New earning opportunity with your Kei-passenger car
You can now deliver with your light passenger car in all Uber Eats service areas. This is following the announcement in 2022 by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) allowing the use of light passenger vehicles (Kei Joyosha) for cargo deliveries without any vehicle modification.
You just need to follow 4 simple steps detailed below to unlock this exciting opportunity.
Delivery is possible with either a Kei-cargo car or a Kei-passenger car
Kei cargo
Designed primarily for carrying goods or cargo.
Kei passenger
Designed primarily for carrying passengers. However, after the deregulation announced in May 2022 by MLIT, Kei passenger cars could now be used for commercial purposes after obtaining a business license.
Steps to register your Kei passenger vehicle for cargo deliveries
Submit the necessary documents to your local MLIT branch
In general, you will be requested to submit the documents below:
- Notification of Management of Light Vehicle Transport Business
- Notification of Fee Rate Setting and Fee Rate Chart
- Contact Form for Business Vehicles
- Vehicle Inspection Certificate (Shakensho) (Original or copy)
You can download these documents on the website of your local MLIT office, print and fill them out in advance, or ask for the format at the MLIT office. The details might differ slightly based on the branch, so please inquire at your nearest branch if you have detailed questions.
Please visit our FAQ for tips on how to fill in the Fee Rate Chart.
Convert your yellow number plate to a black license plate
In general, you will need the items below for this process.
- Contact Form for Business Vehicles that got stamped at the MLIT office
- The original Vehicle Inspection Certificate (Shakensho)
- Your current license plate
If the car that you wish to register is leased or on loan, you must obtain and submit a proof of entrustment (Shinsei Iraisho).
Changing the license plate may cost between 1,500-2,000 Japanese Yen, based on the prefecture you live in.
Make sure you have the right insurance plans
Call your automobile insurance company, if applicable. For the third-party liability insurance (Jibaiseki Hoken), the insurance payment will stay the same. We recommend updating the vehicle registration number (Sharyo Toroku Bango), but this is not mandatory. For automobile insurance, you may need to switch plans to use your vehicle for commercial purposes.
Create a sign with your name and display it on the dashboard or door
After you obtain your new number plate, create a sign with your name that you can display on your dashboard or the door, where visible to the people outside. * It may be a sticker or a piece of paper taped on your dashboard. This is to demonstrate that the car is being used for commercial purposes, so no need to display the sign while you drive it for personal use.
Here are some special benefits available for car delivery partners in Japan
Discounted car service and maintenance by Seibii
Seibii provides various car services and auto repair across Japan. Delivery partners may enjoy 10% off on dash cam installation, battery replacement (hybrid vehicles are not applicable), and winter tire changeover. Also enjoy getting car maintenance quotes for free.
Cash back on gas with Cosmo Oil
Enjoy cash back on gas at Cosmo Oil service stations with COSMO THE CARD Opus and COSMO THE CARD Opus ECO. New card members can earn 10 yen cash back for every liter of gas up to 50 liters at Cosmo Oil service stations. New card members who applied during the campaign period can earn 500 WAON points. (Campaign period:between May 1, 2024(Wednesday) and June 30, 2024(Sunday))
Referral program
Special cash rewards for referring your friends as delivery partners.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Will I be able to sign up and deliver on the Uber Eats platform without converting my number plate to the business license?
No, anyone wishing to use their light passenger car for paid cargo delivery must obtain a commercial license as required by law.
- Once I have the business number plate on my light passenger car, will I still be able to use it for my personal use?
Down Small Yes, you can keep using your light passenger car for personal use. You don’t need to attach the sign mentioned in question 11 when you drive the car for personal use.
- How do I know if my car qualifies to obtain a business license? Where can I find detailed instructions on how to apply for the business license?
Down Small If your car is classified as a light car (Kei Jidosha, passenger or cargo), you may apply for the business license. The process will be the same for either light passenger car or light cargo car, but may differ slightly based on your regional Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) office.
Please visit their website or contact them for further details.
- Can I use a light passenger vehicle that I purchased with a loan?
