Requirements
Japan has strict legal requirements for driving. A licence from your home country is not enough on its own.
You must be between 18 and 85 years old, and you must bring one of the four document sets below.
If you arrive without the correct documents, we cannot let you drive, and no refund will be issued. Please check carefully before booking. If you are unsure, contact us and we will help you check.
If you live in Japan and hold a licence issued by a Prefectural Public Safety Commission, bring it with you. Nothing else is required.
Your IDP must be issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention. This is the only type Japan accepts.
Your IDP must be issued by an official authority in your own country, usually the national automobile association. It is valid for one year from the date of issue.
Commonly eligible countries include the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, India, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and Ireland.
Countries we are often asked about that are not eligible include China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brazil, and Mexico.
Websites selling International Driving Permits online are often unofficial, and permits bought from them are not valid in Japan.
If you are not sure whether yours is genuine, send us a photo before you travel and we will check it for you.
If your licence was issued in Switzerland, Germany, France, Taiwan, Belgium, Slovenia, or Monaco, you do not need an IDP.
The translation must come from an authorised body. Translations you make yourself are not accepted.
Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Slovenia, Monaco
Your embassy or consulate in Japan, or any JAF branch.
Taiwan
JAF, the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association, or the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan.
Driving licences issued by the US Armed Forces under the Status of Forces Agreement are accepted.
If you are registered as a resident of Japan and wish to drive on an International Driving Permit, additional conditions apply.
An IDP issued by the Japanese government cannot be used to drive in Japan.
It is your responsibility to bring the correct documents. We check every licence at the shop before the tour begins.
Email us at info@japan-gokart-osaka.com with a photo of your licence and permit, and we will confirm before you book.
Free cancellation and date changes up to 24 hours before your tour.
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