceptable.
  • *Passengers renting a 10-seater car must have a stamp placed on the class D. If not, you will not able to rent this class of vehicle.

Residents recorded in Japan’s Basic Resident Register or Foreign Resident Register must meet all of the following three conditions when driving in Japan with an International Driving Permit (IDP).

1.You must have stayed outside Japan for at least three consecutive months, and the validity period is one year from the date of re-entry into Japan. (The stay abroad does not need to be in the country or region where the IDP was issued.)

*If you re-enter Japan within less than three consecutive months after departure, that re-entry date will not be regarded as the official entry date used to calculate the validity of your International Driving Permit or foreign driver’s license.

2. Validity of the International Driving Permit (IDP)

The IDP is valid for one year from the date of issue.You may drive in Japan only during the period when both condition (1) and condition (2) are met.

3. Passport Entry StampDon’t Forget the Entry Stamp!

If you use the automated immigration gate, you must request an immigration officer to place an entry stamp in your passport.Without this stamp showing the date of entry into Japan, your re-entry date cannot be verified, and a rental car cannot be provided.

2.Foreign Driver's License with Official Japanese Translation

Drivers with licenses issued by following countries are able to rent a car in Japan by presenting their license, passport and an official Japanese translation of their license.

  • Germany
  • France
  • Switzerland
  • Belgium
  • Monaco
  • Taiwan

3.Japanese Driver's License

Driver's licenses issued by public safety commissions in Japan.

Categories of Vehicles (IDP)

Ensure that your International Driving Permit (IDP) has the official stamp for the vehicle category (B, C, or D) you intend to drive.

B: Motor vehicles (up to 9 seats including driver)
C: Motor vehicles over 3,500 kg (cargo vehicles)
D: Motor vehicles with more than 9 seats (passenger vehicles)

Categories of Vehicles (IDP)

*If you wish to drive a large passenger vehicle (with more than 9 seats including the driver), your International Driving Permit (IDP) must bear the official stamp in Category D (Motor vehicles with more than 9 seats).

Rental Period

Pick-up Date

Pick-up Date

Return Date

Return Date

Pick-up Location

    Return Location

    Return locations