Procedure to convert a foreign driver’s license into Japanese one
1

Those who meet the following conditions are able to apply for the procedure to convert aforeign driver’s license into Japanese.
(1) Having a driver’s license issued by a foreign government agency.
International driver’s licenses are not available for this procedure.
(2) Having stayed in the country where the license was issued for 3 months or more in total
after the acquisition.
In case you obtain a foreign driver’s license on a sightseeing trip, you cannot convert
it unless you stayed in the country for 3 months in total after the acquisition.
(3) The foreign driver’s license is in the valid period.
The expiration period varies depending on the countries.
You are required to apply during the period your license is valid.

2Reception
This service is reservation-only. Please make a reservation by phone or at the Driver’s License
Center (window No. 7) by the day before.
Reservation by phone is available 9:30 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 17:15 on weekdays (excluding
national holidays and new-year holidays: between December 29 to January 3).
Document review is carried at 9:00 am and 2:00 pm on Tuesdays and Fridays (excludingnational holidays).

3

Process of the Procedure(1)

For those who have driver’s licenses issued by exception nations○ If you have a driver’s license issued by one of the following 29 countries or a region, you will
be exempted from the knowledge test and the driving skills test.
Document review → Aptitude test → Delivery of License
Iceland, Ireland, The United States of America (State of Ohio, Oregon, Colorado, Virginia,Hawaii, Maryland, Washington only), The United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Austria,Netherlands, Canada, South Korea, Greece, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Slovenia, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Hungary, Finland, France, Belgium,Poland, Portugal, Monaco, Luxembourg, Taiwan.
○ If you have a driver’s license issued by The United States of America (State of Indiana only),
you will be exempted from the driving skills test.
Document review → Aptitude test → Knowledge test
(2)

→ Delivery of License

For those who have driver’s licenses issued by outside of counties mentioned above
Document review → Aptitude test → Knowledge test
Delivery of License※ Notes→ Driving skills test →〇 If you obtained a Japanese driver’s license in the past, you may be exempted a part of thetest as well as those who have the license issued by exception nations.
〇 After you passed the document review, you are to take from the aptitude test another day.
You cannot take the test on the day of your application.
〇 In case you apply for the license of moped (engine size of 50cc or less, maximum passengerof one), you are not required to take a driving skills test.
( Document review → Aptitude test → Knowledge test

→ Delivery of License)〇 Your application may not be accepted as a result of the document review.
〇 The knowledge test is correct/incorrect formula. In order to pass it, you have to give 7
correct answers out of 10.
〇 20 languages are available for the knowledge test, English, Spanish, Persian, Portuguese,Russian, Korean, Chinese, Thai, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Khmer, Nepalese,Burmese, Mongolian, Ukrainian, Sinhalese, Urdu, Arabic, and Hindi.
4Requirements(1)

Photograph for application (One photo is required for each vehicle category you apply for.)The size is 3 centimeters length by 2.4 centimeters breadth.
The Photos need to be taken within 6 months before the application.

(2)

Certificate of residence (in which your legal domicile, nationality or region is written)
Japanese driver’s license (if you have one already)Please prepare a certificate of residence in which your individual number is not recorded.
If your individual number is in it, you will be required to mask it.

(3)

Resident card (if you are a foreigner)(4)

Passport (which clarify you stayed the issuing country for 3 months or more after you
obtained the license)
You cannot convert your driver’s license if the passport has no immigration stamps of thecountry where your driver’s license was issued and your period of stay cannot be confirmed.
Bring anything proves your period of stay, for example, your expired passport, flight tickets
etc.

(5)

Certificate of embarkation and disembarkation
Please bring a certificate of your embarkation and disembarkation record by government
agency of the country where issued your driver’s license, if possible.
You can omit it if you are sure to certify your embarkation and disembarkation record byyour passport.
※

Some other documents might be required if you can neither obtain a certificate ofembarkation and disembarkation record nor prove your date of immigration by yourpassport. Please contact us.

(6)

Foreign driver’s license※

If your driver’s license does not have the date of issue or the date of acquisition, please
request a document from relevant country so that the date can be confirmed. (e.g. driving

record, driving history.)※

If you have a driver’s license issued by another country than you apply to convert, pleasebring it.

※If you have some documents attached to your foreign license or a certificate of driver’slicense acquisition, please bring it with you (e.g. Official Receipt issued by Republic ofPhilippine, Certificate issued by LTO (Land Transportation Office))(7)

International driver’s license (if you have)(8)

Japanese Transition of the foreign driver’s license
Translation into Japanese is made at the following organizations:（Fee-charging）〇

Government agency and consular agency of the country that issued your driver’s license〇 In the case of Taiwan, the Japan-Taiwan Relation Associate (translated text from
Taiwanese License offices is also available)〇 Organizations certified or designated by the Public Safety Commission
・ Japan Automobile Federation Matsuyama Branch (JAF)
Address: 5-15-32 Minamiedo, Matsuyama-shi, Ehime, Japan
Tel: 089-925-8668（Holidays: Saturday Sunday National holiday）
URL: https://jaf.or.jp/common/visitor-procedures・ ZIPLUS Co. Ltd.
The service at ZIPLUS Co. Ltd is web-only.
Please call the number or visit the website below.
(TEL：050-1731-8335)(URL：http://ziplus.jp/switching_license/）
(9)

Fees
Application Fee
Ordinary motor vehicle license/ \2,550
Large-sized, Medium-sized, Semi Medium-sized license / \4,100
Moped license / \1,500
Others / \2,600
Vehicle Usage Fee for the Driving skills test / \1,450
Issuance Fee / \2,050
Fee for adding vehicle categories on your license / \200 per a category(10)

Please come with an interpreter if you are not able to speak Japanese.

(11)

Expired Japanese driver’s license (if you have)
Place to contact
Ehime Prefectural Driver’s License Center (DLC)
Address: 1163-7 Katsuoka-cho, Matsuyama-shi, Ehime
Tel: 089-934-0110※This phone number links to Ehime Prefectural Police Headquarters. Please tell to an
operator “How to convert Driver’s license.”