Foreign License Conversion
Convert your foreign license in Japan — book first, documents later
This guide explains foreign license conversion — Gaimen Kirikae（外免切替）. We use only Japanese official sources. Many English pages in Japan are out of date. We checked all 47 prefectures in September 2026.
Most people collect documents first. Then they wait months for a booking. Book first. In Saitama, the wait for the knowledge test is about 3 to 4 months. In Gifu, it is about 2 months for the document check and about 5 months more for the tests. Also check your country early. Your country decides how many tests you take.
The 3 steps
Do this first. Some prefectures have a wait of several months. Some take bookings by phone only. Some take them online only. A few need no booking for the first visit. → All 47 prefectures
Plan them around your booking date. Order the Japanese translation of your license first. It can take 5 to 10 business days. → Documents and the translation
Reception → document check → eyesight check → (knowledge test → driving test) → your new license.
Some prefectures want a certificate of residence（住民票）issued within 3 months. If you get it before you have a date, you may have to get it again. The translation is the opposite. Order it on the day you get your booking.
Does your country take the tests?
This decides how many tests you take. Check it first.
| Your license is from | Knowledge test (50 questions) | Driving test |
|---|---|---|
| 28 countries and regions — for example the UK, Germany, France, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, and Canada and 7 US states — Oregon, Ohio, Colorado, Virginia, Hawaii, Maryland, Washington | No test | No test |
| Indiana (USA) | You take it | No test |
| All other countries — for example Vietnam, the Philippines, Nepal, China, Brazil, Peru, Indonesia, Myanmar, and all other US states | You take it | You take it |
California, New York, Texas, and Florida are not in the "no test" group. Portugal is in the group, but Brazil is not. Spain is in the group, but Peru is not. The country that gave you the license decides it. Your language does not. A full list is on our Japanese page: 免除される国・地域.
You will not find this list in the Road Traffic Act. The National Police Agency sends it to each prefecture as an internal notice. The prefectural police pages are the best public source. Check your country on your prefecture's page before you apply.
What changed on 1 October 2025
| Before | From 1 October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge test | 10 picture questions. 70% to pass. | 50 written questions. 30 minutes. 45 right to pass (90%). |
| Driving test | — | A pedestrian crossing was added. Signals and turns are marked more strictly. |
| The "no test" group | No change. We compared the list at 6 points in time. Nothing was added. Nothing was removed. | |
More people now fail. They book again. That is one reason the waits are so long now. → The knowledge test
5 places where people fail
It must show your status of residence and period of stay. At the city office, ask for the version that shows these items. The words to show are on the documents page → Certificate of residence
The staff check that you stayed 3 months in the country after you got your license. They use the stamps in your passport. If you do not have them, other papers can help. → If you cannot show 3 months
Only certain organizations can make it. A sworn translator in your home country is not accepted. → The Japanese translation
Some prefectures say you must bring one. Without one, you may not be able to apply that day. → Interpreters
The normal license test uses a manual car. You can ask for an automatic-only license and use an automatic car. If you do not drive manual cars often, this is easier.
Many English pages are out of date
Many prefectural police forces have an English page. Many of those pages still describe the old test. Some may also show old fees or old booking rules.
The Japanese pages are usually newer. This guide is written from the Japanese pages. When two official sources say different things, we tell you. We also tell you which one is newer.
JAF (the Japan Automobile Association) now takes translation orders online only. One of its help pages still says you can apply at a counter. Tochigi stopped bookings for a time in 2026. Always check the newest page of your own prefecture.
To find your prefecture's newest page, type this into a search box: 「◯◯県警 外国免許 切替」. Put your prefecture name in place of ◯◯. For Tokyo, use 「警視庁 外国免許 切替」.
Pages in this guide
| Page | What is in it |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | The 3 months, a valid license, an address in Japan, and the bars Japan checks |
| Countries with no test | The 28 countries and regions, the 7 US states, and where Indiana sits |
| Booking | Phone, online, or no booking. The waits each prefecture publishes. What they ask you on the call |
| All 47 prefectures | Where to apply, how to book, phone numbers, reception hours, waits, interpreters, test languages, car fees |
| Documents and the Japanese translation | What to bring. What to say at the city office. Where to order the translation, and how long it takes |
| The knowledge test | 50 questions, 30 minutes, 45 to pass. Languages. What to do if you fail the driving test |
| The driving test | 100 points down to 70. The 11 tasks, the 21 acts that end it, and what got stricter |
| On the day | The order of the day, intake times, eye check numbers, and what to bring |
| Interpreters | Which prefectures say you must bring one, and what an interpreter cannot do for you |
| 日本語版（全14ページ） | The Japanese guide also covers fees, failing, and the legal sources |
How we write this guide
- We take numbers only from official sources: the National Police Agency notice, the Road Traffic Act, and the prefectural police pages
- When official sources do not agree, we say so
- When we could not check something, we say "not confirmed". We do not guess
- When prefectures are different, we show which prefecture says what
- We write in easy English: short sentences and common words. Most of our readers do not speak English as a first language
Rules and local practice change. Before you start, check the newest page of the police in the prefecture where you live.