Driving in Japan with a foreign driver’s license / Driving in Taiwan with a Japanese Driver’s license

1.Transferring to a Japanese Driver’s license

A driver's license issued by a foreign administrative office can be switched to a Japanese license (hereinafter referred to as "Gaimen Kirikae") by applying to the Driver's License Center of your area's prefectural police department.

To apply for Gaimen Kirikae, applicants must fulfill the following two conditions:
1) The applicant's foreign driver's license must be valid (expired licenses cannot be transferred)
2) The applicant must be able to prove that he or she stayed in the issuing country for at least three months in total after obtaining the license

The following documents and items are required for the application procedure:
1) Application form
2) Applicant's photograph for application form
3) An official copy of your "jumin-hyo" indicating your "honseki" (or your passport if not registered under the Resident Register System)
4) National health insurance card, My Number card, residence card (to be presented)
5) Driver's license issued by a foreign administrative office (not possible with an IDP alone)
6) Japanese translation of foreign license (can be prepared at JAF branches nationwide)
7) Documents such as a passports with entry and exit date stamps that can establish that you have stayed the country issuing the license for more three months or longer after acquiring the license
8) Processing fee
Please contact the Driver's License Center of your area's prefectural police department for further information.

The "Japanese translation of a foreign license" is one of the documents necessary to apply for Gaimen Kirikae. JAF accepts and publishes Japanese translations of foreign licenses at its branches nationwide. Provision of the translation does not guarantee a successful Gaimen Kirikae process.
If you have any questions regarding Gaimen Kirikae, please contact your local Driver's License Center directly.

2.Drive with an International Driving Permit (issued under the Geneva Convention only)

• Holders of an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued abroad under the September 19, 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic  can drive a vehicle in Japan in accordance with Japanese laws.
• Please note that IDPs issued in accordance with other treaties (such as the 1968 Vienna Convention) are not valid in Japan.
• The effective period of driving with an International Driving Permit is a maximum of one year from the date of entry into Japan. (For holders leaving and re-entering Japan, the validity is one year after reentry.) However, conditions vary for foreign residents of Japan. Please contact the Driver’s License Center with jurisdiction in your area for details.
• Foreign licenses are no longer valid for driving in Japan after one year from entering the country. Drivers planning to stay in Japan for an extended time are advised to switch to a Japanese license.
• Please contact the Driver’s License Center in your area for any other questions regarding the IDP.

Drive with a Chinese translation attached to your Japanese driver’s license.

• Holders of Japanese driver’s licenses may drive a vehicle in Taiwan by carrying a Chinese translation of the license together with their original driver’s license.
• To drive a vehicle in Taiwan, a Chinese translation of the license must be carried together with the original license.
• The effective period of driving with this translation is one year from the date of entry into Taiwan.
• The translation is valid until your driver’s license expires. This means that you may use the translation repeatedly as long as your driver’s license is valid. However, if you make any changes to your license (such as change of address) within that period, you will need to apply for a new translation.

• *Only holders of a Japanese driver’s license can drive in Taiwan using a JAF translation.