What Is An IDP, And Why Do You Need It In Japan?

The International Driving Permit is a document that says “this person has a driving license”. It is not an International Driving License in itself – there is no such thing. But when presenting it together with your drivers license from your home country, those who need to see it will know that you are trusted to drive in Japan.

When you want to rent a car in Japan, you need to show four things: A credit card (debit cards will not do), the reservation, your national drivers license, and a small paper booklet with your photo and signature in it.

That document is the International Driving Permit (IDP). Sometimes, people refer to it as the International Drivers License, but there is no such thing. The IDP only certifies that you have a license.

In some countries, it is allowed to use an intermediary to get an International Driving Permit. But it is usually faster to go yourself to the office, or use the mail-in or online option, where thete is one. I wrote a separate article about how to get an IDP in the 20 countries with the most visitors to Japan. And remember one more thing: if someone tries to sell you an International Driving License, this is a scam.

The Three Different IDP Conventions

Nothing is ever easy with diplomatic conventions, and there are no less than three international conventions regulating the International Driving Permit. The one you need to care about is the 1949 Geneva convention, since this is what Japan uses.

But Japan also has bilateral agreements with some countries, which turns their national drivers licenses to a version of the UDP, although only for Japan. Citizens of Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco, and Taiwan do not need an International Driving Permit to drive legally in Japan. They only need a translation of their existing driver’s license to Japanese, together with their original drivers license, to be able to drive legally in Japan.

In addition, there is one more exception to the requirement for an International Driving Permit when driving in Japan: The SOFA, US armed forces personnel, can get a special drivers license which is often accepted in Okinawa, although formally they need their US drivers license as well.

No Driving Simulator

The drivers license requirement is the only requirement for driving in Japan. You do not need any particular training to drive in Japan with an IDP and your national driving license; if you have a driver’s license and an IDP, that is enough. Even if it does not feel that way.

For those who drive on the right side of the road, crossing over to the other side feels very nervous at first, and you are likely to make mistakes. Most of them are silly, like turning on the wipers when you wanted the turn signals. But you need to pay a little extra attention not to accidentally slip over on the wrong side of the road, especially when turning.

There is no driving simulator for driving in Japan. The driving simulators that driving schools use are enormous machines that require an entire room to themselves, but they give an accurate simulation of driving on Japanese roads and allow the driver to react properly to simulated traffic. But they are very expensive, purpose-built machines.

There is no driving simulator you can get for home use, and do not try to drive like in a computer game. Especially not if you have chosen to rent a go-cart and drive on the street.

If you are nervous about driving in Japan even though you have your International Driving Permit, hire a taxi, ask to sit in front, and observe how the driver handles traffic.

How To Get An International Driving Permit

To apply for an International Driving Permit, you need to go to the local authority issuing the IDP and provide the required documentation, which usually means a photo, the application form, a copy of your driver’s license, and the application fee. The form and the fee depend on the country. So where can I get an International Driving Permit that I can use in Japan?

Since the International Driving Permit is issued by the national authorities of the countries that are part of the UN Geneva Treaty of 1949, the procedure is different in each country. The authority issuing driver’s licenses (usually the police, but some countries have special authorities who handle driver’s licenses, like the Department of Motor Vehicles in many US states) will know where you should go to get an International Driving Permit.

For your own country, the local automobile club or the authority that issued your driver’s license is the best starting point. You have to apply for an IDP when you are at home, in your own country. You can not get one once you leave for Japan.

In some countries, IDP can be issued in different formats (according to the 1949 Geneva Convention, or according to the 1968 Vienna Convention). Some countries, such as India, may issue IDPs in completely different formats, so you need to make sure that the IDP you receive is in the right format. It should be a little booklet with your photo and signature in it to be valid in Japan.

The proper format for a 1949 Geneva Convention IDP.

Just to reiterate, here is the format for an International Driving Permit under the 1949 Geneva Convention.

Must be in a small booklet form, not a card type or paper type.
Must have a photo of the holder and the holder’s signature.
The classification (type of vehicle you are allowed to drive) must be from Ａ～Ｅ
The holder must be 18 years old or older.

In all cases, Japan does not recognize the validity of an IDP beyond one year after it is issued, so the expiry date written on the IDP may not matter unless it is shorter than one year. Also, your driver’s license can not expire during your trip to Japan. If the drivers’ license has a shorter duration than the IDP, the shortest duration is the one that applies.

What If You Drive Without An IDP?

If you do not have a valid IDP and national driver’s license and manage to borrow a car (you will not be able to rent one without a valid IDP), the consequences for yourself and those who lent you the car can be very unpleasant.

The national drivers license is still needed in addition to the International Driving Permit. An IDP is formally only a translation of the drivers license.

You are under no circumstances allowed to drive in Japan without a valid drivers license. A translation or 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit is always required.

And regardless, of course, you have to be over 18 years to drive a car in Japan. Even if you are 16 and have a drivers license, you are not allowed to drive.

Resources

Did you find this useful? Then chancesi are that you will find my book “Driving In Japan” even more useful. It has not just one, but two chapters about renting cars in Japan.