Interpreters
Bringing an interpreter — the rules are not the same
Some prefectures write that you must bring one. Others write that they may ask you to. In a few places you cannot apply at all without one. Find out which kind your prefecture is before you go.
Most prefectures want an interpreter. Some write "you must" (Mie, Aichi, Ishikawa, Fukushima). Tokyo writes "we may ask you to". Fukushima does not allow interpreting by phone. Osaka allows one applicant per interpreter. Saitama stops the check that day if the staff find Japanese too hard. An interpreter is mainly for the paper check, and cannot come into the test room.
How strongly each prefecture writes it
| Strength | Prefecture and wording |
|---|---|
| Strongest | Mie — "If you do not understand Japanese, you must bring an interpreter. Without one you may not be able to apply." |
| Strong | Saitama — "Bring an interpreter. If the officer finds the check in Japanese too hard, the check stops that day." Fukushima — "You must bring an interpreter. Interpreting by phone is not allowed." Toyama — "Bring an interpreter. Without one we may turn the application away." |
| Normal | Aichi — "If you do not speak or understand Japanese, you must bring an interpreter." Ishikawa — "If you do not understand Japanese, you must bring someone who can interpret." Kanagawa — "Come with a Japanese interpreter." |
| Softer | Shizuoka — "If talking in Japanese is hard for you, bring an interpreter." Tokyo — "If you do not speak Japanese, we may ask you to bring someone who can interpret." |
Soft wording still leaves it to the officer on the day. You waited months for this slot. Bringing someone you do not use is much better than being sent home.
Where you need one
This is the main one. They ask when you got the license, how long you stayed there after that, when you came to Japan, and what work you do
What comes next, when to come back, what to bring. Miss this and you waste the next booking
The route, and afterwards, where you lost points. Ask while your interpreter is still there
Not in the test room
Your interpreter cannot be in the room during the knowledge test. You take it in one of the languages the prefecture offers.
- Say which language you want when you book
- Twenty languages is the common number. The count differs by prefecture, and in Aichi the language depends on the day
- If your language is not there, you take it in Japanese
→ Languages for the knowledge test
The driving test is you and the examiner. Your interpreter cannot come. The examiner speaks Japanese — for example "turn right at the next junction". Learn to hear right, left, please stop, please go.
Who to ask
- A friend, a family member, or someone from work who speaks Japanese — this is the usual answer
- Someone from your employer, where the company helps with this
- A paid interpreter — you pay the cost yourself
Test centers open on weekdays only. Where the paper check, the knowledge test and the driving test fall on different days, your interpreter comes several times. Before you ask them, find out how many visits and how long each one takes.
No qualification is asked for. Someone who speaks Japanese and your language is enough. Some prefectures do ask to see the interpreter's ID.
Notes by prefecture
| Prefecture | Note |
|---|---|
| Fukushima | "Interpreting by phone is not allowed" — calling someone and passing the phone over does not work. A person has to come |
| Osaka | "One applicant per interpreter" — one interpreter cannot bring a group |
| Saitama | "If the officer finds the check in Japanese too hard, the check stops that day" — even with an interpreter, it stops if you cannot make yourself understood |
| Ibaraki | "The interpreter at intake stays all day" — you cannot swap in a different person later |
| Toyama | "Bring an interpreter. Without one we may turn the application away" |
| Akita | "Bring an interpreter if you can" |
| Chiba | The official page does not say how this works for licenses above a moped. Ask by phone |
All 47 prefectures are in the interpreter column of the list of all 47 prefectures.
This is not applying by proxy
The Aichi police write "no application by proxy" on their page. Bringing an interpreter and applying by proxy are two different things. An interpreter turns your words into Japanese. An interpreter does not apply for you.
The Osaka rule of "one applicant per interpreter" stops one interpreter from bringing several applicants at once. Tokyo has no such limit.
When you cannot find anyone
- Say so on the booking call. Some prefectures will tell you how far you can get without one
- Ask your employer. Some companies help. The Chiba police have a rule for groups of 5 or more, who call 7 days ahead to set a date. It is written with companies in mind
- Your city's international association, or a help desk for foreign residents, may know an interpreter
- People in the no-test group only do the paper check and the eye check. They need an interpreter for less time (→ Countries with no test)
Fukushima bans interpreting by phone. That limits the method, not the application itself. Ask the counter what to do instead.