Country driving guide · 2026
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into Japan: 9 legal requirements + 8 other things worth knowing.
Required
Recommended
Good to know
Tick before you go
9 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.
1949 Geneva Convention IDP required
Japan only recognises the 1949 Geneva Convention IDP: UK and Irish drivers must obtain one from the Post Office (GBP 5.50) before travel; 1968 Vienna IDPs issued by most EU states are NOT valid.
Source: Post Office IDP →Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Taiwan, Monaco, Slovenia exception
Drivers holding licences from these countries cannot use an IDP and must instead carry an official Japanese translation of their licence issued by JAF or their embassy.
Source: JAF translation →Carry licence, IDP and passport at all times
Police checks require the original home-country licence plus the IDP (or JAF translation) plus passport: driving on the IDP alone is an offence.
Source: FCDO Japan →Drive on the LEFT
Japan drives on the left like the UK: overtake on the right; rental cars are right-hand drive.
Source: JAF rules →Speed limits 100 / 60 / 40 km/h
Expressways 100 km/h (some sections 120), ordinary rural roads 60 km/h, urban areas typically 40 km/h unless signed: limits are strictly enforced by camera.
Source: JAF rules →Zero-tolerance alcohol limit 0.03 g/L
BAC limit is effectively zero (0.03 g/L breath) and passengers who knowingly ride with a drunk driver are also prosecuted: penalties include prison and large fines.
Source: JAF rules →Warning triangle required on expressways
A reflective warning triangle (teishi-hyoji) must be deployed if you stop on an expressway: rental cars are supplied with one; hi-vis vest and first-aid kit are not legally mandated.
Source: JAF safety →Child seats mandatory under age 6
Children under 6 must use an approved child restraint; seatbelts are compulsory for all occupants front and rear.
Source: JAF rules →Winter tyres or chains in Hokkaido and Tohoku
From roughly December to March, snow tyres or chains are legally required on snowy/icy roads in Hokkaido, Tohoku, and mountain regions: rental agencies provide winter-spec cars in these areas.
Source: JAF winter →Japan only recognises the 1949 Geneva Convention IDP: UK and Irish drivers must obtain one from the Post Office (GBP 5.50) before travel; 1968 Vienna IDPs issued by most EU states are NOT valid.
Post Office IDPDrivers holding licences from these countries cannot use an IDP and must instead carry an official Japanese translation of their licence issued by JAF or their embassy.
JAF translationPolice checks require the original home-country licence plus the IDP (or JAF translation) plus passport: driving on the IDP alone is an offence.
FCDO JapanJapan drives on the left like the UK: overtake on the right; rental cars are right-hand drive.
JAF rulesExpressways 100 km/h (some sections 120), ordinary rural roads 60 km/h, urban areas typically 40 km/h unless signed: limits are strictly enforced by camera.
JAF rulesBAC limit is effectively zero (0.03 g/L breath) and passengers who knowingly ride with a drunk driver are also prosecuted: penalties include prison and large fines.
JAF rulesDial 110 for police and 119 for ambulance or fire; JAF roadside assistance is on #8139 from a mobile.
JAF assistanceExpressways use ticket-and-pay or ETC transponder; rental cars come with an ETC card slot and a short-term ETC card can be rented for around JPY 1,650 (EUR 10) plus tolls.
NEXCO ETCExpressway tolls average around JPY 24.6 per km plus a JPY 150 terminal charge: a 100 km trip typically costs JPY 2,500-3,000 (EUR 15-19); foreign-visitor flat-rate passes (Japan Expressway Pass) are available from 2-14 days.
Japan Expressway PassJapan has no motorway sticker or e-vignette: all expressway charging is via ETC transponder or staffed toll booths.
NEXCOA reflective warning triangle (teishi-hyoji) must be deployed if you stop on an expressway: rental cars are supplied with one; hi-vis vest and first-aid kit are not legally mandated.
JAF safetyChildren under 6 must use an approved child restraint; seatbelts are compulsory for all occupants front and rear.
JAF rulesFrom roughly December to March, snow tyres or chains are legally required on snowy/icy roads in Hokkaido, Tohoku, and mountain regions: rental agencies provide winter-spec cars in these areas.
JAF winterMany alpine routes (e.g. Norikura Skyline, parts of the Japan Alps, Shiretoko Pass) close from November to April or May due to snow. Check road status before heading inland.
Japan road infoTokyo, Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa restrict diesel commercial vehicles under the Diesel Vehicle Regulation, but standard passenger rental cars and ordinary tourists are unaffected.
Tokyo envCurrency is Japanese Yen (JPY); regular petrol averages JPY 175 per litre (about EUR 1.05); fuel stations accept major cards and tipping is not customary anywhere in Japan.
e-Nenpi pricesCash or equivalents exceeding JPY 1,000,000 (about EUR 6,000) must be declared at customs on entry or exit.
Japan CustomsWe'll build the itinerary, estimate fuel + tolls, and show EV chargers along the route, and this checklist appears automatically on every trip that crosses into Japan.
Start planning →Places to add to your Japan road trip.
Don't get caught out
Japan drives on the left like the UK: overtake on the right; rental cars are right-hand drive.
JAF rules →Expressways 100 km/h (some sections 120), ordinary rural roads 60 km/h, urban areas typically 40 km/h unless signed: limits are strictly enforced by camera.
JAF rules →BAC limit is effectively zero (0.03 g/L breath) and passengers who knowingly ride with a drunk driver are also prosecuted: penalties include prison and large fines.
JAF rules →