There is an international permit that allows Brazilians to drive in more than 100 different countries. Other countries such as the USA and Latin America allow you to drive with your own Brazilian driver's license and an identification document. What about Japan? Is it possible to drive in Japan with an International Permit or CNH?
Unfortunately Brazilians cannot drive in Japan using the International Permit, much less the Brazilian CNH. Unfortunately, Japan is not a signatory to the Vienna Convention, which is responsible for the IDP. Now that you know that Japan doesn't allow it, keep reading the article because I have a lot to talk about on this subject.
It is also not possible to translate your license into Japanese. You will need to take practical and theoretical tests to get your own license in Japan. Remembering that if you have a Brazilian CNH, you can avoid the long process of attending classes and having your japanese wallet within 3 days.
Unfortunately, tourists cannot simply get their license without living in Japan, because they ask for several documents such as proof of residence, DMV records and a translation of the license into Japanese.
Japan does not accept the International Driving Permit?
In addition to the fact that Japan is not part of the PID organization, the english hand and Japanese signs may discourage Japan from accepting such a treaty. I thought that, until I found out that the Japan does accept IDP (in English) from more than 95 countries for up to one year.
See below for a list of countries that can drive freely in Japan using the IDP (International Driving Permit):
Responsive Table: Scroll the table to the side with your finger >>
| Asia: Philippines, India, Thailand, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Republic of Korea;
Africa: South Africa, Central African Republic, Egypt, Ghana, Algeria, Morocco, Botswana, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Benin, Ivory Coast, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Niger; Africa: Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Iran, Tunisia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Burkina Faso, Nigeria; Europe: United Kingdom, Greece, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands. France, Italy, Russia, Serbia, Montenegro, Spain, Finland, Portugal, Austria, Belgium, Poland. Ireland, Hungary, Romania, Iceland, Bulgaria, Malta, Albania, Luxembourg, Monaco, San Marino. Vatican, Kyrgyz Republic, Georgia, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic Americas: United States, Canada, Peru, Cuba, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile. Paraguay, Barbados, Commonwealth of Dominica, Guatemala, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Jamaica; Others: New Zealand, Fiji, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong, Macau; |
Calm down, it's not over yet... There are other countries outside this list that can drive in Japan without having to get another license.
Why does Japan accept PID from countries other than Brazil?
It must be disappointing to know that even other countries from Latin America can drive in Japan using an International Permit. Unfortunately, Japan only recognizes the International Driving Permit based on the 1949 Geneva Convention.
Belgium, France, Germany, Monaco, Slovenia, Switzerland and Taiwan do not have item licenses based on the 1949 Geneva Convention. Fortunately they have a separate agreement that allows drivers to drive in Japan for up to one year with an official Japanese translation. Unfortunately Brazil is not included in this list.
A translation can be obtained from Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) or in some of the embassies or consulates of these countries. Make sure the car rental date is within the validity period of your license.
Be careful when applying for your Geneva Permit
If you are from another country, or have a driver's license from another country, you can try to apply for your geneva international permit. Be careful because there are countries that emitem other international permits, even if they are part of Geneva.
France, for example, appears on the Geneva Permissions list, but is not accepted in Japan through this permission. I don't know if it's because she stopped issuing using the Geneva Convention or something.
In addition to the Geneva Convention and the Vienna Convention (1968) used in Brazil, there are international permissions from the Paris Convention (1926) and the Washington Convention (1943). Make sure you are issuing the 1949 Geneva permit.
Japan also does not accept international permits issued by unauthorized agencies or private entities such as: IDL, IDD, KIDA, IAA, IADA, ITDL and others.
Japan also does not accept wallets where they were originally made in one country but international permission made in another. If you get your driver's license in the US, do not attempt to issue an international permit in Canada.
To drive in Japan, you need to have a passport, a local license and an international permit.
As with hotel reservations, some car rental companies will not deliver the car if you do not have a valid international permit. Some won't even refund the money if you haven't canceled the reservation before the deadline.
I hope this article has cleared all your doubts on the subject! We appreciate the comments and shares. We also recommend reading:
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Transferring your Driver's License to Japan
The only option, if you are living in Japan, is to retake all the tests and get a new wallet. This process is simplified if you already have a Brazilian driver's license. You just need to retake the theoretical and practical tests.
To make this process easier, Kirizawa took an online course to get her driver's license in Japan. A course at a much more affordable price than paying for classes or interpreters. If you want to know details, just access the link in the button below:
