Can a Japanese Driver Drive in Denmark? — IDP Needed + the Side Switch

Denmark is one of the easiest countries in Europe to drive — well-built roads, clear signs, light traffic outside Copenhagen. For a Japanese visitor the friction is not the infrastructure but two specific reflexes that have to flip: which side you drive on, and how much of your attention goes to bicycles.

The verdict for Japanese licence holders

You can drive in Denmark, but the Japanese card alone does not satisfy the law. Under the rule published on borger.dk, a licence from outside the EU/EEA that is not written in Latin letters must travel with an international driving licence or a translation into Danish, English or French, and a translation only counts if a public authority or an organisation authorised in the issuing country produced it. For most Japanese visitors the permit is the easier choice: Japan issues the 1949 Geneva-convention IDP, and Denmark is a 1949 party. Get it in Japan before you fly — it cannot be obtained in Denmark — and keep it with your licence and passport.

The first adjustment: switching to the right

Japan drives on the left; Denmark drives on the right. This is the change most likely to catch you out, and the danger window is the first day — pulling out, joining a roundabout that circulates the other way, or glancing the wrong direction at a junction. Take a quiet first drive before you tackle central Copenhagen.

The second adjustment: cyclists everywhere

Denmark is built around cycling, with dedicated lanes on most urban roads and riders in heavy numbers. Turning across a cycle lane, you must give way; the classic mistake is sweeping right across a bike lane without checking. Make checking the lane part of every turn.

Speeds, alcohol and cost

Limits are 50 in town, 80 rural and 130 on the motorway — that motorway figure is well above Japan’s 100, so the traffic moves quickly. The alcohol limit is 0.05, modestly above Japan’s 0.03 but firmly enforced, with cameras widespread. Driving over a limit by 10 km/h can cost around DKK 1,000 (≈ €135). Several major bridges carry tolls, so budget for them.

Confirm your permit with the Driving Permit Checker, read the full Denmark driving guide, and estimate any penalty with the Speeding Fine Calculator. The emergency number is 112.

Sources

• borger.dk, foreign driving licence in Denmark (international driving licence or translation into Danish, English or French for licences not in Latin letters): borger.dk
• UN Treaty Collection, Convention on Road Traffic, Geneva 1949 (Japan and Denmark parties): treaties.un.org