Spanish Licence in Japan 2026: Geneva IDP and Left Lanes

Most advice about Japan warns European drivers that their permit will be refused. For a Spanish licence holder that warning is wrong, and believing it sends people chasing a translation they cannot get.

The permit Japan wants is the one Spain issues

Japan’s National Police Agency recognises only international permits issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention by an authorised body of a party state. Spain acceded to that convention in 1958, so the permit issued in Spain is the right model. Spain signed the later 1968 Vienna Convention but never ratified it, which is why the confusion persists. The NPA attaches three conditions. The permit must be the original paper document in the convention format, a picture on a phone is refused, and you may drive only the vehicle classes that carry a stamp, so check that category B is stamped. Spain’s foreign ministry adds that the international permit is only valid for stays of under 90 days and must travel with the Spanish licence it was issued against.

The other route, an official Japanese translation of a home licence, is limited to licences from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan. A Spanish licence does not qualify, so do not plan on it. The Driving Permit Checker confirms the document list.

Then there is the side of the road

Spain drives on the right; Japan drives on the left. Every junction and every overtake runs mirror-image to what you know. Take your first hour somewhere quiet rather than central Tokyo, and be deliberate rather than instinctive at turns.

Speeds, alcohol and fines

Ordinary roads have a 60 km/h maximum and expressways 100 km/h, lower wherever signs say so, against the 120 km/h of a Spanish autovía. The WHO profile gives Japan’s alcohol limit as 0.03%, under Spain’s general 0.05%, and UK advice notes that passengers who knowingly ride with a drinking driver can be prosecuted too. Fines are fixed: the Tokyo Metropolitan Police table sets JPY 9,000 for a car less than 15 km/h over and JPY 18,000 for holding a phone while driving. Expressway tolls add up, so budget for them. Dial 110 for police and 119 for fire or ambulance.

The Japan driving guide has the full rules, and the Speeding Fine Calculator shows the bands.

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 (Spain accession 13 Feb 1958): treaties.un.org
• UN Treaty Collection, 1968 Convention on Road Traffic (Spain signed, not ratified): treaties.un.org
• Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, recomendaciones de viaje, Japón (international permit with the home licence; stays under 90 days; left-hand traffic): exteriores.gob.es
• Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, table of traffic offence fines (speeding under 15 km/h JPY 9,000; phone JPY 18,000): 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
• WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, Spain profile (0.05 g/dl general; 120 km/h motorway): who.int
• GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Japan, safety and security (passenger liability for drink-driving): gov.uk