Foreign License Conversion
in Osaka Prefecture

Police organization:

Osaka Prefectural Police (大阪府警察)

Test center:

Kadoma Driver's License Test Center (門真運転免許試験場) and Komyoike Driver's License Test Center (光明池運転免許試験場)

City

Kadoma City (門真市), Osaka. Komyoike (光明池) location is not stated on the fetched pages.

Access

Both centers handle foreign license conversion (外免切替). Specific address/transit access not stated on the conversion procedure pages.

Test languages:

20 languages (nationwide standard since June 2024)

Reservation required

How to reserve

Reservation is mandatory and the method differs by eligibility. Special-exception countries (特例の対象となる外国等): in-person window reservation at Kadoma (weekday reception 15:30-17:00) or phone reservation at Komyoike. Other countries: phone reservation on designated Fridays, 15:00-17:00 (Kadoma) or 16:00-17:00 (Komyoike). Reservations are taken for an available date within the designated reservation target period (which spans multiple months, not limited to the current calendar month). Calls outside the designated reception days/times are not accepted.

Reservation page ↗

https://www.police.pref.osaka.lg.jp/tetsuduki/untenmenkyo/3694.html

Phone

Kadoma: 06-6908-9121 (automated menu 4 then 1 or 2); Komyoike: 0725-56-1881 (automated menu 4 then 3)

Reception hours

Reservation phone reception: designated Fridays 15:00-17:00 (Kadoma) / 16:00-17:00 (Komyoike); special-exception window reservation at Kadoma weekdays 15:30-17:00. Application/reception (after reservation) at Kadoma: weekdays excluding holidays 08:45-12:00 and 12:45-13:30; closed Sat/Sun/holidays and Dec 29-Jan 3.

No English-language service. Applicants who have difficulty communicating in Japanese must bring an interpreter ("通訳ができる方とご来場ください").

Reservation is mandatory with eligibility-dependent methods (special-exception countries vs. others). Required documents include a valid foreign license with a certified Japanese translation (embassy/consulate, JAF, or approved agencies), passport(s) showing entry/exit stamps to verify 3+ months of residence in the issuing country after obtaining the license, a residence certificate (住民票) issued within the past 6 months, and a photo (3cm x 2.4cm, taken within 6 months). If the license acquisition date is not printed on the license, separate proof of the (first) acquisition date is required. From 2025-10-01 the procedure was tightened: knowledge test illustration questions abolished and increased to 50 questions, passing threshold raised from 70% to 90%; practical test adds crosswalk-passage tasks; the residence-certificate requirement (within 6 months) is intended to block tourists/short-term visitors from converting.

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

• Exact conversion fees (手数料) in yen — not stated on the fetched pages
• Full postal address and public-transit access details for Kadoma and Komyoike test centers
• Complete current list of special-exception (特例) countries — the page lists ~31 (incl. US 7 states, Australia, France, Germany, South Korea, Taiwan) but the full list was not fully extracted
• Whether both Kadoma and Komyoike accept all conversion application categories or only specific ones
• Komyoike test center's municipality (the original draft said Izumi City — not stated on the fetched pages)
• The exact effective date of the Kadoma in-person window-reservation rule (one read gave 2025-01-19, another 2026-01-19; specific date dropped)

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.police.pref.osaka.lg.jp/tetsuduki/untenmenkyo/shinsei/kadoma/8749.html
• Official source ↗ https://www.police.pref.osaka.lg.jp/tetsuduki/untenmenkyo/21927.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.