ETC cards and highway tolls in Japan for foreign drivers

You can get an ETC card in Japan without a Japanese credit card. The official route is the ETC Personal Card (ETCパーソナルカード): you pay a deposit of four times your monthly tolls (NEXCO Central: ¥20,000 at ¥5,000 a month or less), plus an annual fee, and tolls are debited from a bank account. The card arrives about 2 weeks after the deposit. You also need an ETC onboard unit in the car. Details are as of October 2026.

What do I need to use ETC in Japan?

Two things: an ETC card and an ETC onboard unit (車載器) in the car. The card goes into the unit. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (国土交通省) and the expressway operators describe two kinds of card:

The unit needs setup (セットアップ) at a registered shop. The ETC portal (go-etc.jp) lists setup shops. If you are buying a car, see buying a car in Japan as a foreigner and ask the dealer to fit and set up the unit. We did not find prices for units on the official pages.

Can a foreigner get an ETC card without a Japanese credit card?

Yes, the ETC Personal Card exists for exactly this case. The Ministry says you can use ETC without a credit card through this card.

The NEXCO Central Japan page lists no nationality rule, but it also does not say which ID a foreign resident should show or whether a residence card (在留カード) is accepted. We could not confirm this. Call the ETC Personal Card Office at 044-870-7333 (weekdays 9:00 to 17:00) before you apply, or ask a Japanese-speaking friend to call.

What the official page does require:

• A bank account. Tolls are debited from a Japan Post savings account or a bank account. The account must be in your name, or in the name of a parent, spouse or child who shares your household budget.
• A deposit paid in advance.

How much does the ETC Personal Card cost?

NEXCO Central Japan sets the deposit at four times your declared average monthly toll use, rounded up to the nearest ¥5,000:

The deposit is a security deposit, not prepaid money, and it can be raised if your real use is higher. DRIVEPLAZA adds that since 1 March 2023 lower deposits of ¥3,000, ¥5,000 and ¥10,000 are available if you use ¥2,500 a month or less, which the NEXCO Central page does not mention. The annual fee is ¥1,234 per card (tax included) on the NEXCO Central Japan page, but ¥1,257 on the E-NEXCO DRIVEPLAZA page. The two official pages disagree, so confirm the current fee when you apply.

Tolls for the previous month are debited on the 27th (the next business day if the bank is closed). A statement is mailed in mid-month.

How do I apply for the ETC Personal Card?

The process is by mail, and the card alone takes about 2 weeks after the deposit, so allow extra time before a trip. The application form and phone line are described only in Japanese on the official pages, and we did not find an English form.

Which ETC card should I get if I already have a Japanese credit card?

Ask the card issuer for an ETC card. DRIVEPLAZA says to apply separately even if you already hold the credit card. Fees and issuance terms differ by issuer and we did not compare them here. If you have no credit card contract, the Personal Card is the route the expressway companies offer.

Can I use ETC in a rental car?

Yes. Rental companies rent ETC cards, so you may not need your own. Ask whether your car has an onboard unit. At Nippon Rent-A-Car the card costs ¥330 (tax included) for rentals up to 7 days and ¥1,100 for 8 days to one month. The company reads the tolls from the card’s chip when you return the car, and you pay by cash or major credit card. You can choose the card when you reserve. Other companies may differ, so check yours.

If you drive a rental on a Japanese license or an international permit, see driving on an international driving permit.

What are ETC-only toll gates?

Some gates take only ETC. NEXCO Central Japan says these are for cars with an onboard unit and a valid card inserted, and it is converting gates in stages. Its Japanese page lists more gates from 30 November 2026 (Kanazawa Morimoto IC), and others in December 2026.

If you enter one without ETC:

• Use the lane marked ETC/サポート or サポート (support lane).
• Stop once and follow the staff instructions.
• Do not reverse. NEXCO calls backing up dangerous.

Gates may not print a usage certificate. NEXCO points to the ETC usage inquiry service (etc-meisai.jp) for records.

How do I avoid a card that will not open the gate?

• Check the expiry date printed on the card. Expressway operators warned in 2026 that credit-card ETC cards expiring at the end of March 2026 stopped working on 1 April, and that some onboard units still confirm an expired card (reported by Kuruma no Nyusu).
• Push the card in fully before you reach the gate.
• Take the card out when you leave the car. DRIVEPLAZA warns that heat can make a card unusable.

More guides: buying a car in Japan as a foreigner, car insurance for foreigners, international driving permit in Japan, converting a foreign license.