I used to live and work in Japan for five years and had a Japanese drivers license. Two years ago, right before covid hit I renewed (green to blue card) my drivers license and moved back to my home country. However I am returning to Japan next month on a work visa and my license is still valid till October. Can I still use it as if nothing happened?
3 comments
Yes. You don’t have to maintain residency to maintain the license. You can even renew it as a non-resident. Just make sure to visit a police station and update the address.
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It’s still valid. It loses validity when the expiration date arrives. Three years after expiration date and you need to get it from scratch again. If within three years,you can get it revalidated with paperwork. Source, I just did this withy Japanese license.
Make sure to register your new address with the relevant driving authorities. They will send you a postcard when it’s time for you to renew