To drive a car

For driving in Japan

• Must switch your foreign driver’s license to Japanese license.keyboard_arrow_down
• Make sure to purchase a voluntary insurance required to be renewed annually.keyboard_arrow_down
• A parking certificate is required to purchase a car.keyboard_arrow_down
• Register your car at NUT and have a parking permit.keyboard_arrow_down

Please answer a questionnaire about a car sent to you annually by the Section of Int’l Student Affairs.

 Driver’s License

English Flowchart

• Change your license/permit to Japanese licensekeyboard_arrow_down
• Enroll to a Japanese driving school and obtain a Japanese driver’s licensekeyboard_arrow_down
• Have your license translated to Japanese and carry that with your license when drivingkeyboard_arrow_down
• Change it to an Int’l Driving Permitkeyboard_arrow_down

 Change Your License/Permit to Japanese License

Application Requirements

All of the following conditions must be met.

• Have a valid foreign driver’s license
• Have resided in the issuing country for more than 3 months after obtaining the above mentioned license. (must be verifiable with documentation, such as a passport)
• Have the legal status of residence (have a valid residence card)
• Be a registered resident in Niigata prefecture

Steps to Switch a Foreign Driver’s License to a Japanese One

1. Inquire about required documents (by phone). (Have your foreign license translated into Japanese by JAF.)
2. Once you have all the documents, make an appointment to submit them (by phone).
3. Bring the documents to Screening of documents
4. Driver’s License Center contacts you once the screening of documents have been completed.
5. Make an appointment for tests to change the foreign license to a Japanese one.
6. 1st. Take tests. Aptitude Test. 2nd. Written Test (also in EN). 3rd. Driving Test
7. A Japanese driver’s license will be issued after passing all the tests.

(from 1 to 4 at Driver’s License Center Niigata (in Seiro-machi), from 5 to 7 at Driver’s License Center Nagaoka Branch)

If you do not speak Japanese, you are asked to bring an interpreter.

f your license is issued by Spain, Czech Republic, Germany, France and Belgium, you will be exempted from written and driving test. (Screening of documents and an aptitude test are still required.)

Contact Information

Driver’s License Center Niigata

7-1-1, Higashi-ko, Seiro-machi, Kitakanbara-gun, Niigata
Tel: 025-256-1212

• Driver’s License Center Niigata

Driver’s License Center Nagaoka Branch

1-7-1 Kamimaejima-machi, Nagaoka
Tel: 025-256-1212

• Driver’s License Center Nagaoka Branch

JAF Niigata Branch (Translation into Japanese)

11-6 Shinkocho, Chuo-ku, Niigata
Tel: 025-284-7664

• JAF Niigata Branch (Translation into Japanese)

Enroll to a Japanese driving school and obtain a Japanese driver’s license

If you have no foreign driver’s license, enroll to a Japanese driving school and obtain a Japanese driver’s license. Those who completed an authorized driving school are exempted from a driving test when taking test at the Driver’s License Center.

Ordinary car class

1.Authorized driving school

1. Driving lessons and lectures on the school's grounds
2. Provisional license test
3. On-the-road driving lessons
4. Final test
5. After completing the school

2.Driver's License Center (Nagaoka Branch)

1. Written test
2. Obtain driver's License

Authorized Driving Schools in Nagaoka

Sekihara Driving School

〒940-2035
4058 4-Chome Sekihara Minami, Nagaoka
TEL: 0258-46-2126
Near from NUT, pick-up bus service

Chuetsu Driving School

〒940-1139
780 Takashima-machi Nagaoka
TEL: 0258-22-2336
Near from Driver’s License Center Nagaoka

Nagaoka Bunka Driving School

〒940-0028
3-1-1 Zao, Nagaoka
TEL: 0258-22-2336

Prices (Ordinary car, automatic, with student discount) JPY330,000 (incl. tax)~
Training period is ca. 45 days
JAPANESE ONLY!!!

Car Insurance

There are two types of car insurances.

Liability Insurance

• Compulsory insurance
• Primarily to protect third parties from injury by any vehicle in an accident
• Required to be renewed at the timing of a compulsory automobile inspection every 2 years

Not applicable for the following cases:

• Any repair or replacement for damage to the car itself (third parties and driver’s own car)
• Driver’s own injuries
• Exceeding the payment limit of the liability insurance even for personal injury accidents

Voluntary Insurance

Make sure to renew the voluntary insurance annually!

