What Changed on 1 October 2025 for Foreign License Conversion
Japan tightened the rules for converting a foreign driving license on 1 October 2025. The knowledge test went from 10 questions to 50, the driving test got stricter, and you now have to prove where you live. Here is what is different.
On 1 October 2025, Japan changed the rules for converting a foreign driving license into a Japanese one — the procedure known as gaimen kirikae (外免切替).
If you are working from a guide written before that date, three things in it are now wrong. This page covers only what changed. It does not walk you through the whole procedure.
The short version
| Before 1 Oct 2025 | Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge check | 10 questions, including illustration questions | 50 questions, illustration questions removed |
| Pass mark | — | 45 out of 50 (90%) |
| Driving check | — | New tasks added, marking tightened |
| Proof of address | Looser | A specific residence document, issued within 6 months |
| Short-stay visitors | Could apply in practice | Effectively excluded |
1. The knowledge check is now 50 questions
The written check for applicants who are not exempt went from 10 questions to 50, and you now need 45 correct answers to pass — 90%.
Illustration questions have been removed, so every question is now text. If English is not your first language, that change cuts both ways: there are no pictures to lean on, but there is also no ambiguity about what a drawing is meant to show.
In Tokyo, the check is now held once a day, in the afternoon only. If you fail, you come back another day.
Check your own prefecture. The 50-question rule comes from a nationwide regulation, but scheduling is set locally. The afternoon-only sitting is what the Tokyo Metropolitan Police publish. Your prefecture may run it differently.
2. The driving check got stricter
Two changes: new tasks were added, including how you handle pedestrian crossings, and the marking criteria were tightened.
The practical check has never been a formality — examiners fail applicants who drive competently but not in the specific way the test expects. It is now less forgiving than that. Budget for more than one attempt, and treat a first-time pass as good luck rather than the plan.
3. You now have to prove where you live
This is the change that decides whether you can apply at all.
You must submit a document proving your address in Japan, issued within the last six months. Which document depends on your situation:
| Your situation | What you submit |
|---|---|
| Foreign national covered by the Basic Resident Registration Act | A copy of your residence record (住民票, jūminhyō) showing the specified items |
| Foreign national not covered by that Act | An identity document issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or another competent authority (shown, not submitted), plus a public document proving your address (submitted) |
| Japanese national returning from abroad | A family register document, plus a document proving your address |
Two practical points that catch people out:
- Originals only. Photocopies are not accepted.
- Six months. A residence record you obtained for a different purpose last year is no use.
If you are covered by the Basic Resident Registration Act — which you are if you hold a mid- to long-term residence status and have registered at your city or ward office — the residence record is the document you need. Ask for the version showing nationality and residence status, not the abbreviated one.
What this means if you are here on a short stay
You can no longer convert a license as a visitor.
The old procedure could be completed by people who had no residence registration in Japan, using a hotel address. The new document requirement closes that off: without a registered address in Japan, there is no document you can submit.
This was the point of the change. If you are in Japan on a tourist or other short-stay status, an International Driving Permit issued in your own country is your route, not conversion.
What did not change
Three things people assume changed, but did not:
- The three-month rule. You still have to have held the foreign license and stayed in the country that issued it for three months or more in total after it was issued. This is the rule that stops license tourism, and it predates the 2025 change.
- Which countries skip the tests. The list of countries and regions whose license holders are exempt from both the knowledge and driving checks was not changed by this amendment.
- Where you apply. You apply at the license centre for the prefecture where you are registered as living. You cannot shop around for an easier prefecture.
What to do now
- Check whether your country is exempt. If it is, the 50-question test does not apply to you and none of change 1 or 2 matters. If it is not, plan for the full procedure.
- Get your residence record within six months of your appointment, not before.
- Get your license translated by an authorised body before you go. The police accept translations from a small set of organisations only.
- Book. Walk-ins are not accepted at the Tokyo centres, and the same is true in most prefectures.
Sources
All of the above is taken from the police, not from secondary guides.
- Tokyo Metropolitan Police, Amended Enforcement Regulations of the Road Traffic Act, effective 1 October 2025 — keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp
- Tokyo Metropolitan Police, Converting a driving license obtained overseas — keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp
- National Police Agency, If you hold a driving license issued in another country — npa.go.jp
Rules are set nationally but administered by each prefecture. Where this page describes timing, booking or fees, it describes Tokyo. Confirm the details with the license centre for the prefecture you live in before you go.