Convert Your Foreign License
Into a Japanese One

Since October 2025, the foreign-license-conversion (gaimen kirikae) written knowledge test in Japan is 50 true/false (○✕) questions, and you need 45 correct out of 50 (90%) to pass. The time limit is about 30 minutes, the test is offered in 20 languages including English, and you can retake it if you fail. This is in addition to a practical driving test and document screening.

Any foreign-license holder who has become a resident of Japan and intends to drive here long-term. International Driving Permits (IDPs) are valid for only 1 year and only for short visits — if you live in Japan, you need to convert. (This 1-year IDP validity is separate from the 3-month-in-issuing-country eligibility rule in Step 1; see the timeline FAQ below.)

Two completely separate rules that operate on different timelines: • 3 MONTHS (eligibility — BEFORE coming to Japan): To be eligible to convert your foreign license, you must have lived in the country that issued the license for at least 3 months AFTER getting the license — and BEFORE coming to Japan. This proves you actually used the license in its home country. (Step 1) • 1 YEAR (IDP validity — AFTER becoming a Japan resident): An International Driving Permit (IDP) is valid for 1 year from the date it was issued. Separately, if you register as a Japan resident (jūminhyō), you can only drive on an IDP for up to 1 year after you become a resident — even if the IDP itself hasn't expired yet. After that, you must complete gaimen kirikae to keep driving. Timeline summary: 3 months in your home country (BEFORE Japan) → travel to Japan with IDP → IDP works for up to 1 year of residency → after 1 year, conversion is mandatory.

Anywhere from 2 weeks to 6+ months, depending on the prefecture's backlog. Tokushima has announced a 6+-month wait. Tokyo, Osaka, and other large prefectures vary by season. Apply early.

The knowledge test was tightened from 10 illustrated questions (70% to pass) to 50 written questions (90% to pass). A jūminhyō (residence certificate) with your nationality, residence status, and period of stay is now mandatory.

Yes. Holders of licenses from 29 countries/regions (Germany, France, UK, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Greece, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Monaco, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States — Ohio, Oregon, Colorado, Virginia, Hawaii, Maryland, Washington) are exempt from both the knowledge and practical tests. The US state of Indiana is partial (practical test waived, knowledge test still required). All exempt holders still need document screening.

Original foreign license, Japanese translation of that license (from JAF / embassy / authorized firm), your passport (with entry stamps showing 3+ months stay in issuing country), jūminhyō with nationality/residence status/period, application photo (3cm × 2.4cm), and your inkan/seal where applicable. Each prefecture has its own checklist — check your prefecture's page below.

20 languages nationwide (standardized since June 2024): English, Spanish, Persian/Farsi, Korean, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, Thai, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Khmer, Nepali, Burmese, Mongolian, Ukrainian, Sinhala, Urdu, Arabic, and Hindi.

Yes. MenkyoQuest has free AI-explained practice questions in English, based on Japan's National Police Agency's Rules of the Road (the same source the test draws from). You can start any chapter from the home page.

Only 4 prefectures (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Gunma, Nagasaki) have full English support. 6 more have partial English content. For the remaining 37, bring a Japanese-speaking friend or hire an interpreter — police centers do not provide one. You can also use Google Translate or DeepL on the Japanese page (we link to both from each prefecture page).

Japan only recognises IDPs issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention. Holders from Vienna 1968 Convention countries (e.g. Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, China mainland, Taiwan) cannot drive in Japan on an IDP — you must complete gaimen kirikae instead. Bring a JAF or embassy translation of your home-country licence to the prefectural police centre. Note that an IDP, even if valid, only allows driving for up to 1 year after you become a resident, so long-term residents from Geneva countries also need to convert. (Don't confuse this 1-year-after-residency rule with the separate 3-month-in-issuing-country eligibility rule in Step 1 — see the timeline FAQ for a side-by-side comparison.) (The IDDP — International Driving Document for People with Disabilities — has no special status in Japan; standard aptitude-test accommodations apply.)