Norway 2026 on a Japanese Licence: One Year, IDP Alongside

Norway gives a Japanese driver the most to relearn of almost any European destination, because here you change the side of the road as well as the rules. Get the side switch under control in your first day and the rest of the trip is the easy, scenic drive Norway is known for.

You now drive on the right

Japan keeps to the left; Norway keeps to the right. Every roundabout turns the opposite way, every overtake sits on the other side, and the reflex glance before pulling out points the wrong direction until you retrain it. The danger window is the first hour and the quiet moments after — a petrol-station exit, an empty rural junction, the point where you stop concentrating. Take that first session on calm roads near the depot, say the side out loud at each turn, and let the new habit settle before any town driving.

Permit, alcohol and the cost of a slip

Norway’s driving-licence regulation gives Japanese licences special treatment: a class B licence from Japan is valid for up to one year (§ 8-6). The § 8-2 conditions still apply, so a Japanese-language licence must come with either an authorised Norwegian translation or Japan’s 1949 International Driving Permit, which Norway accepts together with the licence. The IDP is the easier route; get it in Japan, since it cannot be issued in Norway. Confirm the detail with the Driving Permit Checker. On alcohol, Norway’s 0.02 limit sits below even Japan’s strict 0.03, so the rule is simply none before driving, backed by routine breath testing. Fines are scaled to Norwegian wages: around 10 km/h over the limit costs NOK 2,550, about EUR 220. Speeds run lower than you may expect — 110 on motorways, 80 open road, 50 in towns — so check any overspeed on the Speeding Fine Calculator.

Practical notes

Carry the legally required warning triangle and reflective vest, and save the emergency number 112. Download offline maps — coverage drops out between fjords and tunnels. Full rules are on our Norway driving guide.

Sources

• Lovdata, førerkortforskriften § 8-6 (Japanese class B licence valid up to one year; § 8-2 paras 3-6 apply): lovdata.no
• Lovdata, førerkortforskriften § 8-2 (licences issued outside the EEA: 3 months; national model needs an authorised Norwegian translation; IDP accepted with the licence): lovdata.no
• UN Treaty Collection, 1949 Convention on Road Traffic (parties): treaties.un.org