I'm an American, in Barcelona for the next 10 days, then backpacking around eastern Europe and eventually getting to Japan in 6 weeks. I have a US driver's license, but in order to drive in Japan I need an international driver's permit. If I was currently in the US, I'd just go to a AAA place and get one on the spot: show them my US license, fill out a form, give them some passport sized photos, and pay a fee. I realize that I can mail an application to AAA in the US and try to get them to send the IDP to the address of my hotel in Japan. But before doing that, I wanted to ask to see if there is any place like AAA in Barcelona that could give me something like an IDP. I don't have any European driver's license, so maybe this is hoping too much. Thanks!
Posted by
Barcelona (Catalonia)
2942 posts
Keep also in mind your US driving license is worthless here in Europe if you don't have the IDP alongside... hence the reason you can't be issued an IDP here... only in your home country -which recognizes your state driving license.
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5399 posts
I know in Austria you can go to the OAMTC office (like AAA) with an American license and they'll give you an IDP. Maybe there is something like OAMTC in Spain.
Posted by
Germany
24 posts
Could you contact your embassy in Japan if they can issue the international licence?
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15193 posts
I know some EU States accept a sworn translation of your home DL in the local language in lieu of the IDP. The US Consulate in Japan may provide info about whether that is possible in Japan and how to go about it.
But do you really need to drive in Japan? They have very efficient public transportation and traffic is heavily congested in their metro areas. They also drive on the left side of the road, like in the U.K., which may not necessarily be easy if you are not used to it.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Hi everyone. Thanks for the good info so far. The US Embassy website in Japan says that you can't get an IDP there, and suggests a translation wouldn't be good enough for the local authorities (link below). The reason I want to drive is just for the Hokkaido part of my trip, where the trains may not be completely optimal for getting around. But, that's a good fallback option. By the way, in response to the first couple of people who posted, I'll point out that I've been able to drive with just a US license in several countries in Europe. Most recently in Portugal, Switzerland, and Iceland. Very soon I'll be driving in Norway with just a US license. There's actually a fairly short list of countries in Europe where a US license isn't good enough (Spain, Italy, Poland, a few others).
https://jp.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/driving-in-japan/
I think the best idea is to look for something like the OAMTC. In fact, it strikes me that if I can find a place like that anywhere between here and Japan then I'll be all set. I'll feel more comfortable if I can just walk into a place rather than mailing things back and forth to the US. So: does anyone know of places like this OAMTC in Spain, Germany, Norway, Finland, or the Balkan states?
Posted by
Barcelona (Catalonia)
2942 posts
Yes Emily, here in Catalonia I believe your OAMTC equivalent would be our RACC (Reial Automòbil Club de Catalunya), but I am pretty sure they won't issue an IDP with a US driving license, as it's not a legal document here.