How to Get a Japanese Driving Licence: 2026 Conversion, Tests, Costs & Steps

There are two main routes to a Japanese driving licence. The first is foreign-licence conversion, often called gaimen kirikae, for people who already hold a qualifying licence issued abroad. The second is obtaining a Japanese licence from the beginning through a designated driving school or direct examinations at a prefectural licence centre.

Start by checking conversion eligibility. If you qualify, it can save substantial training time and cost. If you do not qualify, compare the structured driving-school route with the lower-fixed-fee but more demanding direct-test route.

• Valid foreign licence + proof of three months after acquisition: check conversion first.
• No qualifying foreign licence: compare designated driving school and direct testing.
• Always use the current page of the police authority for your Japanese address.

The National Police Agency states that an applicant must have a foreign licence issued by the competent authority and must have stayed in the issuing country or region for a total of at least three months after receiving that licence. The application is made at the driving-licence centre or equivalent office for the applicant’s address, and proxy applications are not accepted.

The foreign licence must still be valid. The police also check identity, residence, licence history, vehicle classes and whether the applicant meets the eyesight and other requirements for the Japanese licence class requested.

• The three-month period is counted after the foreign licence was obtained.
• Periods can generally be accumulated if the travel evidence proves them.
• An international driving permit is not itself convertible into a Japanese licence.

The exact document list varies by prefecture and issuing jurisdiction, but applicants commonly need the valid original foreign licence, current and previous passports, an accepted Japanese translation, a recent application photograph, residence documentation, and evidence showing the first licence-acquisition date and travel history.

For foreign residents covered by the Basic Resident Registration system, Tokyo currently requires a certificate of residence containing the specified foreign-resident information and issued within six months. It should not display the My Number. Additional records can be required when a passport lacks entry or exit stamps or when the foreign licence shows only a renewal date.

• Keep old licences and old passports if they help prove licence history or residence.
• Obtain official movement records when automated gates leave no passport stamps.
• Check country-specific requirements before ordering translations or booking an appointment.

JAF accepts translation applications online. From July 1, 2026, its fee for a Japanese translation used to convert a foreign licence to a Japanese licence is 6,600 yen including tax, plus a 20-yen-per-page convenience-store printing fee.

JAF states that typical issuance is around two to three business days for licences from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan, and around five to ten business days for other countries or regions. A JAF translation does not guarantee that the police will approve the conversion.

• Use unaltered images of the front and back of the valid licence.
• Some countries require additional documents for JAF translation.
• Confirm that JAF or another translator is accepted by your prefectural police for your licence.

Some countries, regions and specific jurisdictions are exempt from the knowledge and driving-skill confirmations, while others receive only a partial exemption. The list is exact and can differ by issuing jurisdiction, so do not assume that every licence from the same country is treated identically.

Tokyo currently accepts foreign-licence conversion applications by reservation at Fuchu, Samezu and Koto, with Koto limited to licences from jurisdictions exempt from both the knowledge and skill confirmations. At the appointment, officers review the originals, residence history, acquisition dates, licence classes and any country-specific evidence before determining the next steps.

• Check the current exemption list before preparing for tests.
• Bring every original document and any requested copies.
• If Japanese communication is difficult, confirm in advance whether you should bring an interpreter.

Rules for foreign-licence conversion changed on October 1, 2025. The knowledge confirmation changed from 10 questions to 50, illustration-only questions were removed, and the passing standard became at least 45 correct answers out of 50. The driving-skill confirmation was also tightened, including additional assessment around pedestrian crossings.

Tokyo currently offers the first-class, second-class, provisional and foreign-conversion knowledge examinations in 20 languages. Availability, test days and centres can differ by prefecture, so confirm the language option where you will apply.

• Study Japanese traffic rules, not only driving habits from your home country.
• Practice left-side road positioning, stop-line discipline, mirror and blind-spot checks, signalling and pedestrian priority.
• A passed knowledge check does not itself give permission to drive.

