Foreign License Conversion
2021/04 Ehime Driver's License Center
DOWNLOAD THE FULL GUIDE (PDF) - Step by Step Overview with Checklist of Documents and Fees
International permits are only valid for the first 12 months after entry into Japan. There are no exceptions, even if you can renew your international permit.
Foreign residents can convert a valid foreign license (car and/or motorcycle) to a Japanese license any time. Proof that you lived in the country that issued your license for 3+ months after it was issued is required. (It does not need to be the same country as your citizenship, but you need documentation to prove you were living there.) In Japan, a normal car license also allows you to drive a 50cc scooter.
Recently I have helped a few friends with converting their foreign license to a Japanese license at the Ehime Driver's License Center in Matsuyama. Unfortunately, the process is different depending on your home country or state. Someone from Group A can get a Japanese license without trouble immediately after arrival in Japan, while someone from Group B may struggle through repeated tests after living here for years.
Group A: Countries that are EXEMPT from the driving test on the course (as of June 2021)
1. Iceland 2. Ireland 3. USA (Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, Hawaii, Maryland, and Washington State ONLY)
4. UK 5. Italy 6. Australia 7. Austria 8. Netherlands 9. Canada 10. South Korea 11. Greece
12. Switzerland 13. Sweden 14. Spain 15. Slovenia 16. Czech Republic 17. Denmark
18. Germany 19. New Zealand 20. Norway 21. Hungary 22. Finland 23. France 24. Belgium
25. Poland 26. Portugal 27. Monaco 28. Luxembourg 29. Taiwan
Group B: Countries that are REQUIRED to take the driving test on the course (as of June 2021)
1. USA (all other states) 2. All other countries in the world 3. Japanese citizens who are converting licenses from foreign countries in Group B
Reference:
Tokyo Police Department (Updated June 1, 2021)
You need to provide proof that you lived in the country that issued your license for 3+ months after it was issued. If you renewed your license during a quick trip home, it will not be accepted by the Ehime license center without proof of previous licenses or driving records.
If you can only prove 3 months, you will be required to put the “green leaf” probation sticker on your car. Please provide proof of 12+ months of residency to be exempt from probation.
Passport stamps can be used as proof, if your country stamps its own citizens (the US does not stamp consistently.) Otherwise, you will need to print out old rent payment statements, monthly salary statements, utility statements, mobile phone bills, school transcripts, your official driving record, or something else convincing. It does not have to be a consecutive 3 months – it’s technically OK if it’s a few weeks in one year, and a few months in another year as long as the total is 3+ months.
However, bank statements, credit card statements, and tax returns might NOT be accepted because, as you have probably experienced, these can still be maintained while living in Japan.
Ehime license center does not have a place to print out these documents. If you forget, you will be directed to a convenience store 1km away.
DOWNLOAD THE FULL GUIDE (PDF) - Step by Step Overview with Checklist of Documents and Fees
Laney & Iizuka Linguistics can assist in booking an initial appointment, and interpretation during the initial interview. Please see the full guide for an overview of the conversion process and all Ehime Driver's License Center fees.