Frequently asked questions

It is the official Japanese translation of your licence, issued by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF), the only body authorised by Japanese law. Presented together with your original licence, it allows you to drive in Japan.

Japan does not recognise the international driving permit issued by France, Switzerland, Belgium, Monaco or Germany (Vienna Convention). For these countries, Japanese law requires the official JAF translation. It is the only valid document.

Yes. All rental companies in Japan (Toyota Rent a Car, Nippon, Times, Orix…) ask for exactly this document, together with your original licence and your passport.

The translation does not expire as long as your licence remains valid and unchanged. It allows you to drive in Japan for one year from each entry into the country.

France, Switzerland, Belgium, Monaco and Germany — the five countries Michi serves. (Japan's translation regime also covers Taiwan and Slovenia.)

You fill in our form in 5 minutes (details, licence information, photos of both sides), pay online, and we handle everything: review, JAF file, tracking, delivery.

Yes. Our form lets you add as many licences as needed in a single order — handy for a couple or a group of friends. Each licence is billed at the chosen plan's rate.

We review every document before submission. If a photo is illegible or information inconsistent, we contact you immediately by email to fix it, at no extra cost.

Yes — as long as your file has not been submitted to JAF, we refund you in full. Once the translation is being issued, cancellation is no longer possible.

You receive an email at every step (order received, payment confirmed, file in progress, translation ready, delivery). You can also check the status anytime on our tracking page with your order number.

Just a photo or scan of your driving licence, front and back. No other document is needed for the translation.

Photos must be in colour, sharp, well lit, glare-free, and show the whole licence with no cropped edges. Our form guides you and our team checks every image.

As long as all information remains legible, it is not blocking. If JAF is likely to reject the document, we warn you before submitting the file.

Some older licences (notably the pink three-fold French ones) show no expiry date. Our form covers this case — simply select the corresponding option.

No, never. Everything is done online from photos. Your licence never leaves your pocket — you will need it in Japan, together with the translation.

Priority plan: PDF by email within 72 hours. Standard plan: translation available within 4 to 7 days, printable at a konbini in Japan.

You receive a print code. In Japan, go to the multifunction copier at any 7-Eleven, FamilyMart or Lawson, enter the code, pay a few dozen yen and walk out with your translation. Under 5 minutes.

Yes, with the Priority plan: your PDF arrives within 72 hours. Order now and double-check the quality of your photos to avoid any back-and-forth.

Absolutely. That's one of the big advantages of the PDF and konbini printing: you can order from Japan and print your translation the very day you receive it.

Yes. The konbini print of the official JAF document has exactly the same legal value. It is the channel designed by JAF itself.

€59.90 on the Standard plan (translation + konbini printing, 4 to 7 days) or €79.90 on the Priority plan (priority processing + PDF within 72h). Everything is included: JAF fees, review, support.

Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay everywhere — plus TWINT for our Swiss customers. Payment is processed by Stripe, the world leader in online payments.

No. The displayed price covers the whole service, JAF fees included. Only the konbini printing itself (a few dozen yen) is paid locally on the Standard plan.

Each additional licence in the same order gets the same unit price. For a large group (agency, club, company), contact us for a quote.

Yes. All transactions are processed by Stripe with TLS encryption and 3D Secure. Your card details never touch our servers.

Three documents: your original driving licence, its official JAF translation and your passport. Keep all three together on every trip.

The left, like in the UK. The steering wheel is on the right. You adapt very quickly, especially with an automatic — nearly all Japanese rental cars have one.

Yes, if your original licence covers the corresponding category. The JAF translation reproduces all the categories of your licence.

One year maximum from your entry into the country. Beyond that (relocation), you must convert your licence to a Japanese one — the JAF translation is required for that process too.

Motorways are tolled (consider the ETC card most rental companies offer). Limits are strict and cameras common in cities. With your JAF translation in order, roadside checks are stress-free.