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Converting a Hong Kong Driving Licence in Japan: Documents, Tests

Updated: 2026-10

Hong Kong is not one of the 29 countries and regions exempt from the knowledge and skills tests. After the document review you take both the knowledge test (知識確認, 50 questions) and the skills test (技能確認). In Tokyo (警視庁), if your passport has no Hong Kong entry/exit stamps, you also need a Statement of Travel Records (出入境紀錄證明) from the Hong Kong Immigration Department.

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Hong Kong licences are not test-exempt

The exemption lists published by Tokyo and Saitama police (29 countries and regions, such as South Korea, Taiwan, the UK and Germany) do not include Hong Kong (checked October 2026). So after the document review you must pass the knowledge test (50 true/false questions, 30 minutes, at least 45 correct) and the skills test (at least 70 out of 100). Among Chinese-speaking regions, Taiwanese licences are exempt, while mainland Chinese licences need very different extra documents.

In Tokyo, licences from non-exempt places are handled at the Fuchu (府中) and Samezu (鮫洲) driver's licence test centres. Koto (江東) only accepts licences from exempt countries and regions, so it is not an option for a Hong Kong licence. Applications are accepted on weekdays from 8:30 to 15:00 (except 11:00 to 13:00), and in principle you convert one class per application. If you hold both car and motorcycle licences, decide which to convert first.

Common documents plus the Hong Kong-only document

Everyone submits a common set of documents, plus extras depending on the country or region. In Tokyo's list of documents by country (as of August 2026), the Hong Kong entry contains just one item: the Statement of Travel Records. Unlike some countries, there is no blanket requirement for embassy certification or a driving history certificate.

Under the common rules, however, if your licence does not show the date you first obtained it, you need a document proving that date, and if you hold two or more classes, you need proof of the date for each. In that case, ask the Hong Kong Transport Department, which issued your licence, what certificate it can provide.

Document	Conditions and notes (Tokyo)
Hong Kong driving licence (original)	Must be valid. Bring expired old licences too if you have them. It must remain valid until the skills test (roughly 3 to 4 months after booking)
Japanese translation	Only from designated providers such as JAF. Self-made translations are not accepted
Residence record (住民票の写し)	With the specified items such as nationality and status of residence, without My Number, issued within 6 months, no copies
Passports	Your current passport and all old ones
Photo	3 cm tall × 2.4 cm wide, taken within 6 months, no hat, facing forward, plain background
Statement of Travel Records (Hong Kong only)	Needed if your passport has no Hong Kong entry/exit stamps. Issued by the Hong Kong Immigration Department

How to get a Statement of Travel Records

This document comes from the Hong Kong Immigration Department (入境事務處), not the Transport Department. You can apply yourself, and a person authorised by you in writing can also apply. The Immigration Department's details (checked October 2026) are below.

The Immigration Department's page does not say whether the statement can be mailed outside Hong Kong. If you live in Japan and cannot collect it yourself, prepare early, including the option of authorising a family member in Hong Kong in writing to apply and receive it for you. If it is not ready by your appointment, your application will not be accepted that day.

Item	Details (Hong Kong Immigration Department)
Fee	HK$160
Processing time	Normally about 10 working days after all documents and the fee are received (excluding weekends, general holidays and mailing time)
How to apply	Online (GovHK), by post, or in person at Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O (將軍澳)
Forms for post or in person	Application form ID 697, Acknowledgement Card ID 697A, Mailing Label ID 839
Delivery	Sent by registered mail

Proving the 3-month rule with passports and travel records

To convert, you must show that after getting your Hong Kong licence you stayed in Hong Kong for a total of 3 months or more. Tokyo police say that if you used automated gates and have no stamps, you should obtain an entry/exit record certificate. For Hong Kong, that is the Statement of Travel Records. When applying, request a period covering the date you got your licence up to the present, so it can serve the other checks too.

Besides the 3 months, Tokyo uses your length of stay to decide whether you must display the beginner driver mark (total 1 year), and whether you may carry a passenger on a motorcycle on ordinary roads (total 1 year) and expressways (total 3 years). Bring all old passports and expired Hong Kong licences.

Translation: JAF is the main option

Translations made by you or a friend are not accepted. Of the providers listed in Tokyo's common document list, JAF is the practical choice for Hong Kong licences. The Japan Visitor Driver Support Association (訪日運転者支援協会) only covers France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Monaco, China and Taiwan, not Hong Kong.

JAF translations are online-only. The conversion version costs 6,600 yen (revised on 1 July 2026) and takes 5 to 10 business days on average. When it is ready you print it at a convenience store net-print machine (20 yen per sheet). If you renew your licence you need a new translation, so if your Hong Kong licence expires soon, renew it first and then apply.

The knowledge test is available in Chinese and English

Tokyo offers the knowledge test in 20 languages, including Chinese and English, on weekdays at Fuchu and Samezu. Hong Kong drives on the left like Japan, but the questions follow Japan's Road Traffic Act, so detailed numbers and exceptions on stopping, slowing down and no-parking zones come up directly.

According to the National Police Agency, pass rates in October to December 2025 were 42.8% for the knowledge test and 13.1% for the skills test. If you pass the knowledge test but fail the skills test, reapplying within 6 months of the knowledge test date exempts you from the knowledge test. Practise the 50-question, 45-to-pass format with menkyopass's mock test in English or Chinese.

FAQ

Q. Is a Hong Kong licence exempt from the tests?

A. No. Hong Kong is not one of the 29 exempt countries and regions, so you take both the knowledge and skills tests (Tokyo and Saitama police, checked October 2026).

Q. Do I always need the Statement of Travel Records?

A. In Tokyo, you need it if your passport has no Hong Kong entry/exit stamps. Other prefectures may differ, so check your prefectural police's list.

Q. Do I need anything from the Hong Kong Transport Department?

A. Tokyo's country list does not mention Transport Department documents. But if your licence has no acquisition date or you hold two or more classes, you need proof of the dates, so ask the Transport Department.

Q. Can I apply at the Koto test centre in Tokyo?

A. No. Koto only accepts licences from exempt countries and regions. Apply at Fuchu or Samezu.