Everything you need to know before returning your rental vehicle—from fuel and inspection to airport transfers, luggage, timing and after-hours arrangements.
A proper return protects both the customer and the vehicle. Please allow enough time to complete the required procedure before a flight, cruise or other scheduled departure. The standard inspection is normally very quick, but it cannot be skipped.
Give the key directly to our staff as soon as you arrive. If you left it inside the vehicle, clearly tell the staff where it is.
Please check your pockets, handbag and luggage. A key accidentally taken to the airport—or out of Japan—can cause vehicle downtime and replacement costs.
Return the vehicle with a full tank, using the correct fuel type, and keep the receipt from the final refueling.
Remove all personal items, luggage, food, bottles, packaging and other waste before the return is completed.
Check under the seats, door pockets, cup holders, trunk and glove compartment. Sunrise is not responsible for items left in the vehicle. Significant waste or cleaning work may result in charges under the rental agreement.
Every returned vehicle is inspected, even when the customer reports that nothing happened. This is a standard procedure and does not imply distrust.
The check normally takes about one minute and may include the exterior, interior, wheels, glass, seats, floor, unusual dirt, equipment, accessories and required vehicle items.
All supplied equipment must remain installed, functional and in its proper place. Do not disconnect, cover, move or disable dash cameras, chargers or other vehicle equipment.
Vehicle documents must remain in their designated location in the glove compartment. Keep food, drinks and leaking items away from them.
The return is complete only after the key, fuel, vehicle condition, equipment and documents have been checked by our staff.
After completion, any previously arranged courtesy transportation can proceed, subject to the conditions described below.
Do not wait until drop-off to report an accident, impact, scratch or other damage. Contact Sunrise when the event occurs, even if no other person or vehicle is involved. This includes contact with curbs, walls, poles, stones, barriers or other objects.
Failure to follow the required reporting procedure may affect or invalidate CDW or insurance protection under the applicable rental terms.
You do not need to wash or detail the vehicle before returning it. Normal dirt from ordinary use is expected.
However, excessive beach sand, mud, food, spilled drinks, sticky residue, stains or abnormal contamination may require additional cleaning and may result in charges.
Tree sap, resin, deeply absorbed liquids and similar substances can damage paint, glass, rubber, seats, foam or carpets. Removal may require hours of work, special products, professional treatment or repair.
These cases can cost significantly more than ordinary cleaning and are assessed according to the actual condition and the rental agreement.
The vehicle is normally not returned directly at Naha Airport. Return it to the Sunrise office, approximately 10 minutes from the airport, for the standard procedure and inspection.
After completion, Sunrise normally assists with transportation to the airport when arranged and operationally possible.
Return the vehicle to the office, hand over the key and complete the normal checks. If no onward transportation is needed, the process ends there.
Assistance to a nearby hotel, station, port or another location may be possible depending on prior arrangements and current operations.
The normal return procedure still applies. Depending on the arrangement, the vehicle may be returned to the Sunrise office followed by transportation assistance to the applicable cruise terminal.
Confirm the terminal and return plan in advance. Cruise departure deadlines remain the customer's responsibility.
Tomari Port is close to the Sunrise office. After returning the vehicle, customers can often walk there in approximately 5–10 minutes.
When needed and operationally possible, Sunrise may also assist with transportation to the port.
Transportation after the return may sometimes be arranged to hotels, stations, ports or other points in or near Naha. Feasibility depends not only on distance, but also on route, traffic, time, access, staff availability and current rental operations.
This assistance is an operational courtesy, not an on-demand taxi, chauffeur or unlimited free transportation service. Another arrangement or an additional charge may be necessary in some cases.
When the vehicle is full, consider taking the passengers and luggage to the airport first. The driver can then return alone with the vehicle, complete the inspection and receive transportation back to the airport.
For groups using several vehicles, passengers and luggage can be dropped off first while only the drivers return the vehicles. This is usually faster and avoids exceeding the legal passenger or luggage capacity of any transfer vehicle.
Plan for the entire return—not only the drive to the airport. Allow time for traffic, parking, key handover, the fuel check, inspection, possible waiting, transportation, airline or cruise check-in, security and travel to the boarding gate.
Being late for a flight, cruise, bus or other departure does not allow required return procedures to be skipped. A late customer does not automatically receive priority over customers who arrived on time. Customers are generally assisted according to arrival order and operational circumstances.
Sunrise may make reasonable efforts to help, but a customer's delay does not become an emergency or obligation of the company. Never leave the vehicle at the airport or another unauthorized location expecting Sunrise to collect it.
Returns outside regular operating hours—including early departures around 5:00, 5:30 or 6:00—require advance confirmation, special staffing and operational availability.
An additional service fee may apply. Do not assume that an after-hours return or transportation will be available unless it has been expressly arranged with Sunrise in advance.
We understand that travel can be stressful and our team will assist whenever reasonably possible. Customers must nevertheless treat staff and other customers respectfully.
Shouting, threats, intimidation, harassment, abusive demands for priority or pressure to ignore required procedures are not acceptable. In serious cases, Sunrise may end courtesy transportation assistance and require the customer to arrange independent transportation.
Last reviewed: August 31, 2026. Procedures, fees and airport or port regulations may change. When this page differs from current official instructions or your confirmed booking arrangement, the latest applicable instruction takes priority.
