Tochigi License Conversion: Phone Booking, Documents & Fees

Booking: by phone, weekdays 3–5 p.m.

Applications go to the Tochigi Driver's License Center (鹿沼市下石川681). Document screening requires an appointment, accepted on weekdays only from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Call 0289-76-0110 and ask for the Examination Section (学科試験係); on the automated menu press 5, then 2. Booking closes once capacity is reached. If you can't make your appointment, you must call to cancel.

Appointments are booked far ahead, and the official page announces when additional slots open. The page updated on September 30, 2026 said that from 3:00 p.m. on October 1, additional bookings would reopen for dates from December 1 onward. Call early to ask what's available.

If you hold a license from one of the following countries or regions, or an expired Japanese license, you must say so when booking:

• Iceland, Ireland, United States (Ohio, Oregon, Colorado, Hawaii, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, Indiana)
• United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Austria, Netherlands, Canada, South Korea, Greece
• Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Slovenia, Taiwan, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany
• New Zealand, Norway, Hungary, Finland, France, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Monaco, Luxembourg

Requirements and the residence certificate (住民票)

Tochigi police list three conditions: you hold a valid foreign license; after getting it you stayed in the issuing country for a total of at least 3 months, provable from the entry/exit stamps in your passport and the license issue date; and your address is in Tochigi Prefecture.

Since October 1, 2025 (amendment to the 道路交通法施行規則), foreign nationals need a copy of the residence certificate (住民票の写し) showing specified items, plus the residence card (在留カード). Mid- to long-term residents need one showing nationality, the date you became a foreign resident, mid-to-long-term resident status, status of residence, period of stay, expiry date and residence card number. The police warn that moving your registered address just to apply, without actually living there, does not meet the requirements and may be a criminal offense.

Documents to bring

The official page lists the following. Extra documents may be required depending on your country and how you obtained the license (see next section).

• Your foreign driver's license (including all older licenses replaced by renewal)
• Japanese translation of the license (翻訳文) by your embassy/consulate, JAF, etc.
• Passport (including all old passports)
• International Driving Permit (if you have one)
• Your Japanese license, valid or expired (if you have one)
• Mid- to long-term residents without a Japanese license: residence certificate (住民票) showing nationality
• Application form (運転免許申請書) and a 3 cm × 2.4 cm photo taken within the last 6 months

Missing passport stamps and country-specific documents

If you used automated gates and have no stamps, the stamps are unclear, the dates aren't in numerals (e.g., Arabic), a stamp was missed, or you left the country less than 3 months after renewing your license, you need documents in your own name proving a stay of 3 months or more — for example an official entry/exit record, a certificate of enrollment or employment (showing admission/graduation dates), or utility bills.

According to Tochigi police's country list (必要証明書類(国別)一覧), all certificates must be originals (no copies). Depending on the pre-screening, other documents may be requested, or the application may not be accepted at all. Examples:

Fees

The official page lists an application fee and an issuance fee. For an ordinary car license (普通免許) you pay 2,500 yen when applying and 2,350 yen when the license is issued. Translation and certificate costs are separate.

Getting to the License Center

Address: 〒322-0017 鹿沼市下石川681. All bus routes stop at the 「運転免許センター」 stop inside the center's grounds. Ask each bus company for timetables.

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

Tochigi offers the knowledge test (知識確認) for conversion in 20 foreign languages: English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Nepali, Tagalog, Indonesian, Burmese, Sinhala, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Thai, Khmer, Mongolian, Ukrainian, Urdu, Arabic, Hindi, Persian and Russian. Ask at the counter to take it in your language. If you don't speak Japanese, you must bring an interpreter for the procedure.

Since October 1, 2025 the test is 50 true/false questions in 30 minutes, and you need 45 or more correct. With appointments booked months out in Tochigi, failing means a long wait. menkyopass's mock test uses the same 50-question, 30-minute format in English, Vietnamese and Chinese.

FAQ

Related guides

• Japan License Conversion Process: 6 Steps from Booking to License
• Japan License Conversion Documents: Juminhyo, Translation, Passport
• How to Book a License Conversion Appointment in Japan
• Japanese Translation of Your License for Conversion: JAF, Fees
• Japan License Conversion Test Languages: Which Are Available?

Sources (in Japanese)

• 栃木県警察「外国免許切替え案内 Procedure For Obtaining a Japanese Driver's License」（2026年9月30日更新）
• 栃木県警察「必要証明書類(国別)一覧」PDF
• 栃木県警察「List of Required Documents」PDF（英語版）
• 栃木県警察「運転免許試験、外国免許切替の手続きを受ける外国籍の方へ」
• 栃木県警察「外国語で学科試験を受験される方」
• 栃木県警察「運転免許センターへのアクセス方法」
• 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」