Foreign License Conversion
in Nagano Prefecture

Police organization:

Nagano Prefectural Police (長野県警察)

Test center:

Hokushin Driver's License Center (北信運転免許センター) and Chūnanshin Driver's License Center (中南信運転免許センター). Foreign-license conversion is NOT performed at the Tōshin (東信) Driver's License Center.

City

Hokushin Center: Nagano City (Kawanakajima-machi, Hara 704-2). Chūnanshin Center: Shiojiri City (Sōga, aza Kikyōgahara 73-116).

Access

Hokushin (Nagano City): ~2 min walk from the Alpico bus stop, or ~20 min walk from JR Shinano-Ōi Station. Chūnanshin (Shiojiri City): ~6 min walk from the bus stop, ~10 min walk from JR Shiojiri Station, or ~10 min by car via the Chūō Expressway.

Test languages:

20 languages (nationwide standard since June 2024)

Reservation required

How to reserve

Appointment-based (予約制). Applicants must phone the testing division (試験係) in advance to arrange the conversion procedure.

Reservation page ↗

https://www.pref.nagano.lg.jp/police/menkyo/shiken/annai/nihonmenkyo.html

Phone

026-292-2345 (東北信運転免許課, for the Hokushin Center / Nagano City) ; 0263-54-2582 (Chūnanshin Center exam section / Shiojiri City)

Reception hours

Both centers operate Mon–Fri (excluding national holidays), 8:30–17:00. Sunday opening differs by center: Hokushin is open the 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays; Chūnanshin is open the 2nd and 4th Sundays. (Phone-reservation call hours not separately stated.)

The knowledge test is offered in 21 languages including English: Chinese, English, Portuguese, Persian, Spanish, Thai, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian, Indonesian, Khmer, Nepali, Burmese, Mongolian, Sinhala, Urdu, Arabic, Hindi, and Japanese. (This is test-language availability; whether a live interpreter is provided for the procedure itself is not stated — confirm by phone.)

Ordinary-vehicle conversion: examination/switch fee ¥2,500 + license issuance ¥2,350 = ¥4,850 total. Other switch fees: small special / moped ¥1,600 each, motorcycle ¥2,800, large vehicle ¥3,900. Issuance fees: license only ¥2,350; license + My Number card ¥2,450. Fees are prefecture-set and may change.

Reservation is mandatory and made by phone to the relevant center's testing division before applying. Two of Nagano's three license centers (Hokushin in Nagano City, Chūnanshin in Shiojiri City) handle gaimen kirikae; the Tōshin (East Shinano) center does not. Accepted Japanese translations of the foreign license may come from the issuing country's embassy/consulate in Japan, JAF, Zipplus, the Visiting Driver Support Association (ALADDIN), the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association (Taiwan licenses only), or the German Automobile Club / ADAC (German licenses only). Required documents include a valid foreign license, its Japanese translation, all passports (current and old), an international driving permit if held, a residence certificate (住民票) showing nationality, and one ID photo (3cm × 2.4cm, taken within 6 months).

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

• Exact phone-reservation call hours (as distinct from general office hours)
• Whether a live interpreter is provided for the application/procedure (only test-language availability is confirmed)
• Whether applicants must prove 3+ months of residence in the issuing country after obtaining the license (a standard national requirement, but not stated in the fetched page text)

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.nagano.lg.jp/police/menkyo/center/menkyocenter.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.