Can You Drive in Japan on a German Licence?

You can drive in Japan on a German licence, but not with an international driving permit. What the rental counter wants is your German licence, a Japanese translation of it, and your passport. Without the translation you won't get the keys, however long ago you booked the car.

We are a Japanese couple in Fukuoka. We rent campervans under the name VAN TRIP JAPAN, and most of our guests come from Europe. This is the document that trips them up more than anything else, which is why we started handling the translation ourselves.

Why doesn't my international driving permit work in Japan?

Japan only recognises international permits issued under the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic of 19 September 1949. Germany is not a party to that convention. You can check this yourself in the United Nations Treaty Collection (chapter XI-B-1): Japan joined on 7 August 1964, and Germany does not appear on the list at all.

So the permit you get from your local authority or through ADAC is a perfectly valid document in most of the world, and simply has no standing in Japan. For Germany and five other places (Switzerland, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan) Japan uses a different route instead: an official Japanese translation of your national licence.

Does it depend on my nationality?

No. It depends on which country issued your licence. A British citizen living in Munich with a German licence needs the translation. A German citizen who holds a licence from somewhere else follows the rules for that other country.

What do I need to carry in the car?

Three things, together, every time you drive:

Your original German licence, not a photocopy. The paper original of the Japanese translation. Your passport, because the police may want to see when you entered the country.

The translation is valid for one year from the day you enter Japan, or until your German licence expires if that comes first. If you leave and come back, the year starts again.

Can I get the translation myself from Germany?

Not any more. Since 1 April 2025 the JAF, one of the bodies that issue the translation, only accepts applications through an online form. That form can only be used from inside Japan, it is in Japanese, payment is by credit card only, and the finished document goes to a Japanese address. Earlier guides that mention the counter or the postal route are out of date.

For the six eligible places, the JAF quotes an average of two to three business days once an application is in. Japanese weekends and public holidays don't count.

When should I sort it out?

Earlier than most people think. Many Japanese rental companies ask for the translation when you make the reservation, not only when you pick the car up. If the document doesn't exist yet, you may not be able to book the car you wanted at all, and in busy weeks those cars go first.

Here is what it looks like if you order today:

The submission date is the part we control, so that is what we commit to. What happens after that sits with the JAF, so we give it as a range.

What does it cost?

With us, from €99 for the standard service, with faster tiers if you are flying soon. The JAF revised its fees on 1 July 2026, but the fee for people from these six places who only want to drive in Japan temporarily stayed the same.

When you compare prices, check what you actually receive. Some services give you a code to print the translation at a convenience store in Japan, which means the document only exists after you land. Ours arrives as a PDF by email before you fly, so you can show it when you book. You then drive with JAF's paper original, which we deliver to your hotel or rental counter in Japan from the day after the translation is ready, for an extra €10.

What if I'm already in Japan without it?

Then you can't legally drive yet, and the rental company won't release the car. You can still apply, and the clock starts on the next business day. It usually means a few days without a car rather than a cancelled trip, but it's a lot easier to avoid than to fix.

Apply for the translation or read this in German.

Checked against the JAF's official English guidance and the UN Treaty Collection in September 2026. Karen and Doko Shibagaki, Camjyo Inc., Fukuoka.