Does Avis require an IDP in Japan?
Written by Daniel MercerUpdated July 2026
Avis in Japan: the policy in plain terms
Asks for a licence translation where the national licence is not in the Roman alphabet or where local rules call for one. Long-established global brand operating in 165+ countries.
Japan accepts only the 1949 Geneva Convention IDP issued in your country of residence, and certain nationalities need an official JAF translation instead; our certified translation is not a substitute for the government-issued permit Japan requires.
In Japan specifically, many rental companies and local authorities in Japan ask foreign drivers to present a translation of their licence alongside the original, so Avis will typically ask for it at the counter. A 1949 Geneva IDP issued in your home country is expected; French, German, Swiss, Belgian, Taiwanese, Monégasque, Slovenian and Estonian licences need a JAF translation.
Avis runs a global network; at its Japan desks, foreign renters are asked for an International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside the original licence. Japan drives on the left, uses the JPY, and sets a minimum driving age of 18, so an IDP is the document that removes any doubt at the counter.
What to bring to the Avis counter in Japan
- Your original national driving licence (the IDP never replaces it).
- Your International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format.
- Your passport and a payment card in the main driver's name.
- Local payment for the JPY deposit; Japan drives on the left with a young-driver surcharge under 25.
Driving rules in Japan Avis renters should know
- Drive on the left.
- Zero-tolerance alcohol law — severe penalties.
- Stop fully at all railway crossings.
- Expressway tolls via ETC or cash.
Avis's rental terms that affect your IDP booking
Avis's standard minimum rental age is 25, though it rents to drivers as young as 21 in most US states/provinces (some locations require 25 by local law); renters aged 21-24 pay a young-driver surcharge of roughly $25 per day in the US (about $35/day in Canada).
Avis requires an Avis-honored credit or charge card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, etc.) and places an authorization hold covering the estimated charges plus a security amount; Visa/Mastercard debit cards are accepted at most US locations but are subject to stricter checks, and the card must be in the renter's name.
Additional drivers must be at least 25 (or meet the underage rules) with a valid licence and typically cost about $13 per day, capped near $65 per rental; in California the fee is waived for a spouse, parent, sibling or child of the renter. Avis requires a valid driver's licence held for the entire rental period that is not suspended, expired, revoked, cancelled or surrendered; it does not publish a fixed minimum holding period in the US, though some international locations require the licence to have been held for 1-2 years.
Avis generally permits US-to-Canada travel if the renting location is notified in advance, but driving into Mexico is restricted (typically corporate accounts only, no one-way, and Mexican insurance purchased through Avis from border states); one-way rentals are offered with a drop-off charge that may apply on certain rates.
Avis states that "International Driver's Permits are valid only if presented with the original local license. An International Driver's Permit is not acceptable by itself." Foreign licences are accepted if the issuing country participated in the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic or has a reciprocal agreement with the US; non-Roman-alphabet licences effectively require an IDP, and renters with a foreign licence may need to present a passport.
Once you collect the keys in Japan
Expressways (NEXCO) are extensively tolled and expensive (Tokyo-Osaka is well over 10,000 JPY); pay cash at booths or rent an ETC card from the rental firm (about 300-550 JPY) for the pre-installed ETC reader to use automatic green-lit gates and discounts.
On-street parking is largely banned; use coin/'times' lots that lock the tyre until you pay at the machine, with rates from a few hundred yen per 30-60 minutes. Residents need a proof-of-parking 'shako shomei' certificate, but tourists simply use paid garages and must never leave a car at the kerb.
Speeding fines run from about 9,000-15,000+ JPY (and criminal charges for large excesses), mobile-phone use and no-seatbelt are fined, and the drink-drive limit is a very strict 0.03% with severe penalties for driver and even passengers. Camera/parking fines are billed to the renter; minor on-the-spot fines are paid at a bank, not in cash to police.
Call 110 for police and 119 for ambulance/fire; reporting every accident to police is legally mandatory and you cannot get an insurance certificate without it. Do not leave the scene and do not privately settle injuries - move the car off the carriageway only if safe, then wait for police.
Full driving guide for Japan →