Driver's License

From enrolling in driving school to graduation, the license center exam, and converting a foreign license.

How to choose

In a hurry and can take a solid block of time off → gasshuku / intensive course (14 days minimum)
Need to keep working or studying while you train → tsugaku / commuter course (a few months to a year)
Already know which driving school you want → call the school directly
Want to compare a few schools first → agencies or booking sites
⚠️Confirmation calls with agencies are entirely in Japanese and you have to take the call yourself. If you're not confident, lean toward the commuter option
⚠️Before applying, make sure your Zairyu Card (residence card) stays valid through your expected graduation date (see next section)

Eligibility and required documents

Residence status: mid-to-long-term residents only (short-term stay visas don't qualify)
Visa validity: must cover the entire course (especially critical for the intensive course — if it expires mid-course you risk being expelled)
Eyesight: 0.7 or better in both eyes (corrective lenses OK)
Documents you'll need:
□ Zairyu Card (residence card)
□ Juminhyo / residence certificate (issued within the last 3 months)
□ Passport
□ Your home-country driver's license (if you have one)
⚠️If you have a tattoo, you must declare it before enrolling (if it's discovered undeclared, you'll be expelled with no refund)
⚠️Written tests and instructor guidance are entirely in Japanese — aim for at least JLPT N4 reading/writing level

What to check about fees

Before signing, always ask: "Are extra lessons and retest fees included in the base price?"
→This varies a lot between schools — don't sign anything until you've gotten a clear answer
On the intensive course, if you fail the provisional license (karimenkyo) written test, you may end up paying extra for extended lodging

Withdrawing early / cancellation fees

You can withdraw partway through — but the closer it is to your start date, the higher the cancellation fee usually gets
⚠️There's no nationwide standard fee — each school sets its own. Always check the exact terms in your own contract before signing

Kōka sokutei / Shūryō kentei / Sotsugyō kentei (progress checks and final exams)

After written-subject lessons → kōka sokutei (progress check test); fail it and you retake lessons before retesting
After Stage 1 practical lessons → pass the shūryō kentei (stage-completion test) to get your provisional license (karimenkyo)
After Stage 2 practical lessons → pass the sotsugyō kentei (graduation test) to get your graduation certificate
⚠️The graduation certificate is valid for 1 year. If it expires, you lose your exemption from the written test at the license center

★Rules got much stricter starting October 2025 (read this first)

Written test pass rate: dropped from about 90% to about 40% (Oct-Dec 2025 data)
Number of questions: 10 → 50 / Passing score: 70% → 90% or higher
⚠️If someone tells you "it used to be easy," that's outdated info — it's basically a whole different system now

Countries and regions exempt from testing

If you hold a driver's license from one of the following countries/regions, the knowledge and skills checks are waived (paperwork review only):
Iceland, Ireland, the United States (certain states only), the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Austria, the Netherlands, Canada, South Korea, Greece, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Hungary, Finland, France, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Monaco, Luxembourg, Taiwan
⚠️South Korea and Taiwan are on the exempt list, but you'll still need the paperwork review and a translated document

JAF translation document

What the interview covers, and documents you might need to add

The counter staff may ask you verbally:
・Where and how you got your license
・Whether you'd lived in the issuing country for at least 3 months
If your passport alone can't prove that, you might be asked for:
・A driving record certificate (issued by the traffic authority/police in the country that issued your license)
・A license acquisition certificate (needed if the issue date isn't clear)
⚠️Not everyone gets asked for these. Only contact your home country's issuing authority if the counter specifically requests it

On the day of the written and practical tests

Written test: you need 45 or more correct out of 50 to pass (expect it to take about 3 hours)
Practical test: assesses your driving on the course track — crossing crosswalks and railway crossings gets especially close scrutiny
If you fail, you can book a retest as many times as you need

If you fail

You can book your next attempt on the spot — there's no limit on how many times you can retake it
If you keep failing, another option is taking a short practical course at a driving school designed for people converting a foreign license (gaimen kirikae)

Enrollment & Eligibility

Training (Stage 1 & 2)

License Center

Exam Day