Foreign License Conversion
in Niigata Prefecture
Niigata's licensing center for foreign-license holders is administered by Niigata Prefectural Police (新潟県警察). Below is the official source, the test center's main address, English support status, and any special notes.
- Police organization:
- Niigata Prefectural Police (新潟県警察)
- Test center:
- Niigata Prefectural Driver's License Center (新潟県運転免許センター)
- City
- Niigata City (Chuo-ku, Shinkocho 4-1, 〒950-8553)
- Test languages:
- 20 languages (nationwide standard since June 2024)
- How to reserve
- Phone reservation only (mandatory for all stages, including document review, knowledge confirmation, and skills confirmation). Call the Niigata Prefectural Driver's License Center, Skills Training Division (技能教習所係).
- Phone
- 025-256-4040
- Reception hours
- Monday–Friday 9:00–16:15 (excluding weekends and national holidays)
No prefecture-provided language/interpreter support. Applicants who cannot understand Japanese must bring their own interpreter (通訳人を同行してください); inquiries must also be made by someone who understands Japanese.
Document review is free of charge (手数料は必要ありません). Examination/issuance fees apply at the testing and issuance stages (受験手数料等が必要となります), but the official page does not state specific amounts.
Reservation is required at every stage. The standard process runs: document preparation → reserve → document review (2nd floor, 2 counters) → reserve → aptitude (eyesight) test → knowledge confirmation → skills confirmation → license issuance. (For applicants from designated countries/regions, the knowledge and skills tests are waived and the flow goes document review → aptitude test → issuance.) Eligibility requires: a valid foreign license equal to or above the desired Japanese category; cumulative residence of at least 3 months in the issuing country after obtaining the license; a registered address in Niigata Prefecture; and valid resident status. A Japanese translation of the foreign license is required, obtainable from JAF, ZipPlus, or ALADDIN (03-6436-7921). Required documents include the original foreign license (with any attachments, showing the issuance date), passport(s) showing all visa/entry stamps, a 住民票 (residence certificate without My Number), a photo (6cm×2.4cm taken within 6 months), and for foreign nationals a resident card (在留カード). The knowledge confirmation result is valid for 6 months.
We could not confirm the following from primary sources. Please check the official page before relying on them:
- Exact transit/access directions to the Driver's License Center (only the postal address was confirmed)
- Specific fee amounts for the aptitude test, knowledge test, skills test, and license issuance
- Whether any multilingual application forms or staff language assistance exist (page only states the applicant must bring an interpreter)
- Online reservation availability (none found; only phone reservation confirmed)
- Whether an issuing-country embassy/consulate is an accepted translation provider (source lists only JAF, ZipPlus, and ALADDIN)
Always verify on the prefectural police's official page before you go — addresses, reservation methods, and document requirements change frequently.
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.
New to the terminology? See the glossary for definitions of gaimen kirikae, knowledge confirmation test, IDP, and honmen.
Verified research compiled on 2026-06-06 from official prefectural-police and other primary sources. Test-center details, reservation methods, fees, and language support can change — always confirm on the official page before you go.