Driving in Japan on a Swiss Licence

The Short Answer

If you hold a driver's license issued in Switzerland, you cannot drive in Japan using a standard International Driving Permit (IDP) based on the 1949 Geneva Convention.

Instead, under Article 107-2 of the Japanese Road Traffic Act, you must carry:

1. Your original valid Swiss driver's license
2. An official Japanese translation of your license
3. Your passport

The 100-Point Legal Standard: Why an IDP Doesn't Work

Japan only accepts International Driving Permits issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention. Switzerland is signatory to the 1968 Vienna Convention, not the 1949 Geneva Convention.

Because of this, Article 107-2 of the Japanese Road Traffic Act makes a special provision for Switzerland (along with Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco, and Taiwan). It allows you to drive in Japan for up to one year from the day you land, or until your license expires if that is sooner, provided you carry an official translation.

How to Get an Official Translation

Translations are only legally valid if issued by:

1. The Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) or one of the two other bodies designated by Japan's National Public Safety Commission
2. The Swiss authority that issued your license
3. The respective foreign embassy or consulate in Japan

At JDLTC, we file the application with JAF on your behalf, so the translation reaches you as a PDF before you board your flight to Japan, ready for your rental booking. You then drive with JAF's paper original, which we deliver to your hotel or rental counter in Japan from the day after the translation is ready (+CHF 10).

📦 Some rental companies cannot accept parcels, so please choose your hotel for delivery whenever possible.

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