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DRIVING LICENSE TRANSLATION SERVICE
To drive in Japan

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Who needs a translation
Travelers from which countries need an official JAF translation to drive in Japan?

Travelers with a driving license issued in Belgium, Germany, France, Switzerland, Monaco and Taiwan need an official Japanese translation of their national driving license.
I have an international driving permit (IDP) issued in one of the countries listed above. Do I still need to get it translated?

Yes, because an international driving permit issued in one of these countries is not valid in Japan.
Which organisation delivers the official translation?

JAF (Japanese Automobile Federation) does it. It's the only organism able to do the translation
Our service

◆ Our service in a few words 

We are taking care of the driving license translation procedure for you. Once arrived in Japan, it will be very simple to print by yourself the translation in one of the following convenience stores: 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, LAWSON, MINISTOP, Poplar Group. Convenience stores are found absolutely everywhere in Japan (airport, train or metro stations, downtown...).

The steps - from ordering to driving

1. You order your translation

2. We verify the information and send you the invoice (secured link - payment by credit card)

3. As soon as the invoice is paid, we start the translation procedure

4. As soon as it's ready we send your printing code

5. You print your official translation at a convenience store in Japan, using just the printing code we sent you

6. You can drive! 

※ Please check (from page 2) how to print your translation at the convenience store

◆ 3 options service

- Option 1 (order in advance and pay the most competitive fee)

- Option 2 (Express for a last minute order)

- Option 3 (Urgent-same day to rescue persons in trouble)

※ We will send a secured link for a payment by credit card. Please make the payment as soon as possible, so we can start working on your translation. Without payment from you, no procedure will be initiated.

payment

We accept

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Self-printing at a convenience store
anywhere in Japan

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OPTION 1

IN ADVANCE (at least 4 weekdays )

 

Get your reference number to print by yourself in a convenience store in Japan

​​

​Your translation request should be sent at least 4 weekdays in advance

Fee: 9000 YEN

​(about 50 euros)​

How to proceed?

​​

Order your translation by using the contact form here

​Your message should include:

1. The address where your stay in Japan (hotel name, full address, postcode and phone number / In case of a private address: first name, family name, full address, postcode and phone number)

 

2. The date of printing (an approximate date is fine if the exact date is not decided yet)

3. At which convenience store you will print

a. 7-Eleven

b. FamilyMart, LAWSON, MINI STOP, Poplar group 

4. Upload separately 2 photos of your driving license in JPG format.

a. Front side

b. Back side

Check here to see how to take correctly the photos

​​

IMPORTANT

We will answer within 24 hours and send the invoice by email. In case you can not find our message/invoice, please check your spam mail box.

​​​​​​

OPTION 2

​EXPRESS (1-3 weekdays)

Get your reference number to print by yourself in a convenience store in Japan

​​

​Your translation request should be sent at least 1 weakday in advance

​​​

Fee: 12000 YEN

​(about 67 euros)​

How to proceed?

 

Order your translation contacting us via WhatsApp: +81(0)9076195975

Your message should include:

 

1. The address where your stay in Japan (hotel name, full address, postcode and phone number / In case of a private address: first name, family name, full address, postcode and phone number)

 

2. your email address so we can send the invoice for payment 

3. The date of printing 

4. At which convenience store you will print

a. 7-Eleven

b. FamilyMart, LAWSON, MINI STOP, Poplar group 

5. Send separately 2 photos of your driving license in JPG format.

a. Front side

b. Back side

Check here to see how to take correctly the photos

IMPORTANT

Please understand we are depending on JAF working hours (JAF is closed on the week-end and the national holidays)

For example a translation ordered on Friday night can not be ready before Monday. If Monday is a national holiday, this will be on Tuesday.

OPTION 3​

​URGENT (same day*)

​Get your reference number to print by yourself in a convenience store in Japan 

​​

​Your translation request should be sent at least before 15:00.

​Fee: 15000 YEN

​(about 83 euros)

How to proceed?

