Converting a Foreign License in Osaka: Kadoma & Komyoike Booking

How booking works in Osaka: call on the booking day

Osaka police set a "booking day" (予約受付日) every two weeks and only take booking calls during set hours on that day. Calls on other days or outside the hours get an automated message only — no one will pick up. The phone line is Japanese only, and a booking cannot be changed once made.

Example from the official page for October–November 2026 (licenses that need both tests). The call day is a Friday, and that call books dates over roughly the next two weeks.

Phone numbers and menu options

Before calling, the police ask you to have every document from the "必要書類等" and "国別必要書類（一例）" lists ready and your current license in hand. Since the line is Japanese only, consider asking a Japanese speaker to call with you.

• Kadoma: 06-6908-9121 → press 4 (foreign license conversion) → press 1 or 2 (conversion booking) → staff
• Komyoike: 0725-56-1881 → press 4 → press 3 (conversion booking) → staff
• Licenses from test-exempt countries (South Korea, Taiwan, UK, etc.): Komyoike books by phone (15:00–17:00 on booking days); Kadoma switched to counter booking on January 19, 2026 (weekdays 15:30–17:00, in person with your residence card etc. and foreign license)

Who can apply and Osaka's document rules

You need a valid foreign license, proof from your license and passport that you stayed in the issuing country for a total of 3 months or more after getting it, and an address in Osaka Prefecture. If Japanese conversation is difficult, bring an interpreter — one interpreter per applicant.

Osaka's document list asks for photocopies that many other prefectures don't:

• Your foreign license plus a copy of both sides
• Japanese translation (embassy/consulate in Japan, JAF, ALADDIN, etc.)
• Passport plus copies of every page except blank ones. Without entry/exit stamps you need proof of stay or an official entry/exit record
• Certificate of residence (住民票の写し) showing nationality, period and status of residence, etc.; issued within 6 months; no My Number; no copies
• One photo (3 cm × 2.4 cm, taken within 6 months) and a black or blue ballpoint pen
• If the license shows no issue date or you hold several classes, a document proving each issue date. For Indian licenses, Osaka's sample list asks for a Certificate of Driver's License issued by the state police

On the day and things to watch

Bring all documents on your booked date. Once you pass the document check, you get a booking for the knowledge test (知識確認) and come back at the assigned time. Since October 2025 it is 50 written true/false questions in 30 minutes, with 90% (45) needed to pass.

Osaka police warn that applications have risen sharply and it can take a long time to reach your driving-test date. You must pass the driving test while your foreign license is still valid, so be careful if it has less than 6 months left. Since October 2025 the test course includes a railway crossing and a slope. Depending on the time of reception, your license may be issued on a later day.

Where to practise for the driving test

Osaka police ask applicants to practise so they pass the driving test the first time, and point to two options: the open-course sessions (コース開放) at Kadoma, or a designated driving school in the prefecture. The page also notes that you can't pass the driving test without knowing Japanese traffic rules.

Center locations and access

Parking is limited at both, so use public transport. Phone lines are easier to reach after 3 p.m.

Practise the knowledge test while you wait

Even after you get through on the phone, the wait for the driving test is long, and failing the knowledge test sends you back to the start. menkyopass's mock exam uses the same 50-question, 30-minute format, in English.

FAQ

Related guides

• Japan License Conversion Process: 6 Steps from Booking to License
• Japan License Conversion Documents: Juminhyo, Translation, Passport
• Failed Japan License Conversion? Reapplying and the 6-Month Rule
• Foreign License Conversion in Aichi: Hirabari Booking & Test Days
• Converting a Foreign License in Tokyo: Fuchu, Samezu, Koto Guide

Sources (in Japanese)

• 大阪府警察「外国免許証から日本免許証への切り替え手続」
• 大阪府警察「外免切替手続の見直し・概要資料」
• 大阪府警察「運転免許試験場へのアクセス」
• 大阪府警察「国別必要書類（English）」PDF
• 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」