Foreign License Conversion
in Kumamoto Prefecture

Police organization:

Kumamoto Prefectural Police (熊本県警察)

Test center:

Kumamoto Prefectural Driver's License Center (熊本県運転免許センター) — Driver's License Examination Division (運転免許試験課), 2nd floor left side

City

Kikuyo Town, Kikuchi District (菊池郡菊陽町大字辛川2655). Note: the official conversion page lists the prefectural police HQ mailing address 〒862-8610 熊本市中央区水前寺6丁目18-1; the physical license center is in Kikuyo Town.

Access

Nearest station JR Kumamoto Station. From Kumamoto Station Transportation Center (platform/bay 14) take the bus bound for 免許センター・パークドーム and alight at the 免許センター stop. ~500 free parking spaces.

Test languages:

20 languages (nationwide standard since June 2024)

Reservation required

How to reserve

Advance reservation mandatory; conversion cannot be processed without a booking ("予約せずにお越しいただいても切替えはできません"). Booking is by phone (Japanese only). A separate WEB reservation system also exists for the skill-confirmation portion of conversion (外免切替(うち技能確認)).

Reservation page ↗

https://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/site/police/8759.html

Phone

096-233-0116 (press 2, then 3)

Reception hours

Reservation phone accepted weekdays (Mon-Fri, excluding weekends, holidays, year-end) 11:00-12:00 and 14:00-16:00.

Knowledge (written) test is available in 20 languages: Chinese, English, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Tagalog, Thai, Indonesian, Nepali, Khmer, Mongolian, Burmese, Russian, Korean, Persian, Spanish, Urdu, Arabic, Sinhala, Hindi, and Ukrainian. Applicants who cannot communicate in Japanese must bring their own interpreter, and conversion is denied if communication is inadequate ("意思疎通が十分にできない場合は、切替えができません"). No dedicated English-speaking staff support is advertised.

Fees are payable in cash only (confirmed). Specific amounts for foreign license conversion (application + issuance in yen) were not stated on the fetched official pages.

Eligibility requires residence registered in Kumamoto Prefecture, a valid foreign license, and a cumulative stay of at least 3 months in the issuing country after obtaining the license ("免許取得国に通算して3か月以上滞在していたこと"). Required documents: foreign license + certified Japanese translation (from a government agency, diplomatic mission, or authorized bodies such as JAF/ZIPLUS/visitor support associations), prior Japanese license (if any), residence certificate issued within 6 months (full details, individual number excluded for non-Japanese), passport with entry/exit stamps for the issuing country, 2 photos per license category (3×2.4cm, within 6 months), original residence card, and fees. Fees are cash only.

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

• Exact conversion fees (application + issuance amounts in yen)
• Reception/processing time window for conversion (a secondary source mentioned 8:30-9:00 weekday reception; not confirmed on the official conversion page)

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.kumamoto.jp/site/police/220464.html
• Official source ↗ https://www.untenmenkyo-center.com/kumamoto.html

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.