How much does it cost to convert a foreign driver's license in Japan?

Last checked: 2026-11-06

Converting a foreign license for an ordinary car costs 4,850 yen in Tokyo: a 2,500 yen application fee and a 2,350 yen issuance fee. A required translation adds to this. If your license needs the tests, a vehicle fee is added, and it differs by prefecture.

Fees compared across police pages

Fees are set locally, so we compared what each page shows. An empty cell means the page does not list that fee.

Source	Application, ordinary car	Issuance	Vehicle use
Tokyo, September 2026	2,500 yen	2,350 yen	Not listed
Yamaguchi, May 2026	2,500 yen	2,350 yen	Not listed
Aichi, July 2026	2,500 yen	2,350 yen	800 yen
Gifu, April 2026	3,300 yen with vehicle use	2,350 yen	Included in the 3,300 yen
Tottori, undated page	2,500 yen	2,350 yen	1,750 yen
Nagano, August 2025	2,500 yen	2,350 yen	Not listed

Other points from these pages:

Large, medium and semi-medium licenses cost 3,900 yen to apply. Tokyo lists 1,600 yen for a moped and 2,800 yen for other types.
Each extra license type adds 200 yen.
Yamaguchi lists 1,550 yen to issue a license on a My Number Card only, and 2,450 yen for both cards.
The Osaka, Kanagawa and Hokkaido pages we read give no amounts. Ask your own test center.

Worked totals for an ordinary car

This is our own arithmetic for one attempt. It uses the fees above and a 6,600 yen JAF translation. It leaves out your resident record, photo, travel and any driving school.

Case	Fees	Total
Tests waived	2,500 + 2,350 + 6,600	11,450 yen
Tests needed, Aichi or Gifu fee	3,300 + 2,350 + 6,600	12,250 yen
Tests needed, Tottori vehicle fee	2,500 + 2,350 + 6,600 + 1,750	13,200 yen

Failing and retesting may raise the total. We did not find a page that says which fees you pay again.

What changed on October 1, 2025

Item	Before	Since October 1, 2025
Knowledge test	10 questions, 7 to pass	50 questions, 45 to pass, with no illustration questions
Timing	Not stated in our sources	Afternoon only, once per session, in Tokyo
Skill test	Not stated in our sources	A pedestrian crossing task added, with stricter scoring
Address proof	Passport and temporary stay proof were possible for non-residents	Resident record issued within 6 months for most people. Osaka says short-stay visitors can no longer get a license.

Do you need the tests?

Tokyo says the knowledge and skill tests are waived for 29 countries and regions. Kanagawa names Germany, France, the UK, Canada, South Korea and Taiwan among them, subject to conditions. Tokyo lists the US states of Ohio, Oregon, Colorado, Virginia, Hawaii, Maryland and Washington. For Indiana, only the skill test is waived. Other licenses need both tests, and in Kanagawa you must pass both while your foreign license is valid.

What to prepare

Valid foreign license. Bring older ones if you have them.
Proof of 3 months in the issuing country. You need a total of 3 months there after the license was issued. Old passports may be needed. Kanagawa says stamps are not enough for some countries, such as EU countries, and that work documents may be needed.
Japanese translation. Kanagawa, Nagano and Aichi accept an embassy or consulate, JAF, ZIPLUS or ALADDIN, and Tokyo's page links the last three. JAF charges 6,600 yen with tax for a conversion translation since July 1, 2026, up from 6,000 yen. It says it does not refund this if your application is rejected. Check before you pay.
Resident record. It must be an original issued within 6 months, and it must show items such as nationality, status of residence, period of stay and residence card number. The usual version may leave these out, so ask for them at the city office.
Residence card, passport and a 3.0 by 2.4 cm photo.

You can only apply in the prefecture where you live, so register your address first. The Tokyo, Kanagawa, Osaka and Hokkaido pages all require a reservation or appointment. Hokkaido says it serves applicants only in Japanese, and Kanagawa asks you to bring an interpreter if you do not speak Japanese.

What we could not confirm

Vehicle fee. Aichi and Gifu show 800 yen for an ordinary car. Tottori's undated page shows 1,750 yen, the amount Aichi lists for other license types. Ask your test center.
Older fees. A search excerpt of older Yamaguchi and Wakayama material showed a 2,200 yen application fee. Newer pages show 2,500 yen, so we use that.
National rules. We did not find a National Police Agency page on this. We used prefectural police pages.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Your prefectural driver's license center decides your case.