# Buying a car in Japan as a foreigner: parking certificate, seal, insurance and loans

URL: https://japanhow.com/driving/cars/buying-a-car-in-japan-foreigner/
Author: japanhow editors
Updated: Oct 20, 2026

## Summary

Foreign residents can buy a car in Japan. You need a parking space within 2 km of home, proved by a police parking certificate (車庫証明, ¥2,400 in Tokyo as of October 2026). A regular car is registered with a seal certificate (印鑑証明), which foreign residents with a 住民票 can get at the city office. A kei car needs only a 住民票 and, in some areas, a parking notification. Compulsory insurance (自賠責) covers injuries only, so most drivers add voluntary insurance (任意保険). Some bank car loans accept only permanent residents.

## Key facts

- Parking space: Within 2 km of your home
- Regular car: Seal certificate (印鑑証明) needed
- Kei car: 住民票 is enough
- Inspection (車検): New car: 3 years, then every 2

Yes, you can. Buying a car in Japan as a foreigner follows the same registration rules as for anyone else, once you are a resident with a 住民票 (residence record). You need a **parking space within 2 km** of where the car is based, proved by a police **parking certificate** (車庫証明, ¥2,400 in Tokyo). A regular car is registered with a **seal certificate** (印鑑証明). A **kei car** (軽自動車) needs only a 住民票. Details are as of October 2026.

## Can a foreigner buy a car in Japan?

Yes, if you live here. The paperwork depends on your 住民票, not your nationality:

- The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (総務省) says foreigners who have a 住民票 can register a seal (印鑑登録). Short-term stayers and people without legal status cannot.
- A regular car's ownership transfer needs the new owner's seal certificate. A kei car needs proof of address, such as a 住民票.

You don't need permanent residency (永住) to own a car. Getting a loan is a different matter (see below). To drive it, you need a valid license: see [converting a foreign license](/driving/license/convert-foreign-license-japan/) or [driving on an international driving permit](/driving/license/international-driving-permit-japan/).

## What paperwork do I need for a regular car?

The Aomori Transport Branch (国土交通省 東北運輸局) lists the documents for a change of owner (移転登録) when you buy a used car:

| Who | What |
|---|---|
| Seller | Seal certificate issued within 3 months, registered seal (実印) or a power of attorney sealed with it, transfer certificate (譲渡証明書) sealed with the 実印 |
| You (new owner) | **Seal certificate issued within 3 months**, your 実印 or a power of attorney sealed with it |
| Parking | **Parking certificate** (自動車保管場所証明書), used within 40 days of being issued |
| The car | Inspection certificate (車検証), application form, revenue stamp (収入印紙) for the fee (fees were revised from April 2026) |

Two catches from the same page: a car whose inspection (車検) has expired **can't change owner**, and if your name or address on the seal certificate differs from the 車検証, you need a 住民票 or other papers that show the change. Someone else, such as the dealer, can file for you with a power of attorney sealed with your 実印. You still provide the seal certificate and the parking certificate.

### How do I register a seal as a foreigner?

Rules are set by each city, per the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Hamamatsu City is a typical example:

- residents over 15 can register
- the seal can show the name on your residence card or 住民票, a registered alias, or, for people from countries that don't use kanji, the **katakana** form of your name
- bring the seal and your residence card or My Number card (マイナンバーカード); with either, you can register the same day
- registration is free in Hamamatsu (¥350 to re-register)

After registering, the seal is your official seal (実印), and the city issues the seal registration certificate (印鑑登録証明書) when you need it.

**Signature certificates: ask first:** Some foreign residents ask whether an embassy signature certificate (署名証明) can replace a seal certificate for car registration. We couldn't confirm this on any transport ministry page. Ask your local transport branch (運輸支局) before you buy, and don't rely on it.

## How do I get a parking certificate (車庫証明)?

Japan's Cabinet Order on parking spaces says the space must be **within 2 km** of the car's base of use (使用の本拠, usually your home). You apply at the **police station that covers the parking space**. Tokyo police list:

- the application form
- a **location map and layout** of the space
- **proof you may use the space**: a self-declaration if you own it, or a usage approval certificate prepared by the owner or manager if you rent it
- proof of where the car is based, if that differs from your address

In Tokyo the fee is **¥2,400** at the counter or **¥2,300** online, and it takes **3 to 7 days**. Kyoto charges ¥2,280 and takes 7 days. Kyoto police also say some leases are not accepted as proof, such as contracts that ban subletting or list another car's plate number. Check your parking contract before you apply.

## Kei car or regular car: what's the difference?

| | Kei car (軽自動車) | Regular car (普通車) |
|---|---|---|
| Registered at | Light Motor Vehicle Inspection Organization (軽自動車検査協会) | Transport branch (運輸支局) |
| Your ID papers | Proof of address issued within 3 months: 住民票 or seal certificate | Seal certificate issued within 3 months, plus 実印 |
| Parking | A notification (保管場所届出), only in designated areas | Parking certificate (Tokyo police note some areas are exempt) |
| Name-change fee | Free (plates extra if the area changes) | Revenue stamp, plus plates if the area changes |

For a kei car, the inspection organization's page lists the 車検証, proof of address (a 住民票 without My Number, or a seal certificate) and an application form, with no 実印 requirement. That makes a kei car easier if you haven't registered a seal yet.

