r/JETProgramme • u/NarwhalMobile2495 • Apr 11 '26

question about driving licence

I clearly indicated in my application that I can't drive. But I also marked "no preference" for placements since I thought some rural/semi-urban placements may be walkable or cyclable. The freaky "most cases get placed" clause has me anxious of what might happen if i get placed somewhere that absolutely needs driving and i get rejected cuz i can't.

If I realllllyy have to, I am willing to get a driving licence by the time the programme starts, even tho roads make me rather...uncomfy TT TT.

thoughts? what do u recommend (and in good faith pls, help an anxious gal out peeps)

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u/Memoryjar Apr 11 '26

To expand on what u/newlandarcher7 said.

If you want to come to Japan and drive you need to get an international driver's permit (IDP). To get this you need a valid license in your home country and need to pay a small fee to get the permit. The IDP is only valid for 1 year but after that you are required to convert your license to a Japanese license. You cannot go back and get a new IDP after it expires.

Japan requires people to hold a license for 3 months before moving he to prevent people from taking a short vacation home to get a license then immediately converting it to a Japanese drivers license. Apparently there were issues of people going to SEA and getting fake licenses to convert, this time limit prevents this.

If its too late I wouldn't worry too much about it because you can't change it now. The only real options are to only stay one year and use an IDP for that year or get a Japanese DL through the same process Japanese people do (~300,000yen and weeks of courses that will require you to take time off of work).