Driving a rental car in Ehime as a visitor from abroad: International Driving Permits, foreign licenses with a Japanese translation, and how long you can drive

Three kinds of license are valid for driving in Japan

The National Police Agency (警察庁) page explains the licenses that let people from abroad drive in Japan, as follows.

■日本で運転するためには、次のいずれかの免許証を所持している必要があります。（道路交通法第64条、同法第107条の２） 1)日本の免許証 2)道路交通に関する条約（ジュネーブ条約）に基づく国際運転免許証 3)自動車等の運転に関する外国（国際運転免許証を発給していない国又は地域であって日本と同等の水準にあると認められる免許制度を有している国又は地域）の免許証（政令で定める者 ※ が作成した日本語による翻訳文が添付されているものに限る。）。現在、スイス連邦、ドイツ連邦共和国、フランス共和国、ベルギー王国、モナコ公国及び台湾が対象となります。

Translation: “■ To drive in Japan, you need to hold one of the following licenses. (Road Traffic Act, Article 64 and Article 107-2) 1) A Japanese license. 2) An International Driving Permit based on the Convention on Road Traffic (the Geneva Convention). 3) A driving license from a foreign country or region (a country or region that does not issue International Driving Permits and has a licensing system recognized as equivalent to Japan’s), only when it comes with a Japanese translation made by a person specified by Cabinet Order (*). At present, the Swiss Confederation, the Federal Republic of Germany, the French Republic, the Kingdom of Belgium, the Principality of Monaco and Taiwan are covered.”

For a visitor, the realistic choices are number 2, an International Driving Permit, or number 3, a foreign license with a Japanese translation. Number 1, converting to a Japanese license, appears not to be open to short-term visitors under the Ehime Prefectural Police guidance, as explained in a later section.

The National Police Agency Q&A says some people cannot drive even with a valid International Driving Permit. This applies to a person who has been in Japan for 1 year or more and is recorded in the resident register, and who returns within 3 months of leaving the country.

…有効な国際運転免許証を所持していても運転することはできず、運転した場合には無免許運転として処罰されることとなります。

Translation: “…you cannot drive even if you hold a valid International Driving Permit, and if you do drive, you will be punished for driving without a license.”

Only the 1949 Geneva Convention format of the International Driving Permit is valid

The JAF page explains which International Driving Permits can be used.

道路交通に関する条約（1949年9月19日ジュネーヴ条約）にもとづき外国で発行された国際運転免許証（International Driving Permit）をお持ちの方は、日本の法令に則って日本国内で自動車等を運転することができます。上記以外の条約（1968年ウィーン条約等）にもとづく国際免許証による運転は認められていませんのでご注意ください。

Translation: “If you hold an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued abroad under the Convention on Road Traffic (Geneva Convention of September 19, 1949), you can drive motor vehicles in Japan in accordance with Japanese law. Please note that driving with an international license based on any other convention (such as the 1968 Vienna Convention) is not permitted.”

A permit issued in a country that is party to the Geneva Convention is still not valid if it is in the Vienna Convention format. The Nissan Rent a Car (日産レンタカー) English page explains how to tell them apart.

*Even if a permit is issued by a country that is party to the Geneva Convention, if the above text is not displayed, the permit is invalid.

The “above text” here is the convention name on the cover, “Convention on International Road Traffic of September 19, 1949.” The same page also says that a permit with the date November 8, 1968 is in the Vienna Convention format and cannot be used in Japan.

Putting the rental companies’ pages together, this is what they check.

You show the International Driving Permit together with your passport. (Every page from ORIX, Budget, Toyota, Nippon, Times, Heisei and Nissan says the same in essence.)
The cover shows the date of the September 19, 1949 convention.
Less than 1 year has passed since the permit was issued.
The box for the type of vehicle you will drive has a stamp. The Nippon Rent-A-Car (ニッポンレンタカー) page says: “If you drive a vehicle with 9 or more seats (including the driver’s seat), a stamp in box D is required.”
The permit has your own face photo.
The permit is a paper booklet. The Nissan Rent a Car page says “Digital driving permits are not accepted for rental”.

The Nippon Rent-A-Car page also adds this note.

※下記の項目を全て満たしていても、営業所が不適切な国際運転免許証と判断した場合はお貸出しをお断りします。

Translation: “* Even if you meet all of the items below, we will refuse to rent a vehicle if the branch judges the International Driving Permit to be unsuitable.”