The parking notification for kei cars applies only in designated areas. In Kyoto prefecture, those are Kyoto City (except Keihoku), Nagaokakyo and Uji. Ask your local police station whether your area is covered.

## What insurance do I need?

- **Compulsory insurance (自賠責保険)** is required by law. Per Chiba Prefecture's accident consultation office, it pays up to **¥1.2 million** per injured victim, **¥40 million** for the most serious disability and **¥30 million** for a death. It does **not** cover damage to cars, buildings or other property.
- **Voluntary insurance (任意保険)** covers what 自賠責 doesn't: amounts above those limits, damage to other people's cars and property, your own and your passengers' injuries, and your own car.

Get 任意保険 quotes before you collect the car, so you are covered from the first day you drive.

## How often is the car inspected (車検)?

The transport ministry (国土交通省) says a privately used passenger car's inspection certificate is valid for **3 years** the first time, then **2 years** each time after. A used car keeps its current expiry date, so check the date on the 車検証 before you buy: a short remaining period means another inspection soon, and an expired one means the car can't change owner.

## Can foreigners get a car loan in Japan?

Some can, depending on the lender and your status:

- **SBJ Bank's** car loan (December 2025 terms) accepts Japanese nationals and foreigners with **permanent resident** (永住者) or **special permanent resident** status only, aged 20 or over, repaying by 60, with stable income and guarantor-company approval. It lends ¥100,000 to ¥3 million over 6 months to 10 years.
- Other lenders set their own rules. For example, the loans i-drive offers for driving camps require a **full-time job** and a term that ends **within your period of stay** on your residence card.

If you don't have permanent residency, ask each lender in writing whether it accepts your status of residence (在留資格) and how much of your period of stay must remain. Our guides to [bank accounts for foreigners](/money/banking/bank-account-for-foreigners-japan/) and [permanent residency requirements](/visa/residency/permanent-residency-japan-requirements/) cover the related questions.

**General information only:** Registration rules vary slightly between transport branches and prefectures. For anything unusual, such as buying from a private seller or moving prefecture, ask the transport branch or a 行政書士 (administrative scrivener) who handles vehicle registration.

More guides: [English driving schools](/driving/schools/english-driving-schools-japan/) and [driving camps for foreigners](/driving/schools/gasshuku-menkyo-foreigners/).

## Questions people ask

### Can a foreigner buy a car in Japan?

Yes, if you are a resident with a 住民票. Registering a regular car requires a seal certificate, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs says foreign residents with a 住民票 can register a seal. Short-term visitors cannot.

### What is a shako shomeisho (車庫証明)?

A police certificate that you have a parking space for the car. The space must be within 2 km of where the car is based. In Tokyo it costs ¥2,400 at the counter (¥2,300 online) and takes 3 to 7 days.

### Do I need a parking certificate for a kei car?

No certificate. Kei cars use a parking notification (保管場所届出) instead, and only in designated areas. In Kyoto prefecture, for example, that means Kyoto City (except Keihoku), Nagaokakyo and Uji.

### Can foreigners get a car loan in Japan?

It depends on the lender. SBJ Bank's car loan, for example, accepts foreigners only with permanent resident (永住者) or special permanent resident status. Ask each lender how it treats your status and period of stay.

### Do I need a hanko to buy a car in Japan?

For a regular car, yes: registration uses your registered seal (実印) and a seal certificate. For a kei car, the inspection organization's page asks only for proof of address, such as a 住民票.

## Sources

- [自動車の登録（移転登録）](https://wwwtb.mlit.go.jp/tohoku/am/am-sub02-003.html), MLIT Aomori Transport Branch (青森運輸支局) (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [外国人住民に係る印鑑登録証明事務の取扱いについて](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/000105089.pdf), Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (総務省) (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [Legal procedures: Inkan registration](https://www.city.hamamatsu.shizuoka.jp/hamaeng/02life/02_5.html), Hamamatsu City (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [自動車の保管場所の確保等に関する法律施行令](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/337CO0000000329), e-Gov (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [保管場所証明申請手続（窓口での申請）](https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/tetsuzuki/kotsu/hokan/syako_tetsuzuki/jidousha_syomei.html), Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (警視庁) (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [車庫証明や車庫の届出は、どうすればよいか](https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/faq/tetuduki/syako.html), Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (警視庁) (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [自動車保管場所証明・届出](https://www.pref.kyoto.jp/fukei/site/chutai_c/hokan/index.html), Kyoto Prefectural Police (京都府警察) (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [名義変更（売買・譲渡・その他）](https://www.keikenkyo.or.jp/procedures/change_name.html), Light Motor Vehicle Inspection Organization (軽自動車検査協会) (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [交通事故相談所（詳細編）](https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/seikouan/soudan/jiko/shousai.html), Chiba Prefecture (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [報道発表 (2012年11月2日)](https://www.mlit.go.jp/report/press/jidosha06_hh_000033.html), Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (国土交通省) (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [SBJマイカーローン 商品概要](https://www.sbjbank.co.jp/assets/pdf/service-borrow/loan-products/car-loan/pre-entry/sbj-loan-summary.pdf), SBJ Bank (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [Driving Camp in Japan](https://i-drive.jp/en.html), i-drive (ZIPLUS) (accessed Oct 20, 2026)