This article was written by the NIPPON VISA & LIFE editorial team based on information from public organizations such as the national government and local governments. Rules and fees may differ depending on the city, ward, town or village where you live.
A driver’s license you got in your own country can be converted to a Japanese driver’s license through a procedure in Japan. This procedure is called “gaimen kirikae” (外免切替, conversion of a foreign license). The main requirement is that, after getting your license, you stayed in that country for a total of 3 months or more. At a driver’s license test center or similar office in the prefecture where you live, you go through a document review, tests such as an eyesight test, a knowledge check and a skills check.
This article explains the procedure using the guidance of Tokyo (the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department) as an example. The office, how to make a reservation and the reception hours differ by prefecture, so check the website of the police in your prefecture. For the basics of traffic rules in Japan, see The Basics of Transportation in Japan: Walking, Trains, Buses, Bicycles, Driving a Car, and When There Is a Traffic Accident.
The Short Answer: The Steps of Conversion
- Check whether you meet the requirements for conversion (did you stay a total of 3 months or more in the country where you got your license?)
- Prepare the required documents (your foreign driver’s license, a Japanese translation, a copy of the resident record, your passport, etc.)
- Make a reservation at a driver’s license test center (in Tokyo, mainly online; some people reserve by phone)
- On the day of your reservation, go to the test center and have your documents reviewed
- Take tests such as the eyesight test (aptitude test)
- Take the knowledge check (questions on traffic rules) and the skills check (a check of your driving). Some countries and regions are exempt
- If you pass, receive your Japanese driver’s license
How This Differs from an International Driving Permit
You may be able to drive in Japan with an “International Driving Permit” obtained abroad. However, there are conditions.
- It must be an International Driving Permit issued by a country that is a party to the Geneva Convention, in the format of the Geneva Convention. You cannot drive with one in the format of another convention (such as the Vienna Convention)
- It must be within 1 year of the date the International Driving Permit was issued, and also within 1 year of the date you landed in Japan
- If a person with resident registration leaves Japan and returns within 3 months, that day is not counted as a “date of landing”
People with a driver’s license from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan may be able to drive with that license if they carry a Japanese translation made by a designated organization. In this case too, it is valid only up to 1 year after landing in Japan, and the same “3 months” rule above applies.
In other words, people who live in Japan for a long time cannot keep driving with an International Driving Permit or a foreign license forever. If you will drive for a long time, convert to a Japanese license.
(Sources: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “How to Drive in Japan with an International Driving Permit Obtained Abroad”, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “How to Drive in Japan with a Foreign Driver’s License from a Country Designated by Cabinet Order”)
Who Can Convert
According to the guidance of Tokyo (the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department), the requirements are as follows.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Length of stay | After getting your driver’s license abroad, you stayed in that country (or region) for a total of 3 months or more |
| Age | 17 years and 6 months or older (16 or older for an ordinary motorcycle, 20 or older for a medium-sized vehicle, 21 or older for a large vehicle) |
| Eyesight (ordinary vehicles and motorcycles) | 0.7 or better with both eyes, and 0.3 or better in each eye |
| Address | You have an address in Tokyo (in other prefectures, the procedure is done in each prefecture) |
- For an ordinary license or a semi-medium license, you can apply from 17 years and 6 months, but you receive the license from age 18.
- People whose eyesight in one eye is below 0.3, or who cannot see with one eye, have a different standard (the field of vision and eyesight of the other eye).
- For semi-medium, medium and large licenses, the eyesight standard is different, and there is also a “depth perception test” (a test of how you see distance).
- The “total of 3 months” is the number of days you stayed in that country after the date you got your license, added together. This is checked with the entry and exit stamps in your passport and similar records.
