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住Chapter 03 · Get set up

Get a Japanese driver's license

Convert your foreign license OR pass the Japanese test: timeline, JAF translation, document checklist, what to expect at the driving center.

Verified by Keigo · September 5, 2026Source: www.npa.go.jp ↗

The rules changed on 1 October 2025

In force since 1 October 2025

Japan tightened the foreign-licence conversion (外免切替) across the country. If you read an older guide, four things are now out of date.

  • The knowledge check went from 10 questions to 50.

    You now have 30 minutes to answer 50 written questions and you must get 45 right — a 90% pass mark, up from 7 out of 10 (70%). The old picture-based questions are gone: everything is written Japanese-style text you have to read carefully.

  • You must be a registered resident.

    Anyone not covered by the Basic Resident Register — tourists and short-stay visitors — can no longer convert a licence, apart from diplomats and consular staff.

  • Your juminhyo needs the foreign-resident fields.

    Unless you hold a My Number driving licence, your residence certificate must show nationality, status of residence, expiry date (still valid), residence-card or special-permanent-resident number, and your residency category.

  • One sitting a day, and fewer languages.

    The knowledge check now runs once a day, in the early afternoon, and each weekday offers a fixed set of languages. Turkish was dropped. Check your prefecture’s timetable before booking.

Start here · your conversion plan

License conversion planner

Enter your country + target visit date to generate a step-by-step timeline.

Loading country list...

Your Options

Three ways to drive legally. Which one depends on where your licence comes from.

My licence is from one of the 29 countries

Convert your licence

No knowledge check, no driving test — just the eyesight test. You need 3+ months in the issuing country after the licence was issued.

See the 29 ↓
My licence is from another country

Convert with tests

50 written questions in 30 minutes, 45 right to pass. Then a practical driving test at the licence centre.

Plan it →
I'm just visiting, or I have no licence

International Driving Permit

Drive for up to a year from entry, not renewable. No licence at all? A driving school takes 1–3 months.

IDP tips ↓

Where does your licence put you?

Eyesight test onlyDriving test waived, 50 questions apply50 questions + driving test

AustraliaAustriaBelgiumCanadaCzechiaDenmarkFinlandFranceGermanyGreeceHungaryIcelandIrelandItalyLuxembourgMonacoNetherlandsNew ZealandNorwayPolandPortugalSloveniaSouth KoreaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandTaiwanUnited KingdomUnited States· 7 states

United States — only these 7 states are exempt: Colorado · Hawaii · Maryland · Ohio · Oregon · Virginia · Washington

USA — Indiana
BrazilChinaIndiaIndonesiaMyanmar (Burma)NepalPhilippinesThailandVietnam+ every other country

To convert your licence — bring these 6

Same list whether your country is green or orange.

  • Valid foreign driver's licenseValid — expired means the full test
  • JAF certified translationRequired for every conversion
  • Residence cardCurrent and valid
  • PassportStamps prove 3+ months there
  • Juminhyo (Residence Certificate)Under 3 months old, with nationality
  • Photo (3cm x 2.4cm)3 × 2.4 cm, taken within 6 months

Driving in Japan as a tourist

The procedure is not the same for a short stay. A visitor can neither get a Japanese licence nor convert a foreign one: you drive with a document issued in your own country.

  • No Japanese licence on a short stay

    Applying for a Japanese licence, or converting yours, requires a resident record (住民票). Tourists and other short-stay visitors are not on the resident register, so that route is closed to them — diplomats and consular staff aside.

  • Bring an International Driving Permit

    Get it before you travel, from the country that issued your licence. Japan only accepts permits issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention. It is valid together with your original licence: carry both.

  • Licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan

    These do not issue the Geneva permit. You drive on your licence plus an official Japanese translation — from JAF, from your embassy or consulate in Japan, or from the authority that issued the licence. A translation by a sworn translator is not accepted.

  • How long you can drive

    1 year from the day you land in Japan, or until the permit expires if that comes first.

  • Staying on as a resident?

    Once you are registered at your city hall, you can convert your licence — and it has to be done before your first year in Japan is over.

Japanese Driving Test (Kari Menkyo → Hon Menkyo)

Do you already hold a driving licence?

Yes — from another country

1 · Knowledge check

  • 50written questions
  • 30 minlanguages rotate by weekday
  • 45correct answers to pass
Yes — from another country

2 · Practical test, then paperwork

  • ~30%–40%first-time pass rate on the practical test
  • ¥6,600JAF translation of your licence, ordered online — 5–10 business days on average (2–3 for Swiss, German, French, Belgian, Monaco or Taiwan licences)

Licence from one of the exempt countries? You skip both tests — eyesight test only (see your options above).

