Planning to visit Japan and thinking about renting a car or joining a street go-kart tour in Tokyo? If you hold a Swedish driver’s licence, you need the correct International Driving Permit (IDP) to drive legally in Japan. This guide explains the rules based on official Japanese and Swedish sources and how to get an IDP in Sweden.

Why Japan Only Accepts the 1949 Geneva Convention IDP

Japan recognizes only International Driving Permits issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic and in the official booklet format. Other formats, including those based solely on the 1968 Vienna Convention, are not valid for driving in Japan, even if they were issued correctly in your home country.

The Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) publishes a list of countries and regions that are contracting states to the 1949 Geneva Convention. Sweden appears on this list, which means Sweden can issue IDPs that Japan accepts, provided they follow the 1949 format.

How to Get an IDP in Sweden

In Sweden, the Swedish Transport Agency (Transportstyrelsen) explains that an “internationally körkort” (international driving permit) is essentially a translation of your Swedish licence that you use when driving in countries outside the EEA. You can obtain it only if you already hold a valid Swedish driving licence, and you must always use it together with your Swedish licence.

Swedish motoring organisations issue different convention formats of international permits.One is a one-year permit based on the 1949 Geneva Convention, and another is a longer-valid permit based on the 1968 Vienna Convention. For Japan, you must clearly request the one-year IDP that is issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention, because Japan does not accept the 1968-only version.

Validity and Use in Japan

Under Japanese rules, a 1949-format IDP can be used to drive in Japan for up to one year from the date of your entry into the country, as long as the IDP itself is still valid. You must always carry three documents when you drive:

・your original Swedish driver’s licence

・your 1949-format IDP in booklet form

・your passport, to prove your entry date into Japan

These conditions are described in English by Japanese police and by JAF in their guidance for foreign drivers.

Documents Required to Drive in Japan

If you plan to rent a car, ride a motorcycle, or join a street go-kart tour in Japan as a Swedish licence holder, prepare at least the following:

・Swedish driver’s licence (original)

・1949 Geneva Convention IDP booklet

・Passport with your entry stamp or landing record

・Rental agreement or tour booking confirmation required by the operator

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Common problems Swedish visitors face include:

・Applying only for the 1968-format IDP instead of the 1949-format IDP needed in Japan

・Bringing only a digital copy or photocopy of the IDP

・Forgetting to carry the original Swedish licence together with the IDP

・Not checking whether the IDP’s validity period covers the entire time they intend to drive in Japan

Final Checklist

Before you travel, confirm that:

・your international driving permit is the 1949 Geneva Convention, one-year version

・you will enter and drive in Japan within one year of the IDP’s issue date

・you will always carry your Swedish licence, IDP, and passport together

・any rental car or go-kart company you use is willing to accept a Swedish licence with a 1949-format IDP