(Sources: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “How to Convert a Driver’s License Obtained Abroad to a Japanese Driver’s License”, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “Points to Note” (PDF))
Required Documents
Bring the originals of all documents. Copies are not accepted. According to Tokyo’s “Required Documents” (PDF), the following are required for everyone.
| Document | Key points |
|---|---|
| Your currently valid foreign driver’s license | The original card or paper license. You cannot convert with only a digital license (a license on your smartphone). If you have an old, expired license from the same country, bring that too |
| A Japanese translation of your foreign driver’s license | One made by the embassy in Japan of the country where you got your license, or by an organization listed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (such as the Japan Automobile Federation, JAF) |
| Copy of the resident record (certificate of residence) | For foreign nationals, one showing your nationality, status of residence, period of stay, expiration date of the period of stay and residence card number. One that does not show your My Number (Individual Number). One issued within the last 6 months |
| Passport | Your current passport, and all your old passports if you have them |
| Photo for the application | 3 cm high × 2.4 cm wide, 1 photo. No hat (except for religious or medical reasons), facing forward, plain background, taken within the last 6 months. If you apply for 2 or more types of license, you need that number of photos |
| Japanese driver’s license | Only for people who held a Japanese license before |
- If your license does not show the “date you got the license,” you also need a document proving that date (such as a driver’s record).
- If you used an automated gate when leaving or entering a country, your passport may not have a stamp. In that case, prepare a “certificate of entry and exit records” or a similar document from the country where you got your license.
- Additional documents are required depending on the country. Check the section for your country in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s “List of Required Documents by Country.”
- People who do not have resident registration (such as diplomats) need different documents.
(Sources: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “Required Documents” (PDF), Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “About the Amended Ordinance for Enforcement of the Road Traffic Act, Effective October 1, Reiwa 7”)
Reservations and Where to Go (Example of Tokyo)
In Tokyo, gaimen kirikae requires a reservation.
- Reservations are made through the “Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Administrative Procedures Online” service on the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department website.
- People who wish to work under the Specified Skilled Worker system (as a rule, the person in charge at the company that has an employment contract with them makes the contact), and people with an identification card for diplomats and similar persons and their families, make reservations by phone instead of online. Call the driver’s license test center between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
- The procedure is done at the Fuchu Driver’s License Test Center, the Samezu Driver’s License Test Center and the Koto Driver’s License Test Center. At Fuchu and Samezu, people with a license from any country or region can apply. Koto is only for people with a license from a country or region that is exempt from the knowledge and skills checks.
- Reception is on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (no reception from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.). Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays and the New Year holidays (December 29 to January 3).
- People who cannot speak Japanese may be asked to come with someone who can interpret.
In other prefectures, the name of the office (such as “driver’s license center”) and the way to make a reservation are different. If you search for “(name of your prefecture) 外国免許 切替,” you will find the guidance of the police in that prefecture.
The Knowledge Check and Skills Check (Stricter from October 2025)
In gaimen kirikae, after the document review there is a “knowledge check” and a “skills check.” On October 1, Reiwa 7 (2025), the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Road Traffic Act was amended, and the content became stricter.
Knowledge Check (Questions on Traffic Rules)
- The number of questions increased from 10 to 50.
- The passing standard changed from “7 or more correct out of 10” to “45 or more correct out of 50.”
- Questions with illustrations were removed.
- In Tokyo, it is held only once, in the afternoon.
In Tokyo, you can take the knowledge check in Japanese and 20 other languages, including English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Indonesian, Thai, Portuguese, Nepali and Burmese. The knowledge check in these languages can be taken every weekday at the Fuchu and Samezu test centers.
Skills Check (A Check of Your Driving)
- Tasks such as passing a pedestrian crossing were added, and the assessment standards became stricter.
- The skills check requires a reservation, and you cannot take it on the same day as your reception.
Countries and Regions Exempt from the Knowledge and Skills Checks
According to Tokyo’s guidance, people with a license from the following 29 countries and regions are exempt from the knowledge check and the skills check.
Iceland, Ireland, the United States of America (only Ohio, Oregon, Colorado, Virginia, Hawaii, Maryland and Washington), the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Austria, the Netherlands, Canada, South Korea, Greece, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Hungary, Finland, France, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Monaco, Luxembourg, Taiwan
People with a license from the U.S. state of Indiana are exempt from the skills check only.
(Sources: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “About the Amended Ordinance for Enforcement of the Road Traffic Act, Effective October 1, Reiwa 7”, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “About Written Tests That Can Be Taken in Foreign Languages”, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “How to Convert a Driver’s License Obtained Abroad to a Japanese Driver’s License”)
Fees (Example of Tokyo)
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee (ordinary license) | 2,500 yen |
| Application fee (moped) | 1,600 yen |
| Application fee (large, medium, semi-medium) | 3,900 yen |
| Application fee (others) | 2,800 yen |
| Issuance fee | 2,350 yen |
| Additional entry fee (when you already hold another license and it is listed on the same card) | 200 yen |
For an ordinary license, you pay both the application fee and the issuance fee. Fees may change, so check before you start the procedure.