Practical Tips

Your International Driving PermitValid 1 year from your entry into Japan · not renewable, not extendable

¥500,000maximum fine — driving on an expired permit counts as driving without a licence
Arrestpossible: it is a serious criminal offence
Before it expiresconvert your licence or get a Japanese one — then stop driving on the permit

Licence centre: 8:30 AM–4:00 PM

Weekdays only, with a lunch break; some centres take applications in the morning only. Plan a day off work.

Bring someone who speaks Japanese

While some centers offer multilingual support, most of the process is in Japanese. Having a Japanese-speaking friend or colleague with you can make the process much smoother and prevent misunderstandings.

Related tools

Related articles

Your Japanese Driver's License: Conquering the Roads (Without the Headache)
Cycling in Japan: Don't Get Fined! (Your Friendly Guide to Bikes & Rules)

Driving in Japan: Convert Your Licence & IDP

How to drive in Japan: convert a foreign licence (外免切替 gaimen kirikae), use an International Driving Permit as a tourist, and pass the test.

Must be currently valid. If expired, you will need to take the full Japanese test instead.

Official Japanese translation of your license from JAF (Japan Automobile Federation). Required for all conversions.

Your current valid residence card proving you are a registered resident in Japan.

Your passport with entry stamps showing you lived in the issuing country for at least 3 months after obtaining the license.

Certificate of residence obtained from your local city or ward office. Must be recent (within 3 months).

One passport-style photo taken within the last 6 months. Specific size: 3cm tall x 2.4cm wide.

Driving test only waived (the 50-question knowledge check still applies):

If your country does not have a reciprocal agreement, or if you do not have a foreign license, you must pass the Japanese driving test. This consists of a written test and a practical test. Many foreigners choose to attend a driving school for a higher pass rate.

Written Test (Gakka Shiken)

Two different tests share this name. Converting a foreign licence (gaimen kirikae) means the knowledge check: 50 written questions in 30 minutes, 45 correct required, offered in a rotating set of languages depending on the weekday. Starting from scratch means the Japanese licence exams themselves — 50 questions for the provisional licence (kari menkyo) and 95 for the full one.

Practical Test (Ginou Shiken)

A driving test on a closed course (kari menkyo) and on public roads (hon menkyo). The examiner checks lane changes, mirror use, speed control, and awareness. The pass rate for first-time takers is notoriously low — around 30-40%.

Driving School (Kyoshujo)

Attending an accredited driving school (shitei jidosha kyoshujo) exempts you from the practical test at the license center (menkyo center). Costs approximately ¥250,000-¥350,000 and takes 1-3 months. Intensive (gasshuku) courses can be completed in 2 weeks but cost more.

JAF Translation (Japan Automobile Federation)

The Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) provides certified translations of foreign driver's licenses, which are required for the license conversion process. You can apply in person at a JAF office, by mail, or online. Processing time varies.

Cost

~¥4,000 (including tax)

Processing Time

2-4 weeks by mail, same day at some JAF offices

IDP is only valid for 1 year

An International Driving Permit (IDP) is valid for exactly 1 year from your entry date into Japan. After that, it cannot be renewed or extended — you must convert your license or obtain a Japanese one.

Never drive on an expired IDP

Driving with an expired IDP is treated as driving without a license in Japan — a serious criminal offense. Penalties include fines up to ¥500,000 and potential arrest. If your IDP is about to expire, stop driving immediately.

Driver's license center (unten menkyo center) hours

Most driver's license centers are open weekdays only (Monday-Friday), typically 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM with a lunch break. Some centers accept applications only in the morning. Plan to take a day off work.

National Police Agency (警察庁)

Official rules for holders of a foreign driving licence

Tokyo Metropolitan Police (警視庁)

Conversion procedure and the official list of 29 exempt countries and regions

JAF — Japan Automobile Federation

Certified Japanese translation of a foreign licence

Figures and country lists come from the police pages above and were checked on the date shown. Procedures differ slightly from one prefecture to another — confirm with your own licence centre before you go.

✓ Equivalent country — eye test only

No written or practical test. Just paperwork + eye test at the licensing center.

Non-equivalent — written + practical required

The practical test is strict; first-attempt failures are common. Booking a practice session is strongly recommended.

Your conversion timeline

Start over

Find your nearest licensing center

— Choose —

Equivalent countries (test-exempt)

Non-equivalent countries (tests required)

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Target date

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As soon as possible

After your first visit

Order the JAF translation

Book your appointment at the licence centre

Booking is mandatory. In Tokyo it is done online (警視庁行政手続オンライン); other prefectures have their own system: check your prefecture's licence centre.

Gather the originals

Licence centre day

Document check and eye test. Your country is exempt from the knowledge and driving tests: once the check is passed, you receive your Japanese licence.

Licence centre day: documents, eye test and knowledge check

Driving test, on another day

The driving test is booked separately and never takes place on the day of your first visit. Many people fail it the first time: a practice lesson at a driving school helps.