Japan on a Polish Licence — Geneva IDP, the Side Switch & a 40-to-100 Speed Drop

Poland makes Japan’s licence rules straightforward. As a 1949 Geneva Convention signatory — the only treaty Japan recognises for foreign permits — Poland’s standard International Driving Permit (Międzynarodowe Prawo Jazdy) is accepted alongside your Polish licence, with no official Japanese translation required. That spares you the extra step Swiss and German visitors have to take. Carry the Geneva IDP, your licence and your passport together; it covers stays of up to 12 months and must be obtained in Poland, never in Japan. Run it through the Driving Permit Checker if you want certainty.

The first real adjustment is the side of the road. Poland drives on the right; Japan drives on the left. Years of right-hand reflexes don’t switch off on the plane, so the opening hour is where errors cluster — a turn into the wrong lane, a glance the wrong way, or the wipers going when you reach to indicate (the stalks are mirrored). Pick the car up away from city centres and treat every junction deliberately.

The second is pace. Polish motorways run at 140 km/h; Japan’s expressways top out at 100, and they are tolled — an ETC card in the rental saves queuing at every gate. Towns are a strict 40 and rural roads 60, so the rhythm is slower throughout. Cameras are widespread, and a 10 km/h overspeed costs roughly JPY 9,000 (≈ €55) plus a point, which you can check with the Speeding Fine Calculator.

Alcohol needs care. Japan’s 0.03 BAC is numerically above Poland’s 0.02, but enforcement is brutal — heavy fines, instant licence confiscation, detention for higher readings, and penalties even for passengers who ride knowingly with an over-limit driver. Keep it at zero.

Petrol is about $1.35/litre, police answer on 110 (119 for ambulance and fire), and keep the warning triangle in the boot. The full picture is in our Japan driving guide.