How many countries and territories can drive in Japan
This table is the definition of the country and region counts Tcab uses. Japan is already on the Geneva Convention list, so it is not added again.
Check whether a specific country can drive on the driving eligibility guide.
Counts
| Item | Count | Breakdown | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Countries in the world | 196 | 195 countries recognized by Japan, plus Japan. United Nations members: 193 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Statistics Bureau (as of 1 January 2026) |
| Countries and territories in the world | 249 | ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 officially assigned codes, including dependent territories and special areas | ISO |
| 1949 Geneva Convention parties | 106 | 100 countries and 6 territories (Guernsey, Jersey, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Macao, Isle of Man). Includes Japan | Tokyo Metropolitan Police (National Police Agency list, updated 2026-01-28) |
| Foreign license plus official Japanese translation | 6 | Five countries and one region: Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco, Taiwan | National Police Agency (2026-09-04) |
| Translation countries not on the contracting list | 3 | 2 countries (Switzerland, Germany) and 1 region (Taiwan) | Difference of the two lists |
| Police-list union | 109 | 106 plus the 3 translation entries that are not already contracting parties | Derived |
| Parties that issue a 1949-format IDP | 91 | 106 minus 15 contracting parties that do not issue the 1949 format. Includes Japan | Tokyo Metropolitan Police note (as of May 2026) |
| Valid to drive in Japan, including Japan | 97 | 90 countries and 7 territories (the six above, plus Taiwan). 91 IDP issuers plus 6 that can drive with a translated license (Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco, Taiwan). Same as 109 minus 12 | Derived |
| Contracting parties that cannot drive in Japan | 12 | Do not issue a 1949-format IDP and are not in the translation scheme | Tokyo Metropolitan Police note |
Countries and territories
A territory here is an ISO 3166-1 entry that is not an independent country. This page treats seven as territories: Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man, and Gibraltar. Six of them, excluding Taiwan, appear on the Geneva contracting list. Taiwan is covered by the translation scheme.
Twelve contracting parties that cannot drive in Japan
A Geneva contracting party still cannot be used to drive in Japan when it does not issue a 1949-format international driving permit and is not covered by the foreign-license translation scheme.
- Albania
- Ghana
- Cuba
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Zimbabwe
- Serbia
- Bulgaria
- Botswana
- Montenegro
- Liechtenstein
- Rwanda
- Russian Federation
France, Belgium, and Monaco do not issue a 1949-format IDP, but they are in the translation scheme, so they are included in the 97.
Sources
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, number of countries (195 countries recognized by Japan, plus Japan = 196; 193 UN members)
- Statistics Bureau of Japan, Statistical Handbook appendix (as of 1 January 2026, 196)
- ISO 3166 country codes (249 officially assigned)
- Tokyo Metropolitan Police, Geneva Convention parties (National Police Agency material; list updated 2026-01-28; non-issuing note as of May 2026)
- National Police Agency, foreign driver’s licenses (2026-09-04)
Counts follow those sources and Tcab’s country and territory master compiled from them (counted 2026-10-03).