The Times Car Rental (タイムズカー) page says that if the country that issued your International Driving Permit differs from the country that issued your passport, staff may check the travel history in your passport at the counter. The Toyota Rent a Car (トヨタレンタカー, English), Nissan (English) and Nippon pages say that permits issued by organizations with no authority to issue them cannot be used. The Toyota page says this includes permits issued over the internet.

This article has not checked whether your country is party to the Geneva Convention, or which organization in your country issues International Driving Permits. The National Police Agency page has links to material on the permit formats of each country and region. The same page notes that the material does not cover every format and may not be the latest. Before you leave, check with the issuing organization in your country.

Foreign licenses with a Japanese translation: 6 countries and regions

According to the National Police Agency page, the countries and regions whose licenses you can use with a translation are Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan. These six are the only ones on the National Police Agency page. If your license is from any other country, use the International Driving Permit described in the previous section.

According to the National Police Agency page, these people and organizations can make the translation.

The authority that issued the license, or that country’s embassy or consulate in Japan
For a Taiwan license, the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association (台湾日本関係協会). For a German license, the German Automobile Club (ドイツ自動車連盟)
JAF, Zipplus Co., Ltd. (ジップラス株式会社), and the Visiting Drivers Support Association (一般社団法人訪日運転者支援協会)

The National Police Agency page says: “外国の法定翻訳家は含まれませんので、御注意ください。” (Please note that legally certified translators in foreign countries are not included.) A translation you make yourself is also not valid.

JAF translations can be requested only from inside Japan

The JAF page says the following.

翻訳文は日本国内からのみご申請いただけます。

Translation: “Translations can be requested only from within Japan.”

The English page says the same.

We apologize for the inconvenience, but translations from JAF cannot be requested from outside Japan.

For people who want a translation before they enter Japan, the same page lists these options: asking an acquaintance in Japan to apply for you, finding a company that handles applications on your behalf, or asking the authority that issued your license or your country’s embassy or consulate. It says that for a German license, you can get a Japanese translation from the German Automobile Club (ADAC). It also says that only the paper translation is valid, and that copies, PDFs and photos are not valid.

The JAF application page includes the following (checked on October 14, 2026).

Applications are online only. The application site accepts requests 24 hours a day. Translations are issued during business hours.
A Japanese translation for temporary driving in Japan costs 6,000 yen (tax-exempt). Printing at a convenience store costs 20 yen per sheet.
The guide for the time until issue is an average of 2 to 3 business days, for licenses from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan.
For some licenses, JAF cannot issue a translation.
JAF says it takes no responsibility for compensation, such as changes to your travel plans, if you cannot get a translation.

If you apply to JAF after arriving in Japan, the guide for issue is an average of 2 to 3 business days. During that time you do not have the translation. Whether you can get a translation before entering Japan is something to check with the authority that issued your license or your country’s embassy or consulate.

The JAF page explains that when you drive with a translation, you need to carry the translation together with the original license.

日本国内で自動車等を運転する場合には、日本語翻訳文を当該運転免許証の原本とともにつねに所持していなければなりません。

Translation: “When driving a motor vehicle in Japan, you must always carry the Japanese translation together with the original of the driving license.”

The list of countries sometimes differs from the rental companies’ pages

The National Police Agency page and its Q&A list the six countries and regions above. Other guides, however, name different countries, as follows.

The English leaflet from the National Police Agency and the prefectural police, which is posted on the Ehime Prefectural Police website, lists seven: the six plus Estonia. (It does not give the year of issue.)
The Japanese page of Heisei Rent a Car (平成レンタカー) says: “対象国および地域（スイス連邦、ドイツ連邦共和国、フランス共和国、イタリア共和国、ベルギー王国の5か国と台湾）発行の外国運転免許証” (foreign driving licenses issued in the covered countries and regions: the five countries of Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy and Belgium, and Taiwan). Monaco is not included, and Italy is.
The English page of Heisei Rent a Car lists licenses from Taiwan, Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Slovenia and Monaco.

This article cannot decide which of these is correct. If you plan to rent with a translation, check with the rental company and with the embassy or consulate of the country that issued your license before you book.

You can drive for 1 year from the day you land in Japan

For International Driving Permits and foreign licenses with a translation, the National Police Agency page gives the period you can drive as follows.