Your Japanese License After Conversion
- It is valid until 1 month after your third birthday from the date of issue.
- The color of the band in the validity field is “green.” When you renew, depending on how long you have held a license and whether you have any violations, it may become blue or gold, and the validity period may become 5 years.
- Your date of birth is written in the Japanese calendar (Reiwa, Heisei, Showa).
- Renew in the prefecture where your address is, between 1 month before the birthday just before the expiration date and the expiration date.
- If your address, name or nationality changes, promptly complete the change procedure at a police station, a driver’s license test center or a similar office.
Beginner Driver Mark (Beginner Driver Sign)
People who count as beginner drivers must display a “beginner driver sign (beginner driver mark)” on the front and back of their car for 1 year from the date their license is issued. Whether you stayed a total of 1 year or more in the country where you got your license is checked during the document review.
Riding Two People on a Motorcycle
- To carry a passenger on ordinary roads, you need to have held a motorcycle license for 1 year or more.
- To carry a passenger on expressways, you need 3 years or more.
- People who stayed in the country for a total of 3 months or more but less than 1 year after getting their license abroad cannot carry a passenger right away.
(Sources: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “How to Convert a Driver’s License Obtained Abroad to a Japanese Driver’s License”, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “Points to Note” (PDF))
When You Have Trouble and Common Mistakes
Is a digital license on my smartphone enough?
No, you cannot convert with it. You need the original card or paper license.
My foreign license will expire soon. Is that a problem?
If you take the skills check, your license must be valid until the day of the skills check. This may be about 3 to 4 months after your reservation date. People whose license will expire soon are advised to renew it in their own country first and then make a reservation. In that case, you need a translation of the renewed license.
What if my passport has no entry or exit stamps?
If you use an automated gate, your passport may not be stamped. Prove the length of your stay with a certificate of entry and exit records or a similar document from the country where you got your license. Check the List of Required Documents by Country to see which documents you need.
Are there cases where I cannot apply?
According to Tokyo’s guidance, in cases like the following, you may not be able to apply after the check.
- You are currently under a license suspension, or in a period during which you are not allowed to take the test
- You have committed a serious violation such as driving without a license, driving under the influence of alcohol or drunk driving, or failing to give aid (not helping injured people in an accident) (including when you were driving with an International Driving Permit)
- People who held a Japanese license before and had it revoked or similar (except a beginner revocation) can take the test only after attending a course for people whose licenses were revoked within 1 year before the test, and after the period during which they cannot obtain a license has passed
(Sources: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “Points to Note” (PDF), Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “How to Convert a Driver’s License Obtained Abroad to a Japanese Driver’s License”)
Even with all my documents ready, could it take time to get my license?
Yes. There is a document review, a knowledge check and a skills check, and the skills check requires a reservation and cannot be taken on the same day as your reception. If you do not pass the knowledge check or the skills check, you will not receive a Japanese license. Whether you can drive until the conversion is complete depends on the conditions in “How This Differs from an International Driving Permit” above.
Contact Information (Example of Tokyo)
| Office | Phone |
|---|---|
| Fuchu Driver’s License Test Center (Written Test Section) | 042-362-3591 (main number) |
| Samezu Driver’s License Test Center (Test Section) | 03-3474-1374 (main number) |
| Koto Driver’s License Test Center (Written Test Section) | 03-3699-1151 (main number) |
People who live in other prefectures should contact the driver’s license office of the police in their prefecture.
Primary Sources Referenced in Writing This Article
- Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “How to Convert a Driver’s License Obtained Abroad to a Japanese Driver’s License”
- Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “Required Documents” (PDF)
- Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “Points to Note” (PDF)
- Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “About the Amended Ordinance for Enforcement of the Road Traffic Act, Effective October 1, Reiwa 7”
- Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “About Written Tests That Can Be Taken in Foreign Languages”
- Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “How to Drive in Japan with an International Driving Permit Obtained Abroad”
- Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department “How to Drive in Japan with a Foreign Driver’s License from a Country Designated by Cabinet Order”
This article is a translation of the original Japanese version.
