Driving in Japan

Converting your Australian car licence to a valid Japanese licence

If you are residing in Japan, driving without a Japanese driver's licence is illegal.

Japanese transport authorities advised in December 2010 that they would prefer that only tourists on the 90 day temporary visitor entry visa use an International Driver's Permit (in conjunction with their Australian driver's licence) to drive in Japan.

Supposedly, Australians can drive in Japan on an International Driver's Permit (in conjunction with your Australian driver's licence) up to 365 days following their initial entry into Japan. However, local authorities have advised that due to abuses of this system, they now prefer that anyone who is residing in Japan drive on a Japanese licence, not an International Driver's Permit.

If you would like more information about these driver's licence regulations in Japan, please contact your local Japanese licence office.

We suggest that Australians residing in Japan on a visa other than the 90 day temporary visitor entry visa obtain a Japanese driver's licence after their arrival if they wish to drive in Japan.

You will need a valid Australian driver's licence to obtain a Japanese licence. You should apply through the licence office in your local area.

For information on obtaining other types of Licences, please contact your nearest driver's licence examination centre.

Please confirm with the Japanese Licence Centre what you will need to show to prove the validity of your Australian Driver's Licence

Some Australian Driver's Licences do not show the date of issue. You may be required by the Japanese Licence Centre to prove the date of issue of your Australian Driver's Licence.

In this case you should apply to your home state Transport Authority to obtain an Australian driving record showing the first issue date. The issue date should be at least three months before your arrival in Japan.

You will also need to have your driving record translated in addition to your licence.

Please note that in some cases, in some prefectures, you may be asked to produce a driving record regardless of whether your licence shows an issue date.
Make sure you can prove that you were in Australia three months after receiving your Australian driver's licence.
1. If this is your first licence, you will need to show your passport with your departure stamp from Australia. If you do not have a departure stamp from when you left Australia, you will need to obtain a record of your movements in and out of Australia.
  
  To do this please download form 1359 from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship website and forward the completed form together with your passport to the Visa Section, Australian Embassy Tokyo, either by post or in person between the hours of 9:00 - 12:00, Monday - Friday.
  
  There is no fee for this application but you will need to provide a prepaid registered self-addressed envelope to the Visa Section to have the record returned to you.
2. If you renewed your current Australian driver's licence whilst in Japan, you will need to obtain your driving records from your state licence authority.
  
  In addition you may be required to produce your passport to prove that you were in Australia for three months after obtaining your previous licence. You may be required to produce a previous passport for these details.
Translate (or have translated) your driver's licence (and your driving record if necessary) into Japanese

There are two ways to arrange this:
1. The Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) is able to arrange a translation and certification of your driver's licence.
  
  The Japan Automobile Federation (Tokyo Head Office)
  2-2-17 Shiba
  Minato-Ku
  Tokyo 105-0014
  Tel: 03-6833-9150
  
  The Japan Automobile Federation (Osaka)
  Osaka Branch Office (JAF)
  2-1-5 Naka Hozumi
  Ibaraki City
  Osaka
  Tel: 072-645-1300
  
  The Japan Automobile Federation (Aichi)
  Chubu Branch Office (JAF)
  3-7-56 Fukue
  Showa-ku
  Nagoya-shi
  Aichi 466-8580
  Tel: 052-872-3685
  
  View other JAF locations
  JAF Homepage
2. Alternatively you can choose to translate your driver's licence yourself, in which case you will need to sign a Statutory Declaration Form (Sensei kyojitusho) at the Australian Embassy to certify that your translation is a true translation.
  
  You will need to make an appointment with the Embassy to have the Statutory Declaration signed and fees will apply.
  
  You will need to bring:
  - the translation of your licence
  - your driver's licence
  - your passport
  - Download Blank Statutory Declaraction (PDF)
  - Download Blank Statutory Declaraction (DOC)
The Australian Embassy does not do translations of Australian licences.

