Gaimen Kirikae – 外免切替
If you have a currently available driver’s license issued in your home country, you can exchange it for a Japanese one. In this article, we will give you advice to go smoothly through that process.
First, you should know that International Driver’s licenses (in the Geneva Convention Format) are welcome in Japan for one year or until they expire, with no translation needed. If you wish to keep driving in Japan longer, you have to exchange your regular license before it expires.
Some fortunate citizens can just come to Japan and exchange their current driver’s licenses without taking the written and practical exams. They are from 28 countries and seven USA States:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and the following USA states: Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia and Washington (and for Indiana, without the practical exam only).
For the rest, it is worth repeating that you can only do this process if you have a currently available license. Otherwise, you need to ask for a license from scratch. This means taking lessons in a designated driving school and passing the exams. Doing that means you will have your license right away after finishing. The only problem is that the driving school could be expensive and English lessons are limited. This can be an obstacle for the theoretical classes and exams.
To exchange your hometown license in Japan, here are the steps and our recommendations.
Tips beforehand:
We recommend you to take a two-hour driving lesson (for about 5000 yen) in your closest driving school to familiarize yourself with the local way of driving. This process will be for automatic cars, which are the most common in Japan, and for people who are 18 years or older. Also, it is a must to read the Japanese traffic booklet called “Rules of the Road” to study for the written exam. You can buy it in different languages, printed or digital versions, here.
1. Be sure that you have enough time until your country’s license expires (that will be the last day you can take the exam).
2. Call your closest Driver’s License Center to ask which documents you need and gather them before going for the first visit. Note that those documents could vary from prefecture to prefecture.
3. You will need an official translation of your current license into Japanese. There are two options, you can either ask The Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) or your Embassy in Tokyo. Depending on the country, this could be done by email sending a pre-purchased envelope to have your document sent back to you in a few weeks and the cost will vary. Ask your Embassy for further information about this procedure or visit JAF’s website.
4. Be aware that you may be visiting the Driver’s License Center several times. The first visit will be for consultation only with your documents in hand (you may need an appointment). An officer will check them, and ask you detailed questions on how you obtained your license the first time (Ex.: if you went to a driving school or not, in what type of car you learned to drive, if you had the same three tests that are taken in Japan, etc.) The official will make you fill in some documents regarding that. Don’t forget to gather the information in advance. They will help you to fill in the documents, so don’t worry. In some prefectures, it is mandatory to attend with a translator for this interview. Don’t forget to confirm before going, so you won’t be sent back.
5. One of the requirements is to have lived at least three months in the place where you obtained your license the following three months after the issued date on your document. If this was too long ago, it could be challenging to prove it. They may ask you to show your old passports or you may need your past licenses’ record from your Embassy.
6. After checking all your documents and having your answers, they will inform you if it is possible or not for you to exchange your country’s license in Japan. Documents verification can take more than a week in some prefectures.
7. When you visit the Driver’s License Center, you will have the chance to check the practical driving exam circuit field. You will have to drive either Circuit A or B during the exam. The officer will give you a printed map of the circuit field where you have to trace by hand the two options. Taking pictures is not allowed.
In case your documents are approved
If you are qualified to ask for the Japanese license, you will have the written (or theoretical), aptitude (or physical), and practical driving exams on a different day. It could be all three during the same day or each in a different one.
To be prepared for that day, we recommend you watch updated YouTube videos on the subject. There are specific things to be aware of, like the order of actions you need to perform before getting into the car and before starting the engine.
Ex.: Watch in the back and below the car if there are any obstacles for you before you get in the car and start driving. Seat and, first of all, fasten your seatbelt. Then, adjust the mirrors, etc.
The official will pay close attention to all you do in detail. When driving, another crucial point to pass will be watching on both sides of the street when you have a stop sign. This must be performed with a 90° movement of your neck exaggerating a little bit. It is even better if you say out loud: “Left, check! Right, check!” in Japanese, you will get some extra points for that.
The day of the exam
Some documents, parts of the procedure, and process flow may vary depending on your case and the prefecture. But everyone has to arrive at the center at least 10 minutes before the time of the exam.
You will need the following documents:
- Certificate of residence (juminhyo).
- Passport.
- Residence card (zairyu card).
- Your hometown license with the official translation.
- One photograph with a blue background taken within the last six months.
Data and Questions Forms: you have to fill out your name, address, and date of birth in a couple of documents and answer questions about your health in the last 5 years (the question sheet is written in the chosen language, and you have to answer in a paper in Japanese).
Aptitude or Physical test: an official will make you move your fingers and legs, see without and with glasses in a machine the same as in the ophthalmologist’s office, and some other eye examinations. In the end, you’ll have a stamp on your paper. Then, you’ll wait in the lobby to be called for the written test.
Written or Theoretical test: consists of 10 questions previously chosen randomly, available in several languages (you can choose the language in advance). An official will be in the room and will provide pencils and erasers for the examinees. You’ll have an answer sheet and true or false questions in 10 sheets out of 100 questions with a number below (the ones you need to answer), or one sheet with 10 questions (this may vary according to the prefecture). The questions are written in Japanese and the chosen language, accompanied by drawings. You need at least 7 correct answers to pass and you will be notified right away.
If you pass
You will have to watch a half an hour video in Japanese, explaining the practical driving exam. A translator can accompany you most of the time if you go with one, but not in the car during the exam.
Then, you will go to the practical exam circuit with other examinees. The official will announce which course will be tested, A or B, and explain the circuit particularities, for example: three lanes where one is for one direction and the other is a double lane. After that, he will show the car to each examinee. One will drive, and the other will sit in the back. You will have the official as a copilot giving instructions. This exam takes about 10 to 15 minutes. If you pass, you can have your license that very day, but…
In case you don’t pass on the first attempt
The official will explain you what to do next. In some prefectures, you can repeat the exam as you need without an appointment until you pass, for the next 6 months. In others, you will have to wait and ask for an appointment, for the practical driving exam only. But each time you will have to fill out some documents and have part of the physical exam again. If you cannot pass within the given time, you’ll have to repeat everything from the beginning.
Price
First payment: 2550 yen and 1450 yen, total: 4000 yen (you’ll pay this amount again if you don’t pass the practical exam).
For the license: 2550 yen (if you pass the practical exam)
Total: 6550 yen
The process will last about 3 and a half hours. When taking the practical driving exam only, it will be half of the time.
You will need a beginner magnetic sign placed in the front and back of your car for the first six months since you obtained your license. These are available in the Centers or 100 yen shops.
If you need help in your case or want further information, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Consultation service.
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