Yes. A Hong Kong driving licence can be used in Japan together with an International Driving Permit from the Transport Department. Hong Kong falls under the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, which Japan recognises. A mainland Chinese licence is a different matter: China itself is not a party, and those licences can't be used to drive here.
Why does Hong Kong count when the mainland doesn't?
History. The UK applied the 1949 convention to Hong Kong in 1961, and China told the UN that it would keep applying to the Hong Kong SAR after 1997. The mainland never joined. Our article on Chinese licences in Japan goes through the mainland, Macau and Taiwan one by one.
How do I apply?
Through the Transport Department. To apply online you need an "iAM Smart+" account with digital signing, or a personal digital certificate from a recognised authority such as Hongkong Post. Payment is by credit card, FPS or PPS.
Plan for the time it takes. The department says that once an application is complete, it posts the permit by registered mail within 10 working days, and the posting time comes on top of that.
What do I carry in Japan?
The permit, your Hong Kong licence and your passport. You can drive on the permit for up to a year from the day you arrive, provided it hasn't expired before then.
Is it very different from driving at home?
Traffic keeps left in both places, so the car will feel normal. The change is space. Outside the cities, Japan has long rural roads and mountain passes, and the expressways are tolled; we explain paying tolls without an ETC card and how rental insurance works.
Any suggestions for where to drive?
We live in Fukuoka, on Kyushu, and rent campervans there under the name VAN TRIP JAPAN. If you're deciding where to drive, the note below is ours.
Checked against the Transport Department's online IDP application guidance, the UN Treaty Collection and Japan's National Police Agency guidance in September 2026. Karen and Doko Shibagaki, Camjyo Inc., Fukuoka.
