Documents
Documents — the "normal" certificate of residence is not enough
The most common mistake is the certificate of residence. It must show your status of residence and period of stay. If it does not, the staff cannot check your papers that day. This page also explains the Japanese translation of your license.
Get a certificate of residence（住民票）that shows your status of residence and period of stay. It should not show your My Number. Bring your foreign license, the Japanese translation, all your passports, old ones too, photos, and your residence card. The translation must come from certain organizations. JAF costs 6,600 yen, takes orders online only, and can take 5 to 10 business days.
What to bring
| Document | Be careful |
|---|---|
| Certificate of residence — jūminhyō（住民票の写し） | It must show your status of residence（在留資格）and period of stay（在留期間）. No My Number（マイナンバー）. |
| Your foreign driver's license | It must be valid now. An expired license cannot be used. Bring the real card, not a copy. |
| Japanese translation of your license（翻訳文） | Only from certain organizations. You cannot make it yourself. |
| Passport | All of them. Old ones too. The staff check your 3 months in the country here. |
| Photos | The size and number are different in each prefecture. |
| Residence card（在留カード） | Many prefectures ask for it. You also need it when you renew your Japanese license later. |
| Fees | Cash or revenue stamps. The test fee (2,500 yen for a normal car) and the license fee are the same across Japan. |
| Your Japanese license | Only if you already have one. |
The list above is what all prefectures ask for. Some prefectures also ask for papers for your country, such as an apostille. Aichi and Mie publish lists by country. → All 47 prefectures
Certificate of residence — what to say at the city office
This is where most people make a mistake. The rule is written in the National Police Agency notice（警察庁 丙運発第59号）.
The notice says the certificate must include the "specified items" for foreign residents. That means your status of residence and your period of stay.
If you only say "a certificate of residence, please", you may get one without these items. The test center cannot accept that one.
「運転免許の手続きに使います。在留資格と在留期間を入れてください。マイナンバーは入れないでください。」
It means: "I will use this for my driver's license. Please include my status of residence and period of stay. Please do not include my My Number."
- On the application form, there is a box to choose what to show（記載事項）. Tick 国籍・地域, 在留資格, and 在留期間
- Do not include your My Number. Some test centers do not accept a certificate with it
- How new must it be? Some prefectures say "within 3 months". Some say "within 6 months". Get it after you know your booking date
- Some prefectures also want your registered domicile（本籍）or head of household（世帯主）. Ask when you call to book
Your foreign license
- It must be valid now. If it has expired, you cannot use foreign license conversion
- Bring the real card. A copy is not enough
- If your license was reissued, bring a paper that shows the date you first got it. The 3 months are counted from the day you got your license
- Does your license have no expiry date? Then the staff may ask for a paper from your country
When you get your Japanese license, some prefectures mark your foreign license. Others keep it for a time. This is different in each prefecture. Ask when you call.
The Japanese translation — who can make it
Only certain organizations can make the translation. You cannot make it yourself. A friend cannot make it. A translation company in your home country cannot make it.
The National Police Agency notice lists 3 kinds of makers:
- (a) the government office that gave the license, or its embassy or consulate
- (b) a foreign organization approved by the National Public Safety Commission（国家公安委員会）
- (c) an organization named by the National Public Safety Commission — for example JAF, ジップラス株式会社, and ALADDIN（訪日運転者支援協会）
The translation must show 3 things:
- the types of vehicles you can drive
- the expiry date of your license
- the conditions on your license (for example glasses, or automatic only)
People often get a "certified" or "sworn" translation before they come to Japan. It cannot be used for this. You will have to order the translation again in Japan.
The translation is needed even if your country is in the "no test" group. You skip the tests, not the documents.
JAF — online only, 6,600 yen
JAF (the Japan Automobile Association) is the most common choice. The fee and the way to order changed for orders from 1 July 2026.
| From 1 July 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Fee (for license conversion) | 6,600 yen including 10% tax. It was 6,000 yen before. |
| How to order | Online only. You cannot order at a counter or by mail. You do not need to be a JAF member. |
| Time — Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco, Taiwan | About 2 to 3 business days |
| Time — all other countries | About 5 to 10 business days |
One JAF help page (FAQ) still says you can order at a JAF counter. The translation top page says: no counter, no mail. The top page is the newer one. If you go to a counter, they will not take your order. Check the JAF page before you order. Fees and times can change.
Other places for the translation
| Where | For whom | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Your country's embassy or consulate in Japan | Licenses from that country | The fee is different by country. Some countries do it for free. Check that it shows the 3 things above |
| ジップラス株式会社 | Many countries | 050-1731-8335. Ask about the fee and time |
| ALADDIN（一般社団法人 訪日運転者支援協会） | Many countries | 03-6436-7921. Ask about the fee and time |
| ADAC (German automobile club) | German licenses only | Listed by the Tokyo police |
| Taiwan-Japan Relations Association（台湾日本関係協会） | Taiwanese licenses only | — |
We found no rule that sets an expiry date for the translation. But if your license changes — for example you renew it — you need a new translation. The translation is a copy of what your license says.
Passports and photos
The staff look at your passport to check your 3 months in the country. They need the stamps from the time you got your license.
- Bring your passport now
- Bring all old passports, even expired ones. Do not throw them away
- The stamp pages should not be torn or dirty
Photos: the size is set by each prefecture. 3.0 cm tall × 2.4 cm wide is common. Most prefectures want a new photo, taken in the last 6 months. Face the front. No hat. Use a plain background. The number of photos is different by prefecture. Some test centers have a photo booth. Do not count on it.
If you cannot show 3 months in the country
Many airports now use automatic gates. You may have no stamps. Do not give up. The National Police Agency notice allows other papers.
- A letter from your employer or school（在職証明・在学証明）— it shows you worked or studied in that country
- Pay slips（給与明細）— several months in a row, so the dates are clear
- Your apartment rental contract（賃貸契約書）— it shows the dates you lived there
- A seaman's book（船員手帳）— for people who work on ships
The notice also says the staff can ask you questions to check your stay. The notice tells the staff to try to confirm the period. It is not a system that sends you home only because one paper is missing. Talk to the staff.
When to do what
Some prefectures have a wait of several months. → All 47 prefectures
It can take 5 to 10 business days. It takes the longest of all your papers.
Some prefectures want it issued within 3 months. Do not get it too early.
If one paper is missing, that day ends. In a prefecture with a long wait, you may wait months again.
Fees and rules change. Before you go, check the newest pages of your prefecture's police and the translation office.