All drivers need to have a valid driver’s license to drive in Japan.
Even it is a rental car.
This time, we would like to tell about the driver's license
which is necessary to rent a car！🙋🙋
Now we are taking a reservation of many kinds of car model
such as Hiace Grand Cabin which I was introduced before,
and even Toyota Coaster,
please check your driver's license before making a booking✨✨
１．Japanese Driver's License
Most common type, which is Japanese driver's license🚗
But, there are car types able to drive depending on the classification of your Japanese driver's license.
COASTER of Micro bus which is able to make a reservation limited in New Chitose Airport sales office,
please note that you cannot rent it if you have a Medium-sized Motor Vehicle License (Up to 8 tons)🚌🚌
２．International Driving Permit under the Convention of Road Traffic of Sep. 19, 1949
You must present your passport as well.
Also, you cannot drive a car in japan if your International Driving Permit is issued in Japan.
◆International driver's permits are valid for 1 year from the date of issue (please confirm the date of issue) and their validity for driving in Japan is 1 year from the date of entry into Japan
(confirmed by the immigration stamp in the passport showing the date of entry into Japan).
However, persons on the basic resident register who leave Japan and subsequently re-enter the country within less than 3 months, will not have their re-entry date considered as their date of entry
(the start date for driving eligibility in Japan).
◆International driving permits acquired from signatory countries to the Paris Convention (1926), the Washington Convention (1943) or the Vienna Convention (1968) are not acceptable.
◆For operating vehicles with more than 9 seats including driver's seat, a stamp in the category D box is required.
(Applicable car type: larger minivans-Toyota Hiace Grandcabin and microbuses-Toyota Coaster )
◆Refer to the information below for restrictions on vehicle type.
◆If your country of passport and issued country of international driver's license is different, we may require to confirm your visa.
３．Authorized Japanese Translation
If you have a driver's license issued in Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Taiwan, Slovenia or Monaco, you are required to present your original driver's license, the authorized Japanese translation and your passport.
Translations are valid for driving in Japan for one (1) year from the date of landing in Japan (confirmed by the immigration stamp in the passport showing the date of landing in Japan) or until the expiration date of the foreign license, whichever is earlier.
Please present your passport so we can confirm the date of entrance.
◆Authorized Japanese translation of the driver's license should be issued by the respective country`s embassy or consulate in Japan or by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF).
◆For Taiwanese licenses, a Japanese translation of the driver`s license should be issued by the JAF or the East Asia Relations Commission.
This time might be boring contents💦💦
But it is able to say most important to rent a car.
To prevent situations such as
「I forgot to bring my driver's license from home！」or
「I didn't know that my driver's license is not valid for this car！」,
please check your driver's license in advance 🙇♂️🙇♂️
