If you hold a foreign driver’s licence and live in Japan, you can usually convert it to a Japanese licence instead of starting from scratch. This procedure, known as gaimen kirikae (外免切替), changed on 1 October 2025: the knowledge test grew from 10 questions to 50, the pass mark rose from 70% to 90%, short-term visitors can no longer apply, and applicants now need a certificate of residence.
This article summarises what changed, which countries and U.S. states are exempt from the tests, what to bring, what happens on the day, and how to prepare for the 50-question knowledge test, based on notices published by prefectural police.
What changed on 1 October 2025
| Item | Until 30 September 2025 | From 1 October 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge test | 10 questions | 50 questions |
| Pass mark | 70% or higher | 90% or higher (45 of 50) |
| Who can apply | Any applicant with proof of address | Mid- to long-term residents and others registered under the Basic Resident Registration Act. Short-term visitors cannot apply (limited exceptions such as diplomats) |
| Proof of identity | A document showing your address | A certificate of residence (juminhyo) listing your nationality, residence status and period of stay (not required for My Number licence holders) |
| Skills test | As before | Stricter assessment and scoring, and a new course (details from each licence centre) |
Aichi Prefectural Police note that anyone retaking the test on or after 1 October 2025 takes the new 50-question version, even if they passed the old 10-question test. Those who passed before 30 September and take their first skills test after 1 October may take it once without repeating the knowledge test.
Which licences are exempt from the tests
Holders of licences from the following countries and regions are exempt from both the knowledge and skills tests, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police:
Iceland, Ireland, the United States (Ohio, Oregon, Colorado, Virginia, Hawaii, Maryland and Washington only), the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Austria, the Netherlands, Canada, South Korea, Greece, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Slovenia, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Hungary, Finland, France, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Monaco, Luxembourg and Taiwan.
For the United States, only Ohio, Oregon, Colorado, Virginia, Hawaii, Maryland and Washington are exempt, and Indiana is exempt from the skills test only. Licences from New York, New Jersey, California, Texas, Illinois and every other state require both tests.
Whatever the country, you must have stayed there for a combined 3 months or more after the licence was issued.
Who can apply and what to bring
Requirements vary by prefecture, so check the notice from the licence centre where you will apply. The items that appear in most police notices are:
- Certificate of residence (juminhyo) listing your nationality, residence status, period of stay and residence card number (not required for My Number licence holders). Japanese nationals returning from abroad need a family register copy and proof of their stay abroad, according to Shimane Prefectural Police
- Your valid foreign licence and a translation
- Passport, to confirm you stayed in the issuing country for 3 months or more after the licence was issued
- Photo: for example 3 cm × 2.4 cm, taken within 6 months, no hat, facing forward, plain background
- Fees: in Tokyo, a ¥2,500 application fee (ordinary licence) plus a ¥2,350 issuance fee; in Shimane, ¥2,500 for an ordinary licence
- Any Japanese licence you previously held, and glasses if you need them
What happens on the day
- Book: most centres require a reservation. Shimane, for example, takes online bookings only, opening on the first day of the previous month and closing at 15:00 the day before
- Document check and aptitude test, including an eyesight test
- Knowledge test: 50 questions, 45 or more correct to pass. In Aichi it is held once a day at 13:30
- Skills test: by appointment, on the centre’s course. It cannot be taken on the same day as the application
- Issuance: pay the issuance fee and receive your licence
How to prepare for the 50-question test
The questions cover Japan’s traffic rules. With a pass mark of 45 out of 50, you can afford to miss only five. Drivers used to another country’s rules need to get comfortable with the rules specific to Japan (driving on the left, right of way, railway crossings and pedestrian crossings, sign meanings) and with the wording of the test itself.
- Read through the whole syllabus: right of way, overtaking, parking and stopping, signals, pedestrians, road signs
- Get used to the wording: some questions turn on words like “always” or “all”, so practise reading carefully
- Memorise the numbers: distances, speeds and other figures that are simply memorised
- Take several 50-question mock exams until you reliably score 45 or more
Our free Gaimen Kirikae Test Prep app for iPhone and Android has 50-question mock exams in the new format, a 12-topic rules summary, tricky-wording patterns, a road sign guide and flashcards, in English and Japanese, with no ads and offline use.
If you are moving to Japan from abroad
- Start studying before you move: you cannot apply until you are registered as a resident, so studying in advance lets you book as soon as you arrive
- Check your licence’s expiry date: it must be valid when you apply
- Keep your passport stamps: they show you stayed in the issuing country for 3 months or more
- Register your address at the municipal office first; the certificate of residence is required
- Japanese nationals returning from the U.S. can use our pre-departure checklist for the tax side
FAQ
Q. I have a New York licence. Am I exempt?
No. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police list only seven U.S. states as exempt from both tests: Ohio, Oregon, Colorado, Virginia, Hawaii, Maryland and Washington (Indiana is exempt from the skills test only). Licences from New York, New Jersey, California and every other state require both the knowledge and skills tests.
Q. Can I convert my licence during a short visit to Japan?
No. Since 1 October 2025, applicants need a certificate of residence (juminhyo) showing their nationality, residence status and period of stay, and people not registered under the Basic Resident Registration Act, such as short-term visitors, cannot apply (with limited exceptions such as diplomats).
Q. I got my licence shortly before leaving the country. Does it count?
You must have stayed in the issuing country for a combined 3 months or more after the licence was issued. This is checked with the entry and exit stamps in your passport.
Q. Which languages is the knowledge test offered in?
It depends on the licence centre. Aichi Prefectural Police, for example, offer English every weekday and languages such as Vietnamese, Chinese, Portuguese and Spanish on set days. Check the centre where you plan to take the test.
Q. Can I retake the test?
Yes, but the retake procedure and fees differ by prefecture. Shimane Prefectural Police, for example, charge the fee again on a retake unless you passed the knowledge test and have not yet taken the skills test.
Sources: Aichi Prefectural Police, notice on the changes to foreign licence conversion from 1 October 2025 (PDF, Japanese); Shimane Prefectural Police, foreign licence conversion guide (PDF, Japanese); Tokyo Metropolitan Police, converting a foreign licence; Kanagawa Prefectural Police, notice for foreign nationals taking a licence test or converting a licence; Kanagawa Prefectural Police, driver’s licence procedures. Procedures differ by prefecture. This article is general information based on police notices as of October 2026; always check the latest notice from the licence centre where you will apply.
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