MenkyoQuest
How to Get a Japanese License

Driving School
Enrollment

Once you've chosen a driving school, complete enrollment. You'll take an aptitude test on the same day. Gathering the required documents ahead of time makes the process smoother.

4-panel manga — Hikari: What should I bring for enrollment? Yui: ID, your residence certificate, a seal, and a photo. The certificate needs your registered domicile but no My Number. Hikari: I heard there's a test on the day too? Yui: An aptitude check — eyesight and color vision. Bring your glasses if you need them!
Hikari: What should I bring for enrollment? Yui: ID, your residence certificate, a seal, and a photo. The certificate needs your registered domicile but no My Number. Hikari: I heard there's a test on the day too? Yui: An aptitude check — eyesight and color vision. Bring your glasses if you need them!
📝 What You Need for Enrollment
  • Identification (health insurance card + student ID, etc.)
  • Residence certificate (with registered domicile, no My Number, issued within 3 months)
  • Personal seal
  • Driver's license application photo (3 cm × 2.4 cm)

※ Required documents vary by school. Check the current requirements with the school you are enrolling in.

🗓️ Enrollment Day Key Points
Aptitude test (vision and color perception)
Tests vision and color perception needed for driving. The vision standard for an ordinary license is 0.7 or better in both eyes combined and 0.3 or better in each eye.
Payment
Many schools let you pay in full or by installment.
Lessons begin right after enrollment
If there are no issues, some schools start classroom lessons the same day.
FAQ
What kind of residence certificate do I need?
You need one that includes your registered domicile, does not include your My Number, and was issued within the past 3 months. Requirements may vary by school, so confirm in advance.
What happens on enrollment day?
You submit application documents and take an aptitude test (vision and color perception). If you pass, some schools let you start lessons the same day.
Do I need glasses?
If you need them to meet the vision standard, bring and wear them for the aptitude test. If you meet the standard with glasses or contacts, your license will carry a "corrective lenses" condition.
After enrollment, classroom lessons begin soon. Previewing the early chapters on MenkyoQuest helps you pass the effect measurement tests and the provisional license written test smoothly.

If you come across an unfamiliar term, check the 📖 glossary for full definitions.

Last updated 2026-06-04. Costs, durations, and rules vary by driving school and season. Always confirm the latest conditions with each school's or prefecture's official information.

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