Yes. Malaysians can drive in Japan with an International Driving Permit and their Malaysian licence. You apply at a JPJ (Road Transport Department) state or branch office, or at an office of the Automobile Association of Malaysia. Malaysia joined the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic in 1958, and that's the convention Japan recognises.
Can I get one on a probationary licence?
No. JPJ issues the permit only to holders of a Competent Driving Licence (CDL) who are 18 or older, and the licence needs more than a year of validity left. A probationary licence (PDL) doesn't qualify. If your CDL is close to expiry, renew it first.
How long can I use the permit in Japan?
For up to one year from the day you arrive, and never beyond the permit's own expiry. Carry it together with your licence and your passport, which shows your entry date.
What's driving in Japan like for Malaysians?
The basics carry over, since traffic keeps left in both countries. What you'll need to learn is the detail. Expressways are tolled, and rental cars usually pay with an ETC card; this is how to pay if yours doesn't have one. Speed limit signs and cameras are covered in our speed limit guide.
Where would we suggest driving?
Our home is Fukuoka, on Kyushu, where we rent campervans under the name VAN TRIP JAPAN. There's a note about it at the end of this page.
Checked against JPJ's official information on the International Driving Permit, the UN Treaty Collection and Japan's National Police Agency guidance in September 2026. Karen and Doko Shibagaki, Camjyo Inc., Fukuoka.
From the two of us who run this site
Driving on your IDP? Give Kyushu two weeks
We are Karen and Doko, a couple in Fukuoka. Besides the licence translations, we rent out campervans for trips around Kyushu under the name VAN TRIP JAPAN. When friends ask us where to drive in Japan, we send them south to Kyushu, the island we live on.
Our 7-day loop takes in Aso, Takachiho Gorge and the hot springs of Beppu and Yufuin. With two weeks you can add Nagasaki and Shimabara in the west and Kagoshima in the south, and you stop rushing. We've written up the 14-day loop day by day, with drive times.
Two weeks is also where the price starts to work. Rentals of 14 days or more get 15% off the whole booking (10% from 7 days, 20% from 21). Weekday rates start at ¥22,000 a day with insurance, bedding and a cooking set included, and you pick the van up 10 minutes from Fukuoka Airport.
Licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan? The campervans work with the Japanese translation too, and VAN TRIP JAPAN takes ¥5,000 off the rental when the translation was done through us (just mention it on WhatsApp; the driver's name has to match the order).
Your translation, ready for your trip
For licences issued in Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan. Eligibility depends on the issuing country, not your nationality or current location.
