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"Obtaining a driver's licence in Japan can be extremely frustrating"

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Obtaining a driver’s license in Japan can be a frustrating process. However, if you already hold a valid foreign driver’s license, things can be much easier.
Through a procedure called “Gaimen Kirikae” (foreign license conversion), you may be able to convert your license into a Japanese one without going through the full licensing system.

What is Gaimen Kirikae?

If you hold a valid driver’s license issued outside Japan, you may be eligible to convert it into a Japanese driver’s license. This process is called Gaimen Kirikae. By applying for this procedure, you can avoid taking the full course of lessons at a Japanese driving school.

Who Can Apply?

You may apply if:

  1. Your foreign driver’s license is valid at the time of application.

  2. You can prove that you stayed in the country where you obtained your license for at least 3 months after issuance (usually with your passport, including old ones if necessary).

Procedure - What does Gaimen-Kirikae involve?

※ Detailed requirements or process might differ. Please check the official documents in your living prefecture.
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Exam-Exempt Countries and Region
(29 countries etc.)
Australia🇦🇺, Austria🇦🇹, Belgium🇧🇪, Britain🇬🇧, Canada🇨🇦, Czech Republic🇨🇿, Denmark🇩🇰, Finland🇫🇮, France🇫🇷, Germany🇩🇪, Greece🇬🇷, Hungary🇭🇺, Netherland🇳🇱, Iceland🇮🇸, Ireland🇮🇪, Italy🇮🇹, Korea🇰🇷, Luxembourg🇱🇺, Monaco🇲🇨, New Zealand🇳🇿, Norway🇳🇴, 🇵🇱, Portugal🇵🇹, Slovenia🇸🇮, Kingdom of 🇪🇸, Sweden🇸🇪, Switzerland🇨🇭, United State of America🇺🇸 (States of Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia and Washington only), and Taiwan🇹🇼

1. Gather All the Required Documents 📑

1. Valid foreign driver’s license

  • Bring your current and any old license

  • If the issue date is not shown, some prefectures may ask for a driving record.

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2. Official Japanese translation of your license

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3. Certificate of Residence (Jumin-hyo)

  • Must show your nationality.

  • Issued within the last 3–6 months depending on prefecture
     

From 2025 October, you will be required to submit a copy of your Certificate of Residence (jūminhyō) to prove that you are legally residing in Japan. As a result, short-term visitors such as tourists (staying less than three months) will no longer be eligible.

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4. Residence Card (for foreign residents in Japan)​

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5. Passport

  • To prove your stay of 3+ months in the country where your license was issued.

  • Bring old passports as well if relevant.

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6. Application's photograph

- Size: 2.4 cm × 3.0 cm, plain background, no hat.

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7. Japanese driver's license (if you already hold one)

⚠ Most driver’s license centers require you to bring an interpreter if you do not speak Japanese. Arrange this in advance.

2. Document inspection 📄

  • Some centers require an appointment, others allow walk-ins.

  • Be prepared to wait several hours.

3. Aptitude test 👀

  • Simple eye test (vision of at least 0.7 combined, 0.3 per eye, and ability to distinguish red/yellow/blue).

  • Short interview about how you obtained your license, whether you attended a driving school, what exams you took, and your driving experience.

If you hold a licence which was issued in one of these "Exam-Exempt Countries and Region", you will be exempted from traffic knowledge check and driving test. 
Exam-Exempt Countries and Region
(29 countries etc.)
Australia🇦🇺, Austria🇦🇹, Belgium🇧🇪, Britain🇬🇧, Canada🇨🇦, Czech Republic🇨🇿, Denmark🇩🇰, Finland🇫🇮, France🇫🇷, Germany🇩🇪, Greece🇬🇷, Hungary🇭🇺, Netherland🇳🇱, Iceland🇮🇸, Ireland🇮🇪, Italy🇮🇹, Korea🇰🇷, Luxembourg🇱🇺, Monaco🇲🇨, New Zealand🇳🇿, Norway🇳🇴, 🇵🇱, Portugal🇵🇹, Slovenia🇸🇮, Kingdom of 🇪🇸, Sweden🇸🇪, Switzerland🇨🇭, United State of America🇺🇸 (States of Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia and Washington only), and Taiwan🇹🇼

4. Written Exam 📝

🚦 Written Test – Major Changes from October 2025!

From October 2025, the Traffic Rule Knowledge Check will become much harder:

  • 10 → 50 questions

  • Passing score: 90% (45/50)

  • Text-based questions, not just easy illustrations

  • Wider coverage: 22 areas of Japanese traffic rules


👉 If you’re planning to convert your license after October, start preparing now.

With the new system, passing will require serious study.

💡 Our lessons and materials are designed to help you succeed even under the new rules.

📘 Useful Material:  Gaimen Kirikae 📗 Written Exam Masterclass
The new questions will be taken directly from the same scope as the Japanese “Honmen” Written Exam (the test you must pass when obtaining a driver’s license for the first time in Japan).
✅ That means our Written Exam Masterclass (Online) covers the exact same material—so you can use it as-is for the new exam format!

5. Driving exam 🚙

  • The driving test is by far the toughest step in the Gaimen Kirikae process.

  • Examiners assess not only safe driving, but also your ability to execute precise tasks, including:

    • Proper, visible safety checks

    • Correct timing and use of indicators

    • Smooth, accurate vehicle control

  • You’ll also be judged on fine vehicle placement, such as:

    • Driving through narrow roads

    • Parking exactly at the left edge of the road

  • Because point deductions follow strict—and sometimes counter-intuitive—rules, passing without knowing those rules in advance can be extremely difficult.

Pass–Fail Criteria

  • You begin the driving test with 100 points.

  • To pass, you must finish with a score of 70 or higher.

  • Points are deducted for mistakes, depending on their severity.

  • There are four categories of deductions: –5, –10, –20 points, and immediate disqualification

–5 Point Deductions (Minor Mistakes)

  • Poor timing of indicators

  • Failing to use indicators when required

  • Making a turn wide

–10 Point Deductions (Important Mistakes)

  • Inadequate or missing safety checks

  • Swaying while driving straight

–20 Point Deductions (Major Mistakes)

  • Driving in the wrong direction

  • Crossing over the left edge line

  • Not slowing down sufficiently when required

Immediate Disqualification (Critical Errors)

  • Hitting an object and continuing without correcting

  • Failing to stop when required

🚙 Driving Test – Major Changes from October 2025

 

From October 2025, the Driving (Practical) Test will be evaluated much more strictly:

  • The criteria remain the same, but examiners will apply them much more rigorously. 

  • Until now, evaluations were relatively lenient, but from October 2025 the standard will be exactly the same as the provisional license (karimen) driving test.

  • Even small mistakes will no longer be overlooked.

  • The test routes will be longer, which means more opportunities for mistakes and point deductions.

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👉 If you’re planning to take the driving test after October, be aware that the evaluation will be far stricter than before.

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With the new system, serious practice is essential.

💡 Our one-on-one lessons and practice materials are designed to help you pass confidently, even under the tougher rules.

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👮“No practice, no chance. Examiners say: without practice, you will fail. Skip practice → fail the test → lose your reservation. Practice first, pass faster — the test center is full of people who failed without practice, don’t be one of them.”

Gaimen Kirikae Masterclass

If you want to learn how to pass the driving exam, we offer the masterclass for you.!

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