2)国際運転免許証及び外国の免許証：日本に上陸した日から起算して1年間又は当該免許証の有効期間（※１）のいずれか短い期間（ただし、住民基本台帳に記録されている者が出国の確認又は再入国の許可等を受けて日本から出国し、３か月未満のうちに帰国（上陸）した場合においては、当該帰国（上陸）の日は国際運転免許証等による運転可能期間の起算日とはなりません。） ※１　国際運転免許証の有効期間は発給の日から１年間

Translation: “2) International Driving Permit and foreign license: 1 year counted from the day of landing in Japan, or the validity period of the license (*1), whichever is shorter. (However, if a person recorded in the resident register leaves Japan after confirmation of departure or with a re-entry permit, and returns (lands) in less than 3 months, the day of that return (landing) is not the starting date of the period in which the person can drive with an International Driving Permit or similar.) *1 The validity period of an International Driving Permit is 1 year from the date of issue.”

An International Driving Permit is valid for 1 year from the date of issue. This means you can use it only while both of these are true.

It is within 1 year of the date of issue.
It is within 1 year of the day you landed in Japan.

For a visitor, the day you entered Japan is the starting date. The JAF page says that if you leave Japan and land again, the permit is valid for 1 year from the day you land again. The 3-month rule in the quotation above applies to people who are in the resident register.

Check your landing day with the stamp in your passport

The JAF page includes this note.

上陸日からの経過日数を確認するため、運転中に警察官からパスポートの提示を求められることがあります。

Translation: “To check how many days have passed since you landed, a police officer may ask to see your passport while you are driving.”

Rental companies also check your landing day with your passport. For people who entered through an automated gate at the airport, the companies say the following.

Times Car Rental: “パスポートにスタンプ（上陸許可シール）のない方は、帰国日・再上陸日が確認できないため貸出ができません。” (We cannot rent to anyone whose passport has no stamp (landing permission sticker), because we cannot confirm the return date or the date of landing again.)
Toyota Rent a Car (English): When you use the automated gate, it asks you to have a staff member stamp your entry and exit.
Budget Rent a Car (バジェットレンタカー): “「自動化ゲート」にて入国される方は、レンタカー貸渡時、入国日確認のため航空券の半券をご持参ください。” (If you enter through the “automated gate,” please bring your boarding pass stub when you pick up the rental car, so that we can confirm your entry date.)
Nissan Rent a Car (English): It says to tell staff when you use the automated gate and have them stamp your passport. It also says that people with Japan’s Trusted Traveler Programs can use a boarding pass stub or an electronic ticket screen showing the same name as the license and passport instead.

Both Toyota and Nissan share one point: tell staff when you pass through the gate.

What the rental companies with counters at Matsuyama Airport ask for

The official Matsuyama Airport page lists 7 rental companies. Their official pages gave the following information on International Driving Permits and foreign licenses (checked on October 14, 2026).

Company	International Driving Permit	Foreign license and translation
Heisei Rent a Car (平成レンタカー)	One issued by a country that is party to the Geneva Convention (1949). Show it with your passport.	Japanese page: Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium and Taiwan. English page: Taiwan, Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Slovenia and Monaco. Show the translation and your passport.
ORIX Rent-A-Car (オリックスレンタカー)	One issued by a country that is party to the Geneva Convention (1949). Show it with your passport.	Monaco, Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium and Taiwan. Only licenses with a translation attached.
Budget Rent a Car (バジェットレンタカー)	Show it with a passport that shows your entry date (a stamp is needed).	Not written on the page we read.
Toyota Rent a Car (トヨタレンタカー)	Booklet type. Show it with your passport. (English page)	Switzerland, Germany, France, Taiwan, Belgium and Monaco. Show the translation and your passport. (English page)
Nippon Rent-A-Car (ニッポンレンタカー)	There are 7 items to check. Show it with your passport.	Switzerland, Germany, France, Taiwan, Belgium and Monaco. Show the translation and your passport.
Nissan Rent a Car (日産レンタカー)	One in the Geneva Convention format. Show it with your passport. (English page)	Switzerland, Germany, France, Taiwan, Belgium and Monaco. Show the translation and your passport. (English page)
Times Car Rental (タイムズカー)	An International Driving Permit under the Geneva Convention (1949). Show it with your passport.	Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan. Show the translation and your passport.

We could confirm English information pages for only three companies: Toyota, Nissan and Heisei. Times Car Rental directs foreign nationals, and Japanese nationals living abroad, to book through its multilingual official site.

The Toyota Rent a Car English page includes this note.

*Please be advised that your rental may be rejected if your license does not meet the necessary requirements.

The Nissan Rent a Car English page says the following about people who are not legally allowed to drive in Japan.

If you are not legally allowed to drive in Japan, we will not be able to rent a vehicle to you.

If your license does not meet the conditions, you cannot rent a car at the counter, even if you have a reservation. Counter hours and how the pick-up works are covered in What to know before renting a car at Matsuyama Airport.

