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?
A valid International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention can let you drive in Japan for the shorter of the permit's own validity and one year from the relevant entry date.
Japan also has a separate home-licence route for licences issued by Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan: the valid foreign licence must be carried with a Japanese translation made by an authorised body. Estonia is not on this special six-jurisdiction list. Check the National Police Agency's current list and translation rules for the licence you actually hold.
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
Applicants now generally need a certificate of residence (住民票) showing a registered address in Japan. Check the police guidance for the limited document exceptions.
You must prove residence in the issuing country
You must show you actually stayed in the country that issued the licence for a total of at least three months after it was issued. Time before issue does not count. Passport stamps alone may be insufficient where automated gates left no record, so ask the licence centre which supporting records it accepts.
The written test got much harder
The knowledge check expanded from 10 questions to 50 questions, with a 90% pass mark. Languages and administration details depend on the prefectural licence centre.
Who skips the tests
Some issuing countries and regions are exempt from all or part of the knowledge and driving-skills checks. The United States is handled state by state. Do not rely on an old country count or another person's experience: use the current list applied by your prefectural licence centre.
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 handled under your prefectural police's licence-centre process. Booking methods, accepted evidence and available test languages vary, so check that centre before attending.
One thing not to count on: your licence cannot be carried on your phone. The My Number Card can be integrated with a licence as a physical card, but the iPhone version does not carry licence function, so keep the plastic on you when you drive.
Where to confirm this
- National Police Agency driving-licence Q&A
- National Police Agency: 2025 foreign-licence conversion reform
- Your prefectural driving licence centre — booking, accepted evidence, languages and the current exemption list
Guides are dated rather than undated: last reviewed 13 September 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.