Can an Indian Drive in Japan? — IDP Required, and It Must Be the 1949 Type

Japan is one of the more rewarding countries an Indian traveller can drive: smooth surfaces, orderly traffic and scenery well away from the rail lines. One document has to be right before you leave, and once you arrive the side of the road will feel familiar.

The permit, and why an Indian one works

Japan’s National Police Agency says the country recognises only international permits issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention by an authorised body of a country that belongs to it. India ratified that convention in 1962, so the IDP your RTO issues is the accepted type. The NPA’s Q&A adds two practical rules: carry the original paper permit, not a photocopy or a phone photo, and drive only vehicle categories that carry a stamp, so a car needs category B stamped. Japan’s Road Traffic Act (article 107-2) allows driving on a foreign permit for up to one year from arrival. Apply in India before you fly; nobody in Japan can issue one. Carry the IDP, your Indian licence and your passport together. The Driving Permit Checker covers other countries.

Japan keeps left, like India

India drives on the left and so does Japan. Junctions, overtaking and the driver’s seat all sit where your instincts expect, which removes the hardest adjustment most Indian drivers face abroad. Main roads carry English alongside the Japanese, but smaller roads often do not, so set up an offline map before you start.

The same 0.03, enforced harder

The WHO’s 2023 profile lists Japan’s blood-alcohol limit as 0.03%, the same 30 mg per 100 ml that India’s Motor Vehicles Act sets. The difference is enforcement. Japanese law reaches beyond the driver to people who supply the alcohol or ride along knowingly, so the only safe amount is none.

Limits and fines

The WHO profile gives 60 km/h as the general maximum on ordinary roads and 100 km/h on expressways, and lower limits are posted widely. Tokyo police list a fine of JPY 9,000 for exceeding a limit by less than 15 km/h in an ordinary car, rising to JPY 12,000 for 15-20 km/h over. Call 110 for police and 119 for fire and ambulance. The Japan driving guide and the Speeding Fine Calculator have more.

Sources

• National Police Agency, Q&A for international driving permit holders (Geneva Convention only, original paper, category stamps): npa.go.jp
• UN Treaty Collection, 1949 Convention on Road Traffic (India ratified 1962; Japan acceded 1964): treaties.un.org
• Road Traffic Act of Japan, art. 107-2 (driving on an international permit for one year from landing): laws.e-gov.go.jp
• Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, table of traffic offence fines (ordinary car, under 15 km/h over JPY 9,000; 15-20 over JPY 12,000): keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp
• WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, Japan profile (0.03 g/dl; 60/100 km/h): who.int
• India Code, Motor Vehicles Act 1988, s. 185 (30 mg per 100 ml): indiacode.nic.in