Foreign License Conversion
in Fukui Prefecture

Police organization:

Fukui Prefectural Police (福井県警察)

Test center:

Fukui Prefectural Police Driver Education Centers (運転者教育センター). Foreign-license conversion is handled by phone reservation at the regional center for your area: Fukui Prefectural Driver Education Center (福井県運転者教育センター, in Harue-cho, Sakai City — handles the full process incl. knowledge/skill confirmation), TEL 0776-51-2820; Reinan Center (福井県嶺南運転者教育センター, Wakasa Town), TEL 0770-45-2121; Tanan Center (福井県丹南運転者教育センター, Echizen City — applicants exempt from the knowledge/skill confirmation only), TEL 0778-21-3613; Okuetsu Center (福井県奥越運転者教育センター, Ono City — exempt applicants only), TEL 0779-66-7700

City

Fukui/Harue center: Sakai City (坂井市春江町針原58-10); Reinan: Wakasa Town (三方上中郡若狭町倉見1-51); Tanan: Echizen City (越前市余田町2-1-1); Okuetsu: Ono City (大野市南新在家32-1-4)

Test languages:

20 languages (nationwide standard since June 2024)

Reservation required

How to reserve

Reservation required. Phone the relevant regional Driver Education Center (各運転者教育センター) to book the initial document-check date (外国等免許証の点検日). After passing the document check you book a separate date for the knowledge/skill confirmation. International-permit holders and those whose foreign license expires soon (<6 months) are advised by the official guidance to book early.

Reservation page ↗

https://www.pref.fukui.lg.jp/kenkei/doc/kenkei/naka8-naka200_d/fil/gaikoku.pdf

Phone

Harue/Fukui 0776-51-2820 / Reinan 0770-45-2121 / Tanan 0778-21-3613 / Okuetsu 0779-66-7700

Reception hours

Phone reservations accepted Mon–Fri 8:30–17:15 (excluding public holidays, substitute holidays, and Dec 29–Jan 3) — per official PDF. On-site slot times (also on the official PDF table): Fukui/Harue center — document check Mon–Fri 13:30–15:00, knowledge/skill confirmation Wed & Fri 13:00–13:30; Reinan — document check Tue 9:00–11:00 & 14:00–15:00, knowledge/skill confirmation Tue 13:00–13:30; Tanan (exempt applicants only) — Mon–Fri 10:00–11:00 & 14:00–15:00; Okuetsu (exempt applicants only) — Mon–Fri 14:00–15:00.

No official foreign-language or interpreter service. The official guidance explicitly states that applicants who cannot speak Japanese must bring their own interpreter (日本語の話せない方は、通訳できる方を同伴して下さい).

Official PDF fee schedule: examination fee (試験手数料) — ordinary vehicle ¥2,500; large/medium/semi-medium ¥3,900; large/ordinary motorcycle etc. ¥2,800. Issuance fee (交付手数料) ¥2,350. An ordinary-car conversion totals ¥4,850. Applying for multiple license categories at once adds ¥200 per additional category.

Required documents (official PDF): (1) valid foreign license + a Japanese translation prepared by the issuing consulate, JAF, Zip-Plus (ジップラス), or ALADDIN (訪日運転者支援協会); (2) passport(s) proving entry/exit history (if auto-gates/EU membership make this impossible, separate proof of stay in the issuing country may be required); (3) residence certificate (住民票, issued within 6 months, showing honseki / nationality & residence status) plus residence card for foreign nationals; (4) any current/past Japanese license held; (5) a photo 3.0cm×2.4cm taken within 6 months; (6) certificate of driving history (経歴証明書) in certain cases. Eligibility: held a valid foreign license and deemed to have stayed 3+ months in the issuing country/region after obtaining it, registered as a resident in Fukui, and of Japanese licensing age. Note: the Tanan (丹南) and Okuetsu (奥越) centers only handle applicants who are exempt from the knowledge/skill confirmation; non-exempt applicants must use the Fukui/Harue or Reinan center. Warning in the guidance: some (mainly European) countries cancel the foreign license used in the application upon conversion — confirm with the issuing embassy/authority. Knowledge/skill confirmation may be exempted for holders of a past Japanese license or licenses from designated 'special' countries (特例国).

We could not confirm the following from primary sources. Please check the official page before relying on them:

• Exact access/transport directions (nearest station, bus, parking) to any center — only a third-party aggregator (driversnavi.com) lists them for the Harue center; not on any official source
• Whether any English-language application forms or guidance exist (none found; official guidance is Japanese PDF only)

Always verify on the prefectural police's official page before you go — addresses, reservation methods, and document requirements change frequently.

• Official page (Japanese) ↗ — open via Google Translate / DeepL
• Official source ↗ https://www.pref.fukui.lg.jp/kenkei/doc/kenkei/naka8-naka200.html
• Official source ↗ https://www.pref.fukui.lg.jp/kenkei/doc/kenkei/naka8-naka200_d/fil/gaikoku.pdf
• Official source ↗ https://visa.aichi.jp/gaimen-fukui/

The 6-step process (eligibility → translation → appointment → document screening → 50-question test → practical test) is the same nationwide. See the main hub for the complete walkthrough, document checklist, and translation services.