Tokyo’s current ordinary-car foreign-conversion fees are 2,500 yen for the application and 2,350 yen for licence issuance, with an additional 200-yen fee when another class is added. Translation, official records, photographs, practice lessons and repeat tests are separate costs.

Waiting time varies substantially. Applicants from fully exempt jurisdictions may finish quickly after document approval, while applicants who need a practical confirmation can face later test appointments and possible repeat attempts. Keep the foreign licence valid throughout the process.

• Tokyo fees are examples; use the current fee table for your prefecture.
• Do not let the foreign licence expire while waiting for a required practical confirmation.
• Budget for records, translation and practice in addition to police fees.

A designated driving school is the standard route for many first-time drivers. It combines classroom instruction, closed-course driving, provisional-licence preparation, road lessons and a graduation driving examination. After graduation, the applicant normally completes the aptitude and written examinations at the prefectural licence centre, while the centre’s practical test is generally waived.

School tuition is not fixed nationally. Compare the total quote, AT or manual course, language support, lesson availability, extra-lesson and retest charges, cancellation fees and the validity period of the graduation certificate.

• Tokyo currently charges 4,250 yen for an ordinary physical licence application by a designated-school graduate.
• School tuition is paid separately and varies widely.
• Ask what “English support” actually covers: classes, textbooks, instructors, booking and examinations.

The direct route avoids a full designated-school course but requires a sequence of provisional and full written and practical examinations, documented on-road practice and required acquisition courses unless exempt. It is most realistic for experienced drivers who understand Japanese testing standards and can manage repeated weekday appointments.

In Tokyo, the current direct ordinary-licence fee for a physical licence is 5,650 yen for a successful examination sequence, with acquisition courses charged separately. From April 1, 2026, ordinary and provisional examination eligibility begins at age 17 years 6 months, but the driving licence itself is not issued before age 18. The standard ordinary-licence eyesight requirement is 0.7 with both eyes and 0.3 in each eye, subject to the alternative field-of-vision rule for one weaker eye.

• Repeat direct tests create additional examination and vehicle-use fees.
• Bring glasses or contact lenses if you use them for driving.
• Consult the driving aptitude service in advance if a medical condition may affect safe driving.

An AT-limited ordinary licence covers automatic-transmission ordinary vehicles but not manual-transmission ordinary vehicles. For many residents this is sufficient, while an unrestricted licence is more useful when work or future vehicle choices may involve a manual car.

Japan also allows eligible applicants to choose a conventional physical driving licence, a My Number Card containing driving-licence information, or both. Fees differ by format. Before choosing My Number-only possession, consider overseas use, car rental, employer checks and situations where an IC reader may not be available.

• Choose the vehicle restriction based on realistic future use, not only today’s car.
• Check the latest fee table for physical, My Number-only or dual possession.
• Keep identity and address information consistent across municipal and police records.

A translation, conversion appointment, document-screening result, passed knowledge confirmation or pending Japanese licence application does not give permission to drive. You may drive only if you separately hold a licence or international-driving arrangement that is legally valid in Japan for that date and situation.

Common problems include missing proof of the first licence-acquisition date, unstamped passports, name differences between records, an expiring foreign licence and insufficient proof of the three-month residence condition. Resolve those issues before the appointment whenever possible.

• A renewed foreign licence may require updated history records or a new translation.
• Use official movement records when passport evidence is incomplete.
• If names differ across documents, bring official evidence linking the names.

Before leaving the centre, check your name, date of birth, vehicle class, AT restriction, eyesight condition and expiration date. Ask how any documented foreign driving history affects beginner-driver treatment.

Address, name and other licence-record changes require the applicable police procedure; a municipal move notification does not automatically update the driving-licence record. Keep the licence valid, watch for renewal notices and update your records promptly after moving.

• Verify the licence details immediately after issue.
• Store the renewal deadline in your calendar.
• When you move, complete both municipal procedures and the separate driving-licence address update where required.