Okinawa Car Rental: Documents, Rules and Naha Pickup
Rental counters are not in the Naha Airport terminal: you take a company shuttle from outside the arrivals hall to an office nearby. Bring a 1949 Geneva IDP plus your Korean licence, and remember Japan drives on the left.
Can you drive with a foreign licence?
Korean licence holders can drive in Japan with a Korean IDP issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention, for up to one year from entry into Japan (and within the IDP's own 1-year validity). IDPs under other conventions are not valid. Rental companies also ask for your Korean licence and passport.
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What to bring
- Korean IDP (1949 Geneva Convention)
- Korean driving licence
- Passport
- Credit card in the driver's name
- Booking confirmation
Road rules that catch visitors out
- Traffic keeps left; the driver's seat is on the right.
- No turning on a red light — straight, left and right must all stop.
- Stop before every railway crossing and check it is safe, unless a signal tells you to go.
- Drink-driving: from 0.15 mg per litre of breath is a crime (up to 3 years or ¥500,000). Do not drink at all before driving.
- Children under 6 must ride in a child seat.
- The Okinawa Expressway limit is 80 km/h (OTS Rent-a-car guidance).
Where to pick up
Naha Airport has only a rental-car assistance counter (1F arrivals lobby, 9:00–19:00). Companies run free shuttles from outside the terminal; OTS, for example, picks up at stop 10-A (to be renamed R-10) across the crosswalk from the domestic terminal, about 15 minutes to its Toyosaki office.
Insurance to check
- CDW (collision damage waiver) covers your share of damage costs, but not the NOC.
- NOC (Non-Operation Charge) compensates the rental company for lost business while the car is repaired. It applies regardless of damage size. Toyota Rent a Car lists ¥20,000 if the car can be driven back and ¥50,000 if not.
- Some companies sell an add-on that waives the NOC (e.g. Toyota's extra protection package).
- Check what happens with a flat tyre, lost key or running out of fuel under your plan.
Booking tips
- Rent an ETC card if you plan to use the expressway; some companies offer a flat-rate Okinawa Expressway plan for foreign passport holders.
- Kyushu Expressway Pass does not cover Okinawa.
- Return the car with time to spare for the shuttle back to the airport.
FAQ
Can I drive in Okinawa with only my Korean licence?
No. You need an IDP issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention, and rental companies also check your Korean licence and passport.
What is NOC?
A fixed charge for the rental company's lost business while a damaged car is off the road, separate from insurance.
What age must children use a child seat?
Children under 6 must use a child seat in Japan.