Belgium signed the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic. Japan recognises International Driving Permits issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention. So a Belgian IDP should work in Japan.
It doesn't. Belgian drivers are turned away at Japanese rental counters every season, holding a permit their own municipality issued them, for a country their own government signed a treaty with.
Here is why — and what you actually need instead.
Why Your Belgian IDP Is Refused
The problem is not membership. It is format.
Japan recognises permits issued in the 1949 Geneva format. Belgium signed that convention, but Belgium now issues its International Driving Permits under the 1968 Vienna Convention — a later treaty with a different document design. Japan is not a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention, so a permit in that format carries no legal weight there, whatever else the issuing country has signed.
This is why Belgians get caught out more often than Germans or Swiss travellers. Germany and Switzerland never joined the Geneva Convention at all, so their drivers are told plainly from the start that the IDP is not an option. Belgians are told their country is a signatory — which is true, and which leads them to exactly the wrong conclusion.
France and Monaco sit in the same trap for the same reason.
What Japan actually requires
Japanese law requires an official Japanese translation of your licence — the JAF translation — carried together with your original Belgian licence. Neither document is valid on its own.
This applies whether your licence is printed in Dutch, French or German, and whether you live in Flanders, Wallonia or Brussels. The requirement follows the country that issued the licence, not the language on the card.
Get It Before You Fly — and Book the Car From Home
This is the part that decides how your trip actually goes, and most guides skip it.
Japanese rental companies check your documents at the booking stage, not only at pickup. If you cannot produce the translation when you reserve, the reservation can be refused. In autumn foliage season and through the ski months, the car you wanted is gone long before your paperwork catches up.
So the sequence that works is: translation first, booking second, flight third.
With JDLTC you upload photos of both sides of your licence, pay in euros, and receive the official translation as a PDF by email — before you leave Belgium. Print it on A4 and carry it with your licence. You can book the car the same week.
That matters more than it sounds. Services that hand you a collection code instead of a document leave you with nothing to show until you have already landed in Japan — which is too late to reserve the vehicle you were counting on.
If you want the physical original
Some branches — Toyota Rent a Car, Times Car Rental and Nippon Rent-A-Car in particular — ask for the physical original rather than a printout. If you would rather remove that risk entirely, the original can be posted to your hotel or rental branch in Japan.
What to Carry While Driving in Japan
- Your original Belgian driver's licence
- The official Japanese translation
- Your passport — rental counters ask for it
The translation permits driving in Japan for up to one year from your date of entry. Leave Japan and re-enter, and the period restarts from the new entry date. Licence and translation must be carried together at all times — police checks and toll booths both ask.
Driving in Japan as a Belgian: What Actually Differs
Beyond the paperwork, three things catch Belgian drivers out:
- Left-hand traffic. The adjustment is quicker than expected on open roads and slowest at junctions, where instinct pulls you to the wrong side. Take the first hour somewhere quiet.
- Toll roads. Japanese expressways are tolled and expensive over distance. An ETC card from the rental company saves queuing at every barrier.
- Speed limits. Lower than Belgian drivers expect — typically 80–100 km/h on expressways and 40–60 km/h on ordinary roads.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Belgium signed the Geneva Convention. Why is my IDP still refused?
A: Japan recognises the 1949 Geneva format. Belgium now issues its permits in the 1968 Vienna format. Having signed the earlier treaty does not change the document you were actually handed.
Q: Does it matter whether my licence is in Dutch or French?
A: No. The requirement follows the issuing country, not the language printed on the card. Flemish, Walloon and Brussels licences are treated identically.
Q: Can I get this before I travel, or only after arriving?
A: You can and should get it before you travel — that is the only way to have the document in hand when you book your rental car.
Q: I am Belgian but live abroad. Does this still apply?
A: Yes. What matters is the country that issued your licence. A Belgian licence needs the official translation wherever you currently live.
Q: What happens if I drive without it?
A: Driving without the required documents is an offence in Japan, and your rental insurance may not respond to a claim. In practice you will not get that far — the rental company declines to hand over the keys.
Q: My departure is close. Is it too late?
A: Not necessarily. An expedited option shortens the turnaround considerably. The tighter constraint is usually the rental booking, so start with the translation and reserve the car as soon as it arrives.
In Short
Belgium's signature on the 1949 Geneva Convention does not help you in Japan, because the permit Belgium issues today follows a different treaty. What you need is the official Japanese translation of your licence, carried alongside the original.
Get it before you leave, and you can book the car from home.