Essential Paperwork for Riding a Motorcycle in Japan
Documents you need to ride a motorcycle in Japan
To ride a motorcycle in Japan as a tourist or short-term visitor you will need the following documents:
- International Driving Permit (+ your original driving license)
- Visa
- Insurance (travel & motorbike)
To ride a motorcycle in Japan you’ll need an International Driving Permit (IDP). You have to apply for the IDP in the country where your original driving license was issued. International Driving Permits are usually issued by national automobile associations or similar institutions. The IDP needs to be accompanied by your current driving license in order to be valid and it needs to be stamped in A category. You need to obtain the IDP before you arrive in Japan.
Important! Japan only recognizes International Driving Permits that are based on the 1949 Geneva Convention. The countries which signed the Convention are listed here.
France, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Taiwan, and Monaco are not included in the 1949 Convention, but their driving licenses are recognized in Japan if accompanied by an official Japanese translation. The translation can be requested on the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) website here or at your country’s embassy/consulate in Japan.
Other countries not listed in the 1949 Geneva Convention need to convert their license into a Japanese Driving License in order to legally ride a motorcycle in Japan. The procedure and requirements are listed on JAF’s website here.
Visa
Passport holders from most European countries as well as from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the US do not need to apply for a visa. You will get a 90-day permit stamped into your passport on arrival. Here is a full list of countries with visa exemptions for Japan.
People with passports from Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Mexico, and the UK can apply for a prolonged stay in Japan (up to a maximum of 6 months). You can do so at one of the Regional Immigration Bureaus about one month before the expiration of your original 90-day visa.
If you’d like to stay in Japan for longer, you can also consider a Working-Holiday visa (if your country is eligible and you fulfill all the requirements) which allows you to stay in Japan for up to 1 year and gives you a temporary resident status. The list of countries eligible for a Working-Holiday visa to Japan is here.
Insurance
Travel insurance
Short-term visitors and tourists are not required to have travel health insurance to go to Japan, but we would strongly recommend it, especially if you’ll be riding a motorcycle. For our trip we used World Nomads, as they cover a variety of activities including on-road motorcycling, hiking, diving etc. If you’re planning on riding off-road they cover that too for an extra fee. We haven’t claimed anything from them yet though, so cannot say how easy or complicated it is. Important: When choosing insurance for motorcycle travel, make sure to always read the fine print. Some providers restrict their policies to only 50 or 150cc bikes, don’t cover off-road riding etc.
Motorcycle insurance
If you plan on renting a motorcycle in Japan then all the motorcycle insurance paperwork will be taken care of for you. You will only need to choose a coverage level. However, if you’re importing or buying a motorcycle in Japan, you will need to obtain a mandatory third-party insurance called jibaiseki hoken (自賠責保険). To learn more about motorcycle insurance in Japan click here.
Special Paperwork for Importing
You will need additional documents if you’re planning to import your own motorcycle to Japan. Depending on the import route you may need Carnet de Passages or a Temporary Import Form. To learn more about how to import your motorcycle to Japan click here.
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