International Driving Permit (IDP) in Japan
 

HI,

I'm from Kuwait and unfortunately Kuwait is not part of the 1949 Geneva convention and it's part of different convention .

A biker from Kuwait was rejected to enter Japan because of the IDP that he has is for different convention but the CPD was fine. He was rejected in Korea as he planned to take the ferry from Korea to Japan.

Is there any alternatives? or suggestions? :helpsmilie:

Thanks

This information about the ferry company checking drivers licenses sounds new. I never heard about it before. I know many people from countries not part of the 1949 Geneva convention who came to Japan and drove "under the radar".

Try to contact the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) or your country's embassy in Japan.
I know JAF makes translation for Driver’s Licenses issued in Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Slovenia, Monaco and Taiwan because IDP from those countries is not valid in Japan. Maybe they will do Kuwait too.

Maybe try to tell the ferry company you will get a Japanese translation of your license from JAF. (I don't know if they will believe it, though)

Or try a different ferry.
There are three routes, I think.
Donghae - Sakaiminato
Busan - Hakata (Fukuoka)
Busan - Shimonoseki
This doesn't change your legal status, of course, but it might get you into the country.

We called the Japanese embassy in Kuwait this morning and they said it's nearly impossible to drive in Japan without 1949 GC IDP. For those people from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Slovenia, Monaco and Taiwan they can drive because they have signed a separate agreement with Japan allowing them to drive with only a Japanese translation + their local DL.

Now the embassy actually told us about a possible solution which is getting a driver license from UAE (Dubai) !! as they are part of the 1949 GC.

I'm not sure if Narita Airport would ask about the driver license? if not, then i can drive without a DL but i will end up in trouble if caught by a police.

It seems that they do ask about license (at customs). Whether or not they actually know what countries' IDP is valid, I do not know.
Here is a story about entering at Narita.
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...915#post450963

Very important is to know that shipping bike by any means ..air,see as a cargo and arriving with a bike in a foreigner country like ..riding or on the truck or most commonly by ferry makes huge difference.
By international lows arriving together is treated as your personal luggage that you travel with so procedure and paper work are easier.
In 2014 I was on the ferry with my US registry bike from Busan.Korea to Shimonoseki,,Japan.Paper work was strait forward with a help from ferry company...they drove me to town to JAF office to pickup my approved carnet which I Emailed about 10 days prior to my arrival...insurance was organized by the same people and only problem was my international driving permit as I did not poses one...so they wanted me to go in to the town to apply for Japanese driving license ..bla..bla and they did not want to release my bike from custom terminal...so to make story short ..I told them that I am in possession off valid US driver license and is my right to do with my bike what ever I want....even to push my bike along a road.... so cam up with a story that I am going to find truck company and load the bike on it and get to Tokyo..so they released a bike from custom ..I waited til late afternoon for office to close... jump on the bike and drove toward Hirosima.
No one ever stop me for my 2 weeks ride around Japan.:mchappy:

Thank you Chris for your great support. It seems that the only option available is getting 1949 GC IDP which is doable in Middle East region.

Polish driving license and Polish car with CPD
 

Hi
I'm Polish with my Polish Drive License.
I read all the info on HUBB, JAF and everywhere I can find.
And I'm embarrassed with possibility of driving my Polish car in Japan.
I will drive over 10 000 km from Poland, put car in to ferry and don't want to "hit my head in Japan wall" It is not pleasant to not exit the custom area in Sakaiminato or Wakkanai

What do you think about it??

Bartosz

Poland signed the 1949 treaty, so you probably are OK.
List of Countries signed Convention on Road Traffic done at Geneva 1949

You do have an International Driving Permit (IDP), don't you??

By the way, the ferry to Wakkanai is canceled. You have to go to Sakaiminato from Vlad or Fukuoka from Busan Korea.

Thank you Chris
I have International Driving Permit.
I know about Wakkanai ferry but still belive it will start.