The short-term option — and the one people most often misunderstand.
Not verified yet
Drafted from general knowledge. Licence conversion rules depend on your issuing country and are handled by prefectural licence centres with differing practice — confirm with your prefecture before travelling to the centre.
Why it matters
An International Driving Permit is a stopgap, not a solution. It is issued by your home country before you leave, it is generally valid for a limited period, and critically it cannot be renewed from inside Japan. People routinely assume they can keep driving on one indefinitely, and then find they have been driving unlicensed.
- Deadline
- No legal deadline
- Cost
- Set by your city
- Time
- Obtained abroad before arrival
What to bring
- International Driving Permit国際運転免許証·kokusai unten menkyoshō
Must be obtained in your home country before departure. It cannot be issued to you in Japan.
- Home country driving licence本国の運転免許証·hongoku no unten menkyoshō
Carry it alongside the permit — the permit alone is not sufficient.
How it goes
- 1
Get it before you leave home
Only your issuing country can grant it. If you are already in Japan without one, this route is closed to you and you should go straight to licence conversion.
- 2
Know that it expires and does not renew here
Validity is limited and time-boxed. Leaving Japan briefly to reset it is a widely discussed idea that does not reliably work, because rules exist specifically to prevent it. Do not build your plans on it.
- 3
Check whether your country is even covered
Recognition depends on which international convention your country issues under. A few countries are handled through a different route requiring an official translation instead. Confirm your own country’s position before you rely on driving.
- 4
Start the conversion process early
Conversion takes longer than people expect — often months, with booked test slots. Begin well before your permit runs out, not after.