Down Small As long as you obtain the approval of your loan company and submit the proof of entrustment Shinsei Iraisho at the Light Motor Vehicle Inspection Organization office. The same applies for leased vehicles.
- Is there a difference in documents that MLIT or Uber Eats will check between Kei passenger (newly deregulated) and Kei cargo cars (which have been allowed to deliver cargo with a business license)?
Down Small The requirement on the part of the government and Uber Eats is the same. Uber Eats will check the type of the car by collecting the copy of your Vehicle Inspection Certificate (Shakensho) to ensure legal compliance.
- Do I need a seal or resident certificate (Juminhyo) when I go to the MLIT branch or the Light Motor Vehicle Inspection Organization office?
Down Small No, they are not required. If you wish to obtain a business license for a car owned by somebody else, you must go through a process to change the owner’s name first (you may do this on the same day). For this case, you will need your own residence certificate.
- Typically, how long does it take to obtain a business license?
Down Small If you have all the necessary documents, the application and approval of your commercial license will only take one day to visit your local MLIT office and the Light Motor Vehicle Inspection Organization. After obtaining the license, please also update your insurance plans and documents as needed.
- How should I fill out the Fee Rate Chart?
Down Small While MLIT provides a format for Fee Rate Chart (pages 2-3) that specifies much detail, it is difficult in the case of Uber Eats delivery as the Delivery Fee is calculated for each trip based on various conditions and fluctuates constantly. After filling out the Notification of Fee Rate Setting using the format on page 1, we recommend using a blank piece of paper instead of the format on pages 2 and 3, and simply explaining the fee structure. Please refer to below as an example.
Example: Based on the contract with Uber, the Delivery Fee (including the delivery charges and promotions) will be agreed upon for each individual delivery based on comprehensive consideration of various factors such as estimated distance and time required for delivery, number of stops in the delivery, traffic conditions, unexpected delays and waiting time, market supply and demand conditions, and so forth. This results in a Delivery Fee of around xx yen to xx yen. ( Note: please fill this in based on your experience/assumption. The amount here will not guarantee the equivalent payment from Uber.)
- I contacted my insurance company to update my automobile insurance to the business plan. Although I was able to, I was told that the document will say “private light passenger car” because they do not have “business light passenger car” in their system as of now. Will this get rejected in Uber Eats’ document check?
Down Small We trust that each insurance company is resolving this issue. As a temporary measure until they resolve it, Uber Eats will accept your application as long as the vehicle number on the insurance documents matches the business license plate number.
- I am currently delivering using a bicycle/motorcycle and want to now start delivering using my car. What should I do?
Down Small First, go to this link, sign in to your existing account, and submit the following documents:
- Driver’s license
- Business license plate (black number plate)
- Automobile third-party liability insurance certificate (Jibaiseki Hoken)
- Automobile insurance certificate
- Vehicle Inspection Certificate (Shakensho)
Next, please contact Support to change your Flowtype.
- To conduct the Light Vehicle Transport Business, there is a legal requirement to put signs on the vehicle that show the name of the business. How exactly should I comply with this regulation as an independent contractor?
Down Small Holding up signs is mandatory by law. It should not be the name of the food delivery platform but should be the name of the business owner (the individual’s name in the case of an independent contractor).
MLIT understands it is difficult for individuals to paint the name on the car. As long as the name is visible and it does not fall off easily, putting up a sign with a tape is acceptable.
MLIT recommends “(individual name) freight/delivery business.”
Wrong sign: “Uber Eats Delivery”
Suggested sign: “ Delivery”
Example:“Ken Tanaka Delivery” for someone whose name is Ken Tanaka
- I am a foreign national and want to register on Uber Eats to deliver using Kei car. Do I have to follow any additional processes?
Down Small If you are a foreign national, in addition to following the process described above, please do refer to this webpage on specific additional steps to be followed by foreign nationals.
Please note that you will be required to visit one of the Compliance Centers even if you delivered on Uber Eats before on a bicycle/motorbike.
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