Japan License Conversion Documents: Juminhyo, Translation, Passport

Checklist for every applicant

Based on guidance from the National Police Agency and Tokyo's Metropolitan Police (警視庁). Details vary by prefecture, so always check your prefectural police website as well (checked October 2026).

Residence record (juminhyo): the key document since October 2025

Since October 1, 2025, foreign residents registered in Japan must submit a copy of their residence record that includes the "specified items" (特定事項): nationality, residence status, period of stay, expiry date and residence card number (special permanent residents: certificate number). When you request it at your city or ward office, ask for everything including nationality and residence status to be printed (国籍・在留資格などをすべて記載).

Tokyo police set three conditions: issued within the last 6 months, no My Number printed, and an original (no copies). If yours shows the My Number, you'll be asked to black it out at the counter.

People with Temporary Visitor (短期滞在) status, such as tourists, generally cannot apply, and a hotel address can no longer be used.

• Nationality/region (国籍)
• Residence status (在留資格)
• Period of stay and expiry date (在留期間・満了日)
• Residence card number (在留カード番号)

Your license and translation: common pitfalls

If your license does not show the date you first obtained it, you need a document proving that date, such as a driver record. If you hold two or more classes (for example car and motorcycle), you need proof of the date for each. Bring old expired licenses too, if you have them.

Your foreign license must stay valid until the practical driving test. Tokyo police say that test is roughly 3–4 months after your booking date, and ask applicants whose licenses expire soon to renew first, then book and bring a translation of the renewed license.

Translations are only accepted from the issuing authority, your country's embassy or consulate in Japan, or a body designated by the National Public Safety Commission such as JAF. Translations you or a friend make are not accepted. JAF accepts applications online only; the fee for license conversion is 6,600 yen (from July 1, 2026), and it takes on average 5–10 business days (2–3 for Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan). If you renew your license or its details change, you need a new translation.

Proving 3 months in the issuing country

The license center checks the entry and exit stamps in your passports to confirm you spent a total of 3 months or more in the issuing country after getting your license. Bring every old passport.

If you used automated gates and have no stamps, you need an official travel record from that country (Tokyo police). The National Police Agency's guidelines say that when departure can't be confirmed from a passport, police may check related documents such as employment or school certificates, pay slips and rental contracts, along with an interview.

Tokyo police also use your stay to decide the beginner-driver mark requirement (1 year in total) and motorcycle passenger rules (1 year in total for ordinary roads, 3 years for expressways). Bring any documents showing your driving history and periods of stay.

Extra documents by country (Tokyo example)

These are taken from Tokyo police's list of required documents by country (as of August 2026). Other prefectures may ask for different documents. For US licenses, note that only some states are exempt from the tests.

If you are not on the resident register (diplomats, etc.)

People not covered by the Basic Resident Register Act must show an ID issued by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (such as a diplomatic ID card) or another document set by the National Public Safety Commission (such as a Certificate of Eligibility), submit an official document confirming their address (for example one issued by their embassy), and show their passport. Temporary Visitors cannot apply this way either.

Documents ready? Next comes the knowledge test

Getting through the document check is only the start: the knowledge test (50 questions, 45 to pass) is the biggest hurdle, with a pass rate of 42.8% (National Police Agency, October–December 2025). While you wait for your booking, get used to the real format with menkyopass's English mock exams.

FAQ

Related guides

• Japanese Translation of Your License for Conversion: JAF, Fees
• The 3-Month Stay Rule for License Conversion in Japan: Proof
• Japan License Conversion Process: 6 Steps from Booking to License
• How Much Does License Conversion Cost in Japan? Fees Explained
• Can You Convert a License in Japan Without a Residence Record?

Sources (in Japanese)

• 警察庁 丙運発第59号（令和8年1月8日）別添「外国免許等関係事務取扱い要領」
• 警察庁「外国の運転免許をお持ちの方」
• 警視庁「外国で取得した運転免許証を日本の運転免許証に切り替えるには」
• 警視庁「必要書類（共通）」PDF
• 警視庁「国別必要書類一覧」PDF（令和8年8月現在）
• 警視庁「注意事項」PDF
• 警視庁「令和7年10月1日施行・改正道路交通法施行規則について」
• 和歌山県警察「外国免許から国内免許への切り替え手続き」PDF
• JAF「翻訳文の申請方法」
• 日本経済新聞「外国人の免許切り替え、筆記試験の合格率9割→4割に 25年10〜12月」（警察庁公表の報道）