Short answer: No. JAF writes that its translation application site can only be reached from networks inside Japan, and that translations cannot be requested from outside Japan. A VPN does not change where you are. And the finished translation is printed at a convenience store in Japan, so you would not have it before your flight anyway.
JAF's application page does not open from outside Japan, and a Japanese IP address through a VPN can look like an easy way round that. Here is what JAF itself says, checked on its own pages on 29 October 2026.
What JAF says
- Since 1 April 2025, JAF accepts translation applications online only. The counter and postal routes have closed.
- Access to the application site is only possible from networks within Japan.
- Translations from JAF cannot be requested from outside Japan. If you are abroad, JAF asks you to use one of the routes below, or to apply online after you arrive.
- The finished translation is collected by printing it at a convenience store in Japan, and JAF states that the translation is valid in paper form.
The last point settles it for most people. Even if an application got through from abroad, the document you drive with comes out of a convenience store printer in Japan.
The three routes JAF names for getting it before you arrive
- Someone you know in Japan applies for you. JAF accepts an acquaintance in Japan acting as your agent.
- An agency applies for you. JAF notes that travel agencies and similar businesses offer this. JDLTC is one of them: we apply in Japan, email you a PDF of the finished translation before your flight for your rental booking, and can deliver the paper original to your hotel in Japan (€10 / CHF 10 / NT$350).
- The authority that issued your licence, or your embassy or consulate in Japan. For German licences, JAF points to ADAC.
If you are already in Japan
Then you can use JAF's site yourself. For licences from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan, JAF's application page gives an average of two to three business days, while its FAQ says one to two weeks, so allow some extra time. You then print the translation at a convenience store.
For what each option costs and how long it takes, see the cost guide. If your licence is German, getting the JAF translation from Germany walks through the process step by step.
Sources, checked on 29 October 2026: JAF, How to apply for a translation; JAF, To customers currently overseas; JAF, 翻訳文の申請方法; JAF FAQ, 翻訳文は申請してからどれくらいでできますか.
Karen and Doko Shibagaki, Camjyo Inc., Fukuoka.
