Hi,
I will go to Japan for a short trip and plan to rent a car but it does not seems so easy…
I wonder if it may be possible to get an International Driving licence with your Taiwanese DL and if this int’l DL allows to drive in Japan ?
Thanks in advance
Yep. Buddy of mine used his Taiwan-issued scooter license and International Driving Permit to rent a scooter in Okinawa last year.
The international driver’s license issued by the ROC isn’t recognized in Japan. An international driver’s license issued in the U.S. is recognized. Different issuing conventions.
A Taiwan driver’s license alone is recognized in Japan though but you need to have a Japanese translation of your license issued by the Representative Office of Japan in Taipei to make it valid for use in Japan.
Thank you, I thought so but was not sure that the Representative Office of Japan in Taipei could do it.
Well, maybe it depends on the shop I guess. We rented from a high-end motorcycle shop and my buddy’s license/IDP were not questioned. And it was in Okinawa, maybe a small island mentality? I used my USA-issued license/IDP (which is already translated into many languages).
Nor did the police give us any grief about it when they pulled us over. haha! Another story for another thread. 
Yes Okinawa is maybe more tolerant and relax but surely better not have an accident with an unrecognized DL however after checking I believe than Winston Smith is right.
Here is the article in Japanese from the Representative office in Taiwan.
Thank again
Maybe it can be useful to someone so here is the process :
I went to the Japanese Embassy but they sent me instead to a Taipei City Motor Vehicule Office. There in a matter of 5 mn with your ARC + local DL + $100, you get an official translation of your Taiwanese DL which will be valid for 1 year.
My mistake. I recall now ending up at the TCMVO too. My translation has the expiration date filled in like this “==========”. I was told that’s because my TDL has no expiration date written on it, which it doesn’t. I need to call the TCMVO on Monday and clarify this though as I’ve been driving in Japan for a couple of years now on my original translation. Oops!
I was just in Okinawa last month, as well as on the smaller islands of Ishigaki, Iriomote, Yonaguni, etc. I could rent a car on each island, no problem, with my US IDL, but could not rent a scooter because my US license is class B (only for cars). My Taiwan DL is for scooters, but every shop, no matter how small the island, said it couldn’t be used without an official Japanese translation. That was my experience, anyway.
The IDL issued in the U.S. is a “Convention on International Road Traffic of 19 September 1949” convention which is recognized in Japan. The IDL issued in Taiwan is the “Convention of International Road Traffic of 8 November 1968” convention which isn’t recognized in Japan for some reason.
As long as you have the Taiwan DL with the Japanese translation though you’re fine in Japan.
So my wife made a few inquiries of her contacts in the Taiwan mafia and was told the following. In recent years, when long-term driver’s license holders with no infractions renew their TDL they’ve been issued new, permanent licenses with no expiration date, hence no expiration date on the Japanese translation form either. Her contacts advised anyone seeking a translation doc to be used in Japan to first renew their TDL to get one of the permanent licenses so they won’t have to renew their translations annually.
Hi,
Well, my (first) TDL was issued last year for a validity until my birthday on year 112 (2023) but TCMVO told me that my Japanese translation was only valid for 1 year…
When I got my permanent TDL in 2014 it as the 10 year expiration date for me. I’m also a permanent resident, which is probably a factor.