The companies word the issuer of the translation differently. The Japanese page of Heisei Rent a Car says that the translation can be issued by the embassy or consulate in Japan of each country, or by JAF. Nippon Rent-A-Car names embassies and consulates, JAF, and the Visiting Drivers Support Association. The Nippon page said that the Association’s issuing was planned to start on October 1, 2025. That date has already passed, and we have not confirmed the current situation. Once you have decided where to get your translation, ask the rental company whether it will accept that translation.

Converting to a Japanese license in Ehime Prefecture

According to the National Police Agency page, you apply for conversion to a Japanese license at the driver’s license center of the prefectural police that covers your address in Japan. In Ehime Prefecture, the office is the Ehime Driver’s License Center (愛媛県運転免許センター).

Address: 1163-7 Katsuoka-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime 799-2661 (〒799-2661 愛媛県松山市勝岡町1163-7)
Phone: 089-934-0110 (the main number of the Prefectural Police Headquarters)
To find it with a car navigation system, enter 089-978-4141 or the address. The Ehime Prefectural Police page says that if you search with the Headquarters’ main number, you are guided to the Headquarters building in Minamihoribata-cho (南堀端町), Matsuyama.

The Ehime Prefectural Police PDF “Switching a foreign license” (外国免許の切替え手続き) describes who can apply as follows.

⑴ 外国の行政庁が発行した運転免許証を持っていること。（注）国際免許証では切り替えられません。

Translation: “(1) You hold a driving license issued by a foreign administrative authority. (Note) An International Driving Permit cannot be converted.”

⑵ 外国の運転免許を取得してから、その国に通算３か月以上滞在していたこと。（注）日本での滞在日数ではありません。

Translation: “(2) After obtaining the foreign driving license, you stayed in that country for a total of 3 months or more. (Note) This does not mean days of stay in Japan.”

⑷ 在留資格が、観光等の短期滞在の者でないこと。

Translation: “(4) Your status of residence is not that of a short-term visitor, such as for sightseeing.”

From these conditions, it appears that the Ehime Prefectural Police guidance does not expect a visitor on a sightseeing trip to convert a license to a Japanese one during a short stay. The PDF also says, however, that Japanese nationals whose address is outside Japan, and foreign nationals who come to Japan temporarily for an event, may be able to apply with different documents. Ask the license center whether you are covered.

The PDF also says the following.

Reception is “完全予約制。” (by reservation only). Make the reservation by phone or at window 7 of the license center by the day before (not counting Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and the year-end and New Year holidays).
Unless you are fluent in Japanese, bring an interpreter.
A translation of the foreign license is needed. A translation you made yourself is not accepted.
The application fee is 2,500 yen for a regular Class 1 license, the fee for using the test vehicle for the skills test is 1,750 yen, and the issuing fee is 2,350 yen for the driver’s license alone.
Depending on the country, the knowledge and skills tests are either waived or required. The knowledge test has 50 questions and can be taken in 20 languages, including English.

What to check before you leave

Here is what this article could not confirm, and where to check.

Whether you can drive with an International Driving Permit, or with your license and a translation. Check with the issuing organization in your country and the Japanese National Police Agency page “Persons holding a foreign driving license” (外国の運転免許をお持ちの方).
Whether your International Driving Permit is in the 1949 Geneva Convention format. Look at the convention name and date on the cover.
If you use a translation, whether the country of your license is on the list. Check with the rental company and with the embassy or consulate in Japan.
This article cannot give a firm answer on the details for each country. Please check with the official offices: the Ehime Driver’s License Center (089-934-0110), the rental company you will use, and the authority in the country that issued your license.
On the Ehime Prefectural Police website, we could not find an English page that explains the procedures for a visitor using a license, other than the leaflet mentioned above.

The rules for driving are summarized briefly in the English leaflet on the Ehime Prefectural Police website. It covers driving on the left, stopping at red lights, stop signs, oncoming cars when turning right, seat belts, drunk driving, mobile phones and a ban on headphones. It also says to call the police at 110 for trouble or an accident, and an ambulance at 119 if someone is injured. For what to watch for on Ehime roads, see What the Ehime Prefectural Police ask drivers to watch for on Ehime roads.

About this article

The content here was checked on October 14, 2026, on the official pages of the National Police Agency, the Ehime Prefectural Police, JAF and the rental companies. The countries covered and each company’s conditions may change. Before you book, please check each company’s official page and, if needed, ask at the counter. The Ehime Prefectural Police leaflet (PDF) is an image, so we read it by eye.