Converting a Foreign License in Shiga: Moriyama Center & Booking

Apply only at the Moriyama center, Annex Building 1

According to the Shiga Prefectural Police (滋賀県警察), conversion is done at the Driver's License Center in Moriyama City. The Maibara center (米原市) and local police stations (警察署) do not handle it.

The center splits procedures by building. Conversion is in Annex Building 1 (第一別館), together with written tests, skills tests and expired-license procedures — not the Main Building (本館) used for renewals.

The police say applications have risen sharply, so it can take a long time to get an examination date. Book early, and keep an eye on your period of stay (在留期間) and the expiry date of your foreign license.

Booking: get the translation first, then call (weekdays only)

You book with the Moriyama center by phone or similar. Your procedure date and time are set when you book, and you cannot do the procedure on the same day you book.

The key rule: have the Japanese translation (翻訳文) of your license ready before you call. Without it, the center will not take your booking. Translations are accepted only from an embassy or consulate in Japan, JAF, or the other organizations listed by the Shiga police.

Eligibility and the documents Shiga asks for

Your foreign license must be valid (you must pass while it is still valid), and after getting it you must have stayed in the issuing country for at least 3 months. This is mainly checked with the entry and exit stamps in your passport. If you have no stamps (automated gates, travel inside the EU, etc.), bring a separate record such as an immigration certificate from that country.

• Your foreign driver's license (if it shows no issue date, a document proving the issue date)
• Japanese translation from an embassy/consulate, JAF, or another organization named by the Shiga police
• Passport, plus all old passports
• Certificate of residence (住民票の写し) showing nationality, status of residence, period of stay and all other foreign-resident items; originals only, without your My Number. It will not be accepted if your period of stay has expired on the application date
• Residence card (在留カード) or special permanent resident certificate
• International driving permit, any Japanese license you have held, and a national ID from your country (if you have them)
• A record of your driving history issued by the foreign licensing authority
• Glasses or hearing aids if needed; clothes and shoes suitable for driving (for motorcycles: helmet, gloves, long sleeves, long trousers)

The process: exempt countries vs. everyone else

If your license is from a country or region exempt from the knowledge and skills checks, you go straight from document screening to the aptitude test (eyesight etc.) and photo. Everyone else takes the knowledge test (知識確認) on a later day and the aptitude and skills test (技能確認) on yet another day, so expect at least three visits.

The exemption list on the Shiga page includes South Korea, Taiwan, the UK, Germany, France, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, among others, plus some US states (Ohio, Oregon, Colorado, Virginia, Hawaii, Maryland, Washington). Indiana is exempt from the skills test only.

Knowledge test in 20 languages; bring an interpreter if you don't speak Japanese

Shiga offers the knowledge test in 20 languages besides Japanese: Arabic, Indonesian, Ukrainian, Urdu, Khmer, Sinhala, Spanish, Thai, Tagalog, Nepali, Hindi, Vietnamese, Persian, Portuguese, Burmese, Mongolian, Russian, English, Korean and Chinese.

Since October 1, 2025, the nationwide format is 50 true/false questions in 30 minutes, and you need 45 correct (90%). 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.

If you do not speak Japanese, you must bring someone who can interpret. Document screening can take hours or days, and you may be asked for extra documents. If you pass in the afternoon, you cannot do the My Number Card license (マイナ免許証) procedure that day.

Fees depend on the license class and how you hold your license, so the Shiga police tell you to confirm them when booking. The official page does not list amounts.

Location and access to the Moriyama center

The nearest stations are JR Moriyama and JR Katata; buses from both stop right at the center (stop name: 運転免許センター). Inquiries: Driver's License Division, Shiga Prefectural Police (運転免許課), 077-585-1255.

Long waits in Shiga make passing first time worth it

Shiga can have long waits before your examination date, and failing the knowledge test pushes your next slot even further out. menkyopass mock tests let you practice the real 50-question, 30-minute format in English, Vietnamese or Chinese.

FAQ

Related guides

• Japanese Translation of Your License for Conversion: JAF, Fees
• Japan License Conversion Documents: Juminhyo, Translation, Passport
• How Much Does License Conversion Cost in Japan? Fees Explained
• Japan License Conversion Process: 6 Steps from Booking to License
• Converting a Foreign License in Osaka: Kadoma & Komyoike Booking

Sources (in Japanese)

• 滋賀県警察「外国の運転免許証から日本の運転免許への切替手続」（ページ更新日2026年4月28日）
• 滋賀県警察「外国の運転免許証から日本の運転免許への切替手続」（別URL・同内容）
• 滋賀県警察「運転免許センターのご案内」（庁舎・所在地・アクセス）
• 滋賀県警察「運転免許センターのご案内」（別URL・同内容）
• 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「外国免許切替えの改正（令和7年10月1日）」（知識確認50問・9割）
• JAF「日本で運転する際の手続き（翻訳文）」