Driving in Japan on a foreign licence is a temporary arrangement with a hard stop, and the route to a permanent Japanese licence got considerably narrower in late 2025.
Before you convert: can you drive at all?
An International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention lets you drive in Japan for one year from entry. That is the common case, and it is where most people start.
It is not universal. Licences from Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Monaco, Estonia and Taiwan are not covered by that convention. Holders drive instead on their home licence accompanied by an official Japanese translation — from JAF, or the issuing country embassy or consulate in Japan. An IDP from one of these countries is not valid here, which surprises people who bought one before flying.
What changed on 1 October 2025
The conversion process, gaimen kirikae (外免切替), was tightened in three significant ways:
You must be a resident
You now need a certificate of residence (住民票) showing your registered address in Japan. The route that allowed short-term visitors to convert a licence while on a tourist stay is closed.
You must prove residence in the issuing country
You must show you actually lived in the country that issued the licence for at least three months after it was issued. The order matters: time spent there before you got the licence does not count. This is aimed squarely at licences obtained on short trips abroad, and it is proved with passport stamps or immigration records.
The written test got much harder
The knowledge test expanded from a 10-question formality to 50 questions, with a pass mark around 90% — roughly 45 correct. It is available in several languages depending on the prefecture. It is no longer something to walk into unprepared.
Who skips the tests
Around 29 countries and territories are exempt from both the knowledge and practical tests, including the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Taiwan, South Korea and most of western Europe. For those applicants the process is essentially document checks, an eyesight test and a fee.
The United States is treated state by state, and only a small number of states are exempt. If yours is not, you face the full knowledge and practical tests — and the practical is conducted on a closed course to Japanese examination standards, where failing for something unrelated to competence, such as not leaning out far enough to check under the vehicle, is routine. Budget for more than one attempt.
What to bring
- Your valid foreign licence, plus a Japanese translation from JAF or your embassy
- Passport, including old ones covering the period after the licence was issued
- Residence card and a certificate of residence (住民票) showing your nationality
- A photograph to the current specification, and the fees in cash
Applications are made at your prefectural driving licence centre, not a police box, and most centres now require an advance booking — frequently by telephone rather than online, and frequently in Japanese.
Where to confirm this
- Your prefectural driving licence centre — it sets the booking method, languages offered and exempt-country list it works from
- JAF — official translations of foreign licences
Guides are dated rather than undated: last reviewed 6 August 2026. This is an organisational aid, not legal or immigration advice — always confirm anything consequential with your ward office, the Immigration Services Agency, or a qualified professional.