Japan on a Swiss Licence — Why Your IDP Won't Work & You Need a JAF Translation

This is the one Swiss travellers most often get wrong, so read it before you book a car. Switzerland is not a 1949 Geneva Convention country in the form Japan recognises, which means your International Driving Permit is not valid in Japan. Turn up with only an IDP and the rental desk will refuse you. What Japan accepts from Swiss drivers is an official Japanese translation of your Swiss licence, issued by JAF (the Japan Automobile Federation) or by the Swiss embassy in Tokyo.

Arrange the JAF translation in advance — it costs around JPY 3,850 and can be ordered by post or collected at a JAF office, though processing takes time, so don’t leave it to the airport. Carry the translation together with your original Swiss licence and your passport; that trio is what lets you drive, for stays of up to 12 months. Confirm the requirement with the Driving Permit Checker before you fly.

With the paperwork sorted, the road itself is the next adjustment. Switzerland drives on the right; Japan drives on the left. After Alpine passes taken on the right, the first hour in Japan is the dangerous one — turns into the wrong lane, glances the wrong way, and the wipers going when you reach to indicate (the stalks are mirrored). Pick the car up somewhere calm and be deliberate.

Alcohol tightens, too: Japan’s 0.03 BAC sits below Switzerland’s 0.05, and enforcement is severe — heavy fines, immediate licence confiscation, detention for higher readings, even penalties for passengers who knowingly ride along. Keep it at zero.

Speeds are lower than home: 40 km/h in towns, 60 rural, 100 on the tolled expressways (ask for an ETC card). Cameras are widespread; a 10 km/h overspeed costs about JPY 9,000 (≈ €55) plus a point — check yours with the Speeding Fine Calculator. Petrol is near $1.35/litre and police answer on 110. The full rules are in our Japan driving guide.