 

Order your translation contacting us via WhatsApp: +81(0)9076195975

Please first get in touch with us. Your next message should include: 

 

1. The address where your stay in Japan (hotel name, full address, postcode and phone number / In case of a private address: first name, family name, full address, postcode and phone number)

2. At which convenience store you will print

a. 7-Eleven

b. FamilyMart, LAWSON, MINI STOP, Poplar group 

3. Send separately 2 photos of your driving license in JPG format.

a. Front side

b. Back side

Check here to see how to take correctly the photos

 

 

 

IMPORTANT

Please understand we are depending on JAF working hours (JAF is closed on the week-end and the national holidays)

​​*We will do our best but please be aware that JAF can possibly decline our urgent request if it's too late. In this case you would get the translation the next weekday before noon. We would pay you back the fee difference between the URGENT and EXPRESS option.

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Notice to our rental house/apartment guests

Guests staying at our vacation house can print by themselves the translation directly at the FamilyMart convenience store located inside Ishigaki airport. (International Terminal, 1F)

Important info

※ While driving in Japan, your national driving license + the original JAF translation are both needed.

If one document is missing, you won't be able to hire a car in Japan.

※ An international driving license from Belgium, Germany, France, Switzerland, Monaco and Taiwan is not valid in Japan.

※ A digital copy or a photo of the translation is not valid. You must have the original paper translation from JAF, otherwise you won't be able to hire a car in Japan. The translation printed by yourself at the convenience store printer is the official document.

※ The same applies to hire a low CC motorbike (Over 50cc), as for a car, your national driving license + the JAF translation are both necessary.

※ The validity of the translation is the same as the one specified on your driving license. From the date of entry in Japan, it is possible to drive for a period up to 1 year. And 1 year again each time you will travel to Japan.

※ Please check (from page 2) how to print your translation at the convenience store

terms and conditions

1. Introduction
Please find below the Terms and Conditions of our company, Vacances à la mer Ishigaki, located 1216-660 Kabira, Ishigaki, Japan. Any person requesting our service must accept our Terms and Conditions valid as a contract.

2. Terms of Service
We are providing a service aiming to assist any person who needs an official JAF translation, in order to be able to drive in Japan. The JAF (Japanese Automobile Federation) is the company issuing such a document. As a third party, we will request an official translation document for anyone requiring so. Only the driving licenses issued in the following countries are concerned by such a service: Belgium, Germany, France, Switzerland, Monaco, and Taiwan. Our service is based on Japanese regulations and JAF rules.

3. Cancellation of the request
Cancellation from the customer
We will not refund any customer who decides to cancel a request after the procedure has been initiated. Once the customer has paid, a refund will no longer be possible.


Rejection from JAF
If for any reason your application is denied by JAF, we will not refund the service fee.


4. Change of content and Terms of Use
We reserve the right to modify or adapt our terms of use at anytime, without prior notice, as well as any description of our service, explained on our web site: www.vacances-ishigaki.com

5. Responsibility in delivery  
We will not take any responsibility concerning any delay in the translation document delivery. This includes delivery company strikes, delivery mistakes, but also natural disaster which may cause unforeseen delays in delivery. Please note that the delivery information indicated on our web site is indicative,  threfore we encourage customers to make their request as soon as possible.

6. Correct and accurate information
We will not take any responsibility in any mistake made by the customer.
The customer has the responsibility to give us accurate information, suitable photos of the driving license, as required in our e-mail. In case of inappropriate or incorrect information, the customer will have to assume the consequences of any extra fee or delay in the delivery.


7. Customer consent
By contracting our service, the customer consents to give us any information necessary to complete the procedure.

8. Customer intellectual privacy
As a third party, we are collecting customer private information suc
h as names, addresses, email addresses, credit card information, and official documents.  We will never keep this information for private use, transfer or sell it to any other party. We commit to respect and protect customers’ privacy.

9. Technical matters
We will not take any responsibility for any technical issue occurring during the procedure. This includes JAF technical issues, as well as technical problems from the customer side, such as for example power cuts, Internet failure, or any related technical issue

10. Termination clause
We keep the right to suspend or terminate a user access to our site without any notice, assuming that the customer does not agree with our Terms and Conditions.
 

11. Legal matters
By using our web site and services, the customer agrees to submit any claim or dispute arising to the jurisdiction of the Japanese courts.

Vacances à la mer Ishigaki

海の休日石垣島

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