How to get a driver’s license in Japan

A few years back I read an article about an expatriate that choose to get his license without going to a driving school because of the prices, he ended up losing a lot of time and paying more than the fee for the driving school because of the many times he failed.

If you already had or have a driver’s license in your home country, I highly recommend going back home and renewing your license and then coming back and applying for a Japanese driver’s license. It’s so much easier that way.  

No driving school and if it hasn’t changed, the test is just 10 super easy questions and a driving test. That’s it. You’ve already done most of the hard work in your home country. This might have changed though as I got mine 20 years ago.  

BTW, I thought the driving part of the test was easy. I sweated way more than I needed to.

As Hooktrunk2 said, converting the license is much more easier and cheaper, I did that for my motorcycle license. However, the driving test is quite difficult. But at least more than 10 years ago, some if you had a license from countries (USA, Australia if I remember correctly), you did not require even the driving test.

I went to school for the car license, that was expensive and time demanding. Has some friends who tried the test without going to school, they got it after more than 20 tries! Going to a gassyuku (if you have the time) is much more cheaper.

After my US license had long expired, I took the written test(passed first time easily, though the English grammar left some to be desired), and passed the driving test the second time. All the tips for passing the driving test are in the driver's handbook. Look at the illustrations carefully.

Took me 10 minutes in the licensing center, no tests or anything LOL

@Herve' L'Eisa

I'm curious how long your written test was? Because your license had expired, did you have to start all over and go to driving school, permit, etc.? Or did you show your old expired license to them... I'm asking for a friend whose Mexican license has expired. I think he is assuming he will have to start over and take the test as if he were Japanese, in Japanese.

@TheLizardKing

Took me 10 minutes in the licensing center, no tests or anything LOL

What country are you from? I'm from the US. At the time I got my license here it is too much trouble for the Japanese government to check the driving laws of all 50 US states, so anyone from the US had to take a nominal test. I'm curious if that is still true.

Went to driving school here, so the road exam is done by the training center. Only the paper exam you have to go to the Center. If you fail the paper exam in the morning, you can have a 2nd shot, on the same day, in the afternoon. Just be careful if you take the paper exam in English, sorry Engreesh. Yes, the grammar and wording is that confusing, and sometimes doesn't make any sense.

I had a license from overseas but needed to do the paper and driving test here. Paper was easy. For the driving, I highly recommend a session with a place like EDS to practice the all-important safety checks, which include looking over shoulder before any turn or lane shift. Essentially have to keep head on a swivel (which doesn't feel natural).

I was fortunate that I just had to fill in a form, submit it at the driving license center and then I got my license in the mail.

No driving school and if it hasn’t changed, the test is just 10 super easy questions and a driving test. That’s it. You’ve already done most of the hard work in your home country. 

I did that (MT car and AT motorcycle)

The 10 questions are actually done on spot in front of the clerk you're talking to, all common sense, no issues.

The driving test is 1/3 ～ 1/4 of the actual test for beginners, but that doesnt save you from failing 2 or 3 times. The inspector riding with you is not satisfied with you driving safely and following all the rules, you're required to actually do all the body language and gestures the japanese applicants do, like when doing the full stop, check both sides while moving your head 180º, then checking all the mirrors again so you can depart. You have to watch quite a few videos on Youtube to finally be able to understand what they want.

Just remember the word "chigau" (different) is the same for "wrong".

I had a license from overseas but needed to do the paper and driving test here. Paper was easy. For the driving, I highly recommend a session with a place like EDS to practice the all-important safety checks, which include looking over shoulder before any turn or lane shift. Essentially have to keep head on a swivel (which doesn't feel natural).

I did exactly that, and it was very beneficial, they teach you the ins and outs of how to ace the driving test I do highly recommend it, but it’s been years and I don’t know if the loss of changed, because I do know that the requirements for Americans, Brazilians and Chinese were different from most other countries, so we couldn’t get a direct translation, I had to go to a driving school center, I passed the written test the first time, that was the easiest thing, but Fukuoka is notoriously famous for failing students a few times before passing. I think on average between 4 to 8 times that an average student will fail, and that’s just average, so I failed a few couple of times myself, nothing major, but I know they’re trying to squeeze as much money out of yes they can, but overall experience was fun.

@hooktrunk2

What country are you from?

I'm from the UK. It's just because we drive on the left side of the road too. They just ask if we ever had any kind of traffic infraction or road accident and that's it.

Hervé L'EisaToday 09:34 am JST

After my US license had long expired, I took the written test(passed first time easily, though the English grammar left some to be desired), and passed the driving test the second time.

If your license was expired that would have only gotten you a learners permit.

Laugh...have an Aussie licence.

Bit of paperwork....and no need for looking under the car before you start. {applicants from US will know what I mean }

It is common knowledge in the Japanese Car Enthusiast community that getting a License for the first time without going to an "official" driving school is virtually imposible.

There are 2 types of schools, "official" schools and "unofficial". The only real difference between them is that in an "official" school, you don't need to do the official driving exam. You get an exception for all the hours of driving that you have done, and you only need to do the official written exam.

In the school they have a "final" driving test, which is the kind of like the exam, but it happens inside the school, and it isn't a police officer the person who does it like in the official exam, but the same driving instructor you have been with.

With unofficial schools, you still get to drive, and to learn how to drive and all of that, but in the end you need to go by yourself to apply for the exam at the license center, and you do the "official" driving exam, which is made to fail.

The official driving exam is EXTREMELY difficult. It's like, when you do the parking test, you think that your parking was flawless, but god forbid, your tire is a few centimeters from the grass, and that's a big no-no, test failed.

On the other hand, the "official" driving schools is way simpler, to the point that going to a driving school in Japan is thought of "buying" a license, more than actually learning to drive.

Virtually everyone who gets into an official school WILL get a driving license, even if they have proved to be a menace at the wheel while at school.

And that's the main thing, these official driving schools are in cahoots with the police, it is well known that these schools have price controls in-between them, meaning they all cost the same, and a school that tries to be cheaper will never get approved by the police as an "official" school, which is why "unofficial" schools, even if their facilities are virtually the same, they are ALWAYS way cheaper than an "official" school.

The unofficial schools are there mostly for the profesional drivers that already have a license, they know the system, and they are willing of wasting their time in many tries for a new license type instead of paying for the "official" school.

The official schools, by the way, are about 400,000 yen last time I checked, for a regular license.

So yeah, if you have a license from a country for which Japan admits exceptions when applying for the Japanese license, USE IT. Also, you can drive in Japan for 1 year with a Geneva International Driving's License.

All foreigners that I know of who already held valid D/Ls from their home country simply took the 外免切替 (conversion of foreign D/L).

As mentioned, the written test is extremely simply, 10 common sense questions. Often given in both Japanese and English.

But the driving test can be a bitch. People who have driven for decades will fail this test multiple times as the standards are very stringent and the test instructor will only give instructions in Japanese. I know people who have failed 5-6 times before passing.

And if you come from a country where driving on the right is the norm, it makes it all the more harder.

A driving school is pretty much an absolute must.

No tests at all for this Canadian! My reverse parking technique in tight spots still needs polishing but otherwise no issues so far.

All foreigners that I know of who already held valid D/Ls from their home country simply took the 外免切替 (conversion of foreign D/L).

It all depends on where the foreign license was issued.

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https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/multilingual/english/traffic_safety/drivers_licenses/index.files/En_2403.pdf

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You are not required to take a knowledge test and a driving skills test if your license was issued by the authorities in the following countries and a region.

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

You are not required to take a driving skills test if your license was issued by the authorities in the following country.

The United States of America (State of Indiana only)