The Urgency of Driver's License Translations
Many travelers only realize they need an official Japanese translation of their driver's license (if they are from Germany, France, Switzerland, Taiwan, etc.) when they are standing at the rental car counter in Tokyo or Hokkaido. At that moment, speed is everything.
If you order today, when will you have it?
Business days, not calendar days, are what decide this — and Japanese public holidays close the authority completely. Rather than quote you a range, here is the answer for today:
The submission date is the part we control, so that is the part we commit to. What happens after it sits with the JAF, so we give that as a range rather than a promise.
JAF Processing Times
The Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) issues these translations; JDLTC applies to JAF on your behalf.
- Applying to the JAF yourself: this has to be done from inside Japan: either you apply once you are there, or someone in Japan (an acquaintance or an agency) applies for you before you travel. Since April 2025 it is a web-only application, in Japanese, reachable only from a Japanese network and delivered to a Japanese address.
- JAF Online Application: Applying through the JAF website typically takes up to 2 weeks for processing, and you need a Japanese address for physical delivery, making it highly impractical for tourists already on the move.
The JDLTC Advantage: Expedited Online Processing
JDLTC is designed specifically to solve this bottleneck for inbound tourists. We apply to JAF on your behalf from inside Japan, so you can order before you travel and choose the speed you need.
- Standard (from €99): quoted at 3–4 weeks. In practice most standard orders have been delivered well inside that window, but the quoted figure is what we commit to.
- Express (€139): 5–7 days.
- Rush (€179): 1–3 business days. This is the fastest tier we offer; we do not promise same-day delivery.
Whichever tier you choose, the PDF reaches you by email before you fly. That matters because many Japanese rental companies ask to see the translation at the time of booking. To drive, you then carry JAF's paper original, which we deliver to your hotel or rental counter in Japan from the day after the translation is ready (+€10 / CHF 10 / NT$350).
📦 Some rental companies cannot accept parcels, so please choose your hotel for delivery whenever possible.
How Delivery Works
Once your translation is ready, JDLTC emails you the PDF, which you use to book your car. You drive with JAF's paper original, which JDLTC delivers to your hotel or rental counter in Japan from the day after the translation is ready (+€10 / CHF 10 / NT$350), so it can be waiting for you when you pick up the car.
