Belgium on a Japanese Licence — the Side Switch & an IDP

Most of what a Japanese driver already does well — calm lane discipline, patience in traffic — carries over to Belgium. Two things don’t, and both deserve attention before you collect the keys.

You drive on the right now

Japan drives on the left; Belgium on the right. Every reflex you trust points the wrong way for the first hour: you’ll reach for a gear lever on the wrong side, drift toward the wrong kerb, and look the wrong way pulling out. Roundabouts flow clockwise here. Pick up the car and take your first stretch somewhere quiet — not straight onto the Brussels ring (R0), where merging is fast and unforgiving.

Bring the IDP, and expect priority from the right

Carry an International Driving Permit with your Japanese licence and passport; it’s recommended and rental desks expect it, and you can only get it at home before travelling. On the road, Belgium enforces priorité à droite: at an unmarked junction, a car emerging from your right has priority, even if you feel you’re on the main road. Locals pull out expecting you to brake. Where there’s no yellow priority diamond, yield to the right.

Faster roads and the alcohol line

Belgian motorways run 120 km/h — quicker than the roughly 100 you’re used to — with rural at 70–90 and town 50 (central Brussels 30). Average-speed cameras blanket the motorways; 10 km/h over is around EUR 53, which you can check on the Speeding Fine Calculator. The alcohol limit is 0.05 — looser than Japan’s strict 0.03, but breath-tested often, so don’t lean on it. Confirm your paperwork via the Driving Permit Checker and read the full rules on our Belgium driving guide. The car needs a triangle, vest, first-aid kit and extinguisher; petrol is about EUR 1.90/litre, emergency 112.