I'm going to the U.S.

In fact, my family is going to San Francisco, USA from the end of July to the beginning of August.My husband is going on a business trip to the U.S. for work, and my two daughters and I plan to join him there when he finishes his work.Later, a business associate of my husband's, who is fluent in English, took me on various tours of San Francisco and Los Angeles.

I can handle it once I get there, but for the trip there, I have to carry my heavy suitcase, my 4-year-old daughter, and my 1-year-old daughter on the plane and go through all the formalities by myself. I don't know if I'll be able to do it... My eldest daughter will be fine, but my second daughter will run away as soon as I take my eyes off her...

I wonder if the children will be able to endure another 10+ hours of air travel...well, I guess they'll manage.

That nightmare again...?

We plan to rent a car almost exclusively for this trip to the U.S. since we have children.The car I'm renting is probably a Mercedes-Benz GLS or something like that.I heard my ex-husband say the other day, "Well, I have two other adults with me, so I don't need to get an international driver's license"... but... he told my husband

I'm sure I'll regret it later, but this time I'm going to keep it! I'll definitely keep it this time!"

I went to get an international driver's license the other day because I was reminded to do so.

When I went to Germany a few years ago, my husband told me to get an international driver's license. I was afraid to take it, and I regretted it after I returned to my country.(I wrote about that time in this article.)

→[Past Article] What an idiot I was to turn down the chance to drive the Romantic Road in a Porsche.

However, since this was the first time in my life to get an international driver's license, I did my research and went to apply for it properly to avoid having to do it twice, which is rare for my personality, so I summarized the process.

(1) Search online for "International License Area

I currently live in Hyogo Prefecture, and I first searched the Internet for "international driver's license Hyogo" to find out where I could apply for an international driver's license. In Hyogo Prefecture, there areHyogo Prefectural Police websiteThe list of five license renewal centers (Akashi, Kobe, Itami, Himeji, and Yofu) where applications can be made was listed on the

I heard that you can apply for it at the police station, but it is not issued on the same day, so I decided to go to the license renewal center.

(2) Check reception hours and what to bring

When I checked the reception hours, I found that they were open "9:00-11:00 and 13:00-16:00" and not open during lunch hours, so I decided to go there around past 13:00.

To be carried.

1 Passport (passport, etc.)
2Driver's license
3. 1 photo for driver's license outside Japan
*Passport size photos are not acceptable.
4 seals
5 black ballpoint pen

However, there is a rule that a photograph must be 5 cm in height and 4 cm in width, so you should take a picture in advance and bring it with you.This is the wrong size, I can't do it!"I didn't want to be told that I had to take the pictures on site. I also thought, "They will lend me at least a black ballpoint pen.Passport, driver's license, and personal sealI headed there on the day of the event with my

Follow the instructions of the receptionist.

I was supposed to get there after 1pm, but I took the wrong line and got off at a station that wasn't the closest.(No, really, why?)It was 1:30 p.m. when I arrived at the site after a 20-minute walk from the station.

When I walked in, the receptionist asked, "Are you renewing your license?" and the receptionist asked me if I wanted to renew my driver's license.I'm here to get an international driver's license."I said, "Well, please stand in line over there," and when I went to the indicated place...

There was no one in line (laughs).

It's so empty," he said.

When I went to the counter, the person in charge told me, "Please take out your passport, driver's license, and photo.What other countries are you going to and for how long?When I answered that I would be in the U.S. for about one week, he handed me an application form. When I told him that I wanted to have my picture taken here, he told me to take it over there.

As for the flow.

Get an application form → pay the overseas driver's license application fee (2,350 yen) at another window → take a photo and receive it on the spot (700 yen) → fill out the application form application form → submit it to the window with the photo

It is like that.

The international driver's license was then immediately produced, followed by the question, "Are there any errors in your address or name?" and if OK, write your name in romaji on the license, then stamp your seal (shachihata was OK) for your signature to receive it, and the issuance is complete.

During that time, about 15 minutes.

I guess it was a slow time of day - it was crazy fast and easy.