Japanese driver's licence examination offices in some localities (such as Fukuoka) will only accept JAF translations and certifications of driver's licenses.

Applicants should check with their local licensing centre to ensure that a translation with a statutory declaration witnessed at the Embassy or a Consulate is acceptable.
Go to your local prefectural driver's licence examination office (Jidosha unten menkyo shiken jo)

Remember to bring:
- Passport (your Japanese visa must be valid for at least one week)
- Alien registration card
- One photo (3cm x 2.4cm)
- Valid Australian driver's licence with translation in Japanese
- Australian driving record showing the first issue date (if your driver's licence does not show an issue date)
You may be required to be able to produce copies of all pages of your passport, alien registration card and your driver's licence (front and back).

Note that some offices do not have photo copying facilities.

Fees for converting your Australian licence to a Japanese licence

Please contact your nearest driver's licence examination office to confirm the cost of obtaining a Japanese Licence.

Further information can be obtained from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

English Guide Service 03-5463-6000

Road Rules in Japan

Rules of the Road, a booklet that outlines traffic rules in Japan in plain language, is now available in six languages from Japan Automobile Federation (JAF). The booklet seeks to provide foreign residents in the country with traffic-related information for the enhancement of road safety.

The booklet covers all changes following the revision of the Road Traffic Law enacted on Nov. 1st, 1999, including the duty to use child restraints and prohibition of the use of a mobile phone while driving.

Rules of the Road costs 1000 yen per copy, including consumption tax.

Contact your local JAF office for more information.

JAF in Tokyo can be contacted on 03-5976-9777.

Licence Centres in Tokyo and surrounding areas

Samezu 1-12-5 Higashi-Oi Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3474-1374 Monday - Friday 8:30 - 11:00 13:00 - 15:00	Fuchu 3-1-1 Tama Fuchu-shi, Tokyo Tel: 04-2362-3591 8:30 - 10:30 13:00 - 14:30
Koto Unten Menkyo Shiken-jo 1-7-24 Shinsuna Koto-ku, Tokyo 136 Tel: 03-3699-1151	Saitama-ken Unten Menkyo Centre 405-4 Konosu Konosu-shi, Saitama-ken 365 Tel: 04-8543-2001
Makuhari Unten Menkyo Shiken-jo 2-1 Hamada Chiba-shi, Chiba-ken 260 Tel: 043-274-2000	Futamatagawa Unten Menkyo Shiken-jo 55 Nakao-cho Asahi-ku Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken 241 Tel: 04-5365-3111

Licence Centres in other regions

Kadoma Unten Shikenjo 23-16 Ichiban-cho Kadoma City, Osaka 571-8555 Tel: 06-6908-9121	Kyoto-fu Unten Menkyo Shikenjo 647 Furukawa-cho Hazuka-shi Fushimi-ku, Kyoto 612-8486 Tel: 075-631-5181
Hyogo-ken Keisatsu Kohtsu-bu Unten Menkyo Shikenjo 1649-2 Niyama-cho Akashi City, Hyogo 673-0842 Tel: 078-912-1628	Komyoike Unten Menkyo Shiken-jo 5-13-1 Fushiya-cho Izumi-shi, Osaka 594-0031 Tel: 0725-56-1881
Nara Unten Menkyo Shiken-jo 120-3 Kuzumoto-cho Kashiwara-shi, Nara-ken 634-0007 Tel: 0744-22-5541	Aichi Unten Menkyo Shiken-jo 2845 Kuroishi, Hirabari Tenpaku-cho Tenpaku-ku Nagoya-shi, Aichi. 468-8513 Tel: 052-801-3211

Note
Application must be lodged in the same prefecture where you obtained your alien registration card.

For example, if your alien registration card was issued in Hyogo Prefecture, you must apply at Hyogo Unten Shikenjo (test centre) in Akashi City, Hyogo.

If you need further information, please telephone the Embassy Consular Section on 03-5232-4111 during normal working hours.

Australian Embassy, Tokyo