Bodily Injury Accidents

• Covers the parts where compulsory insurance only is not enough

Property Damage

• Compensatory damages
• Driver’s own injuries
• Damages to the car itself

Insurance Coverage

Driver's own injury

Voluntary

Third party's injury

Liability + Voluntary

Damage to the car itself of the driver's own car

Voluntary

Damages of the third party's car or property

Voluntary

Make sure to purchase a voluntary insurance since a liability insurance alone is NOT enough to cover your accident.
The amount of coverage should be unlimited for bodily injury and property damage.
(Purchasing a voluntary insurance is required to register your car at NUT. )

Ownership of a Car

Regular cars are generally categorized into the following two categories.
The following documents are required when purchasing a car (from a car dealer).

Parking certificate: students who living in a dormitory need to submit “Request for approval for use of a parking lot (自動車保管場所使用承認申請書) “ to the Section of Student Support (Counter No.8).

• Request for approval for use of a parking lotkeyboard_arrow_down

Regular Car

Less than 2000CC, white-colored license plate

Documents

• Seal registration certificate (1)
  Issued by: Nagaoka City Office
• Registered seal (1)
• Inspection certificate (1)
  Issued by: Car dealer
  
• Liability insurance (1)
  Issued by: Car dealer
  
• Power of attorney (1)
  Issued by: Car dealer
  
• Parking certificate (1)
  Issued by: Police station

 Light (Kei) car

Less than 660CC, yellow-colored license plate

Documents

• Seal registration certificate (1)
  Issued by: Nagaoka City Office
• Seal (incl. unregistered one) (1)
• Inspection certificate (1)
  Issued by: Car dealer
  
• Liability insurance (1)
  Issued by: Car dealer
  
• Power of attorney (1)
  Issued by: Car dealer
  
• Parking certificate (1)
  Issued by: Police station

Required Procedures at NUT

 Parking Registration

All the international students who own a car need to register your car.

Parking on the university campus requires parking registration.
Note) Residents of the student dormitories are not allowed to commute by car. Parking registration is required to use the parking lot (in front of the student dormitories) in the campus.

Required Documents

• Japanese Driver’s license (copy)
• Voluntary insurance policy (copy, The amount of coverage should be unlimited for bodily injury and property damage.)
• Inspection certificate (copy)

For information on parking registration for family members (spouse) of students living in the International House and 30th Anniversary Student House, please contact the Section of Student Affairs.

• Parking Registration (on-campus page)

Screen Samples of Parking Permit Application System

Parking Certificate

Request for approval for use of a parking lot

When students living in a dormitory want to buy a car, they need to submit the document to the Section of Student Support to obtain a parking certificate.

Even light (Kei) cars need a parking certificate!

• Japanese Driver’s license (copy)(an IDP is not acceptable)(The address must be the one of NUT dormitory incl. room number.)
• Inspection certificate (copy, the name and address of the former owner should be mentioned on it.)
• Quotation of the voluntary insurance
• Marriage certificate (only when the owner of the car is student’s spouse)

Driving in Winter

• Be extra careful when driving a car on winter roads.
• This winter, there have already been two serious accidents involving international students.
• Snow season in Nagaoka from the beginning of December until March.
• Make sure to change your tires to stud less snow tires designated for winter. It is against the law to drive on normal tires in winter.

What to watch out for regarding driving

Follow traffic rules when driving a car

Traffic rules in Japan may differ from those in your country.
Driving without a license and driving without a car inspection are serious violation of law and are subject to penalties and fines.
Never drink and drive!

Make sure to purchase a voluntary insurance

The amount of coverage should be unlimited for bodily injury and property damage.
If you cause a car accident without voluntary insurance, you must

• compensate everything that is not covered by your liability insurance.
• negotiate with the other party on your own, without the support of your insurance company.

No lending, No borrowing!

When you have an accident, the insurance will NOT cover you/your accident.

• When you have an accident, the insurance will NOT cover you/your accident.

If you are involved in an accident

Call the police immediately (110, Nagaoka Police Station: 0258-38-0110) and promptly submit an 'Accident Report' to the Section of Student Affairs, Division of Student Affairs.

International Driving Permits (IDPs)

for non-regular students staying in Japan less than 1 year

Notes

• IDPs to drive in Japan must conform to the Geneva Conventions.
• IDPs issued in the following countries are invalid to drive a car in Japan.ex. Indonesia, China, Pakistan, Myanmar, Mexico, Mongolia, etc.
• IDPs are valid for one year from the date of issue.

• List of the contracting states of the Convention at Geneva 1949