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

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 or driving on an international driving permit.

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:

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.

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?

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 and permanent residency requirements cover the related questions.

More guides: English driving schools and driving camps for foreigners.