New and improved international driver's permit system

An update on the guide I wrote to getting an international driver's permit in Japan. Since I wrote the guide in 2023 and I last visited in 2024, they have made some changes. Its even easier now, if you are a resident of Japan, to get an international driver's permit. However, as before, you have to have a Japanese Drivers License in order to get the international permit. If you are not familiar with the system at all, please read the guide I wrote in 2023 first. The changes to that are outlined in this post.

With the new system, you place your Japanese Driver License on a machine that reads it and then prints out the application form with most of your details on it. You then just have to add, with a pen, the date you are leaving Japan and for how long you will be abroad. Following that you bring that form to the International Driver Permit window and hand the form in along with a photo. You will have to show your resident registration card and your passport at that time. They then prepare the permit and call you when its ready.

When the permit is completed you then pay for it. The other big change is that they have gone cashless. That is, you can no longer pay with cash. They have several options for a cashless payment, including credit cards. You can even pay with a Suica card. I have always found it very quick to get an international driver permit, but now its even faster. I was in and out of the driver license center, with my new international permit, in just ten minutes!