Can a Japanese Driver Drive in Romania? — IDP + the Side Switch
Japan
Romania
Yes, but only with an International Driving Permit: Romanian law requires one for licences from states outside the 1968 Vienna Convention, and Japan is one. You also switch to the right.
A Japanese licence holder can drive in Romania, but not on the licence alone. Romania’s road traffic ordinance says that anyone holding a licence from a state that is not party to the 1968 Vienna Convention must also carry an International Driving Permit. Japan signed up only to the earlier 1949 Geneva Convention, so the rule applies to you: bring the Japanese 1949 permit, issued at home before departure, together with the licence and your passport.
With that settled, three things change at once for a Japanese driver.
The first is the side of the road. Japan drives on the left; Romania drives on the right. Every reflex — the glance at a junction, the lane you pull into, the way a roundabout turns — is reversed, and the riskiest moment is your first day, pulling out of a fuel station or joining a roundabout on instinct. Take that first stretch on quiet roads and stay deliberate at every turn.
The second is alcohol. Romania runs zero tolerance, 0.0 BAC — stricter than Japan’s 0.03 and with no “one drink” margin whatsoever. If you are driving, don’t drink at all; penalties are severe.
The third is the rovinieta road vignette. Rather than toll booths, Romania charges for its national roads through an electronic vignette you buy online or at a petrol station before joining a main road; cameras check it by number plate. A rental often includes it — ask the desk to be sure.
One more practical point: Romania’s motorway network is limited, so most of a trip runs on two-lane national roads where surface quality varies and you’ll meet horse-drawn carts, slow trucks and unlit vehicles after dark. The 130 km/h motorway limit rarely applies in practice — rural roads are 90, towns 50. Drive to the road, not the sign.
Winter tyres are required in cold conditions, so check the car if you travel roughly November to March. A minor speeding fine is RON 290-725 (about EUR 60-150). The emergency number is 112.
Read the full Romania driving guide, confirm your paperwork with the Driving Permit Checker, and see where the rovinieta fits in our guide to vignette countries.
Sources
- Emergency Ordinance 195/2002 on road traffic, art. 82(3) (international driving permit for licences from states not party to the 1968 Vienna Convention): lege5.ro
- UN Treaty Collection, 1968 Convention on Road Traffic (Japan not a party): treaties.un.org
- UN Treaty Collection, 1949 Convention on Road Traffic (Japan a party since 1964): treaties.un.org
Speed limits, fines, equipment & license requirements
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Winter tyres in Romania — 2026–27 season
Winter tyres are required in Romania whenever conditions are wintry — No fixed dates — required whenever the road is covered in snow, ice or black ice.
- Tread minimum: 1.6 mm — Romania sets no separate winter figure.
- Accepted marking: M+S / M.S. / MS / M&S required ("all seasons" alone is not enough; 3PMSF not required)
- Studded tyres: rules could not be verified from an official source
- Penalty: Class IV penalty: 9-20 penalty points plus seizure of the registration certificate (OUG 195/2002 art. 102(1) pt. 28)
In Romanian the rule is anvelope de iarnă, and snow chains are lanțuri de zăpadă — that is the wording on signs, in hire-car paperwork and on any penalty notice.
Checked against national legislation, 1 Oct 2026 · Full Romania tyre law · Compare all countries
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, for tourist stays, as long as you also hold an International Driving Permit. Article 82(3) of Romania's road traffic ordinance requires one from anyone whose licence was issued by a state that is not party to the 1968 Vienna Convention. Japan belongs only to the 1949 Geneva Convention, so the Japanese 1949 permit is the document to bring; get it in Japan before you fly.
Yes. Japan drives on the left; Romania drives on the right. This is the single biggest adjustment — roundabouts and junctions reverse, so take your first hour somewhere quiet.
Romania enforces zero tolerance (0.0 BAC), stricter than Japan's 0.03. There is no margin at all — no alcohol before driving, with severe penalties for crossing it.