Ishikawa License Conversion: Phone Booking, Check-in 13:00–13:20

Booking and check-in: only 13:00–13:20 on your day

Ishikawa runs conversions by appointment. Book on weekdays (Monday to Friday) between 9:00 and 17:00 with the center's exam section (試験係) on 076-238-5901.

Check-in is open for just 20 minutes, from 13:00 to 13:20 on your appointment day, so arrive with time to spare. The English page says 13:00–13:30, but the Japanese page says until 13:20.

Documents for Ishikawa

You need a valid foreign license and a total stay of at least three months in the issuing country after obtaining it. The Ishikawa police list these documents:

• Your foreign driver's license
• A translation made only by the providers the police list, such as the issuing authority, a consulate or JAF (JAF Ishikawa branch: 076-249-1252)
• Residence certificate (住民票) issued within 6 months, without your My Number (個人番号) or resident record code (住民票コード); foreign nationals need nationality, status and period of stay
• Residence card (在留カード) etc.
• Passport or other proof of travel (bring all of them if you have several)
• Your expired Japanese license, if you held one before
• One photo (taken within 6 months, no hat, front-facing, upper body, plain background, 3cm × 2.4cm, name and date taken written on the back)
• Application and issuance fees (they vary by license class)
• If the license's issue or first-issue date is unclear, you may be asked for a license history certificate from the issuing authority
• If your country issues national ID cards, show yours too. Some countries need other documents, so ask in advance

What is tested, and the process

You can apply for first-class licenses (第一種運転免許). The process is: document check → questions about your driving history → aptitude test → knowledge test (知識の確認) → skills test (技能の確認) → issuance.

The knowledge test is true/false. For foreign-language versions, the Ishikawa page has no list of languages and just says "please contact us", so ask when you call to book. Nationwide since October 2025, it is 50 questions in 30 minutes, passed with 45 or more correct. The skills test is passed with at least 70 of 100 points under the nationwide standard.

People who previously held a Japanese license and are applying again, and holders of licenses from countries or regions recognized as equivalent to Japan's system, take neither the knowledge nor the skills test.

Under the nationwide rule, if you pass the knowledge test but fail the skills test, reapplying within six months of the knowledge test date waives the knowledge test (in any prefecture).

Fees: no amounts on the conversion page

The Ishikawa conversion page only says "application and issuance fees (vary by license class)" and gives no application fee amount. Ask when you book. For reference, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police charge 2,500 yen to apply for an ordinary license (checked October 2026).

The issuance fees listed on Ishikawa's driver's license exam page are below (confirm at the counter that they also apply to conversions).

Getting to the Ishikawa Driver's License Center

Public transport runs on weekdays only. The direct bus from Kanazawa Station was discontinued on 1 April 2020, so take the Hokuriku Railroad Asanogawa Line from Hokutetsu-Kanazawa to Uchinada Station, then change to a Hokutetsu bus bound for the license center (運転免許センター). For times and fares, the police refer you to the Hokuriku Railroad telephone service center.

At the center: no cafeteria, no ATM

Check-in is in the afternoon, so plan around it. According to Ishikawa police, the center has no cafeteria (closed at the end of March 2019) and no bank ATM; the nearest ATM is in a convenience store about 900m away. Bring cash for the fees.

A paid ID photo booth that takes license photos is next to the 1st-floor restroom entrance. Smoking is banned inside the building, on the test course and in the parking areas.

Confirm your language, then prepare

Ishikawa only receives applicants for 20 minutes on the appointment day, and failing the knowledge test means starting again from booking. Once you have confirmed your test language on the phone, get used to the real format. menkyopass's practice exam uses the same 50-question, 30-minute format in Vietnamese, English, Chinese and Japanese.

FAQ

Related guides

• Japan License Conversion Process: 6 Steps from Booking to License
• Japan License Conversion Documents: Juminhyo, Translation, Passport
• Japanese Translation of Your License for Conversion: JAF, Fees
• How Much Does License Conversion Cost in Japan? Fees Explained
• Failed Japan License Conversion? Reapplying and the 6-Month Rule

Sources (in Japanese)

• 石川県警察「外国運転免許証の切替え」
• 石川県警察「外国の運転免許切替えのご案内（How to Exchange Your Foreign Driver's Licence）」
• 石川県警察「運転免許試験の受験手続き等ご案内」（交付手数料）
• 石川県警察「運転免許センターのご案内」
• 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」
• 警視庁「外国免許の切替」（手数料の参考例）