For foreign nationals
There are two main ways for foreign nationals to obtain a driver's license in Japan.
- Those who get a driver's license for the first time
- Those who have a driver's license in their home country
Those who get a driver's license for the first time
If you are getting a driver's license for the first time, you will be required to take a training at a driving school and then take this license examination (written test) at the driver's license center after graduation.
At our school, if you take the provisional exemption test for on-the-road training, it is only in Japanese at this time.
At the Driver's License Center, there are some that can be taken in other languages besides Japanese, so if you want to take the provisional license test in your native language, you need to take and pass the written test at the Driver's License Center before entering the school. (Please note that the languages that can be taken differ depending on the prefecture)
In that case, the provisional written test after enrollment will be exempted.
For those who use the Kakegawa Driving School foreigners course
* If you wish to take the test in a foreign language
- If you take the exam in your native language, we will lend you a textbook and a collection of questions!
- You can use the learning system that you can do with your smartphone!
- It is also possible to have an interpreter for lessons! (additional fee)
- You can ask the interpreter staff any questions you may have after entering the school through LINE!
Foreign language written exam handling
At the Driver's License Center in Shizuoka Prefecture, you can take the academic test in "Chinese, English, Portuguese, Vietnamese".
| Prefectures | Each license examination site Foreign language handling status |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 中文简体 | 한국어 | Việt Nam | Portugu ês | Tagalog | |
| Hokkaido | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | |||
| Aomori | 〇 | 〇 | ||||
| Iwate | 〇 | 〇 | ||||
| Miyagi | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | |||
| Akita | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | |||
| Yamagata | 〇 | 〇 | ||||
| Fukushima | 〇 | |||||
| Ibaraki | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | |||
| Tochigi | 〇 | 〇 | ||||
| Gunma | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | |||
| Saitama | 〇 | 〇 | ||||
| Chiba | 〇 | 〇 | ||||
| Tokyo | 〇 | |||||
| Kanagawa | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | ||
| Yamanashi | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | |||
| Shizuoka | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | ||
| Nagano | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | |||
| Niigata | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | ||
| Ishikawa | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | ||
| Toyama | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | |||
| Gifu | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | |||
| Aichi | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | |||
| Mie | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | |||
| Fukui | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | |||
| Shiga | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | |||
| Kyoto | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | |||
| Nara | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | ||
| Wakayama | 〇 | 〇 | ||||
| Osaka | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | ||
| Hyogo | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | ||
| Okayama | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | ||
| Hiroshima | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | |||
| Shimane | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | |||
| Tottori | 〇 | 〇 | ||||
| Yamaguchi | 〇 | 〇 | ||||
| Ehime | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | |||
| Kochi | 〇 | 〇 | ||||
| Kagawa | 〇 | 〇 | ||||
| Tokushima | 〇 | 〇 | ||||
| Nagasaki | 〇 | 〇 | ||||
| Fukuoka | 〇 | 〇 | ||||
| Saga | 〇 | 〇 | ||||
| Kumamoto | 〇 | 〇 | 〇 | |||
| Oita | 〇 | 〇 | ||||
| Miyazaki | 〇 | |||||
| Kagoshima | 〇 | 〇 | ||||
| Okinawa | 〇 | |||||
Those who have a driver's license from their home country
How to switch from a license obtained in your home country to a Japanese license.
Required conditions
- Your driver's license is valid
- You have stayed in a country where you have a driver's license for a total of 3 months or more.
- You have a resident card in the area you want to switch to and live in it
- Visa is valid
A test is required to switch your driver's license in Japan, but it may be exempted depending on the country where you obtained it.
The countries that are exempt from the exam when switching are as follows.
- Only a visual acuity test is required
- Iceland, Ireland, United States, (Maryland and Washington only), United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Austria, Netherlands, Canada, South Korea, Greece, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Hungary, Finland, France, Belgium, Portugal, Monaco, Luxembourg, Taiwan
- Written test, driving skill test and visual acuity test are required
- Countries not listed above
China, Brazil, Vietnam, United States (other than Maryland, Washington), Hong Kong, India, Saudi Arabia, etc.
For those who wish to practice the skills of the foreign driver's license switching test
At our school, we are practicing skills for the foreign driver's license switching test.
If you wish, please make a reservation at the reception desk or by phone (TEL.0537-22-7251) as reservations are required.
About charges
| Vehicle types that can be trained | ordinary cars |
|---|---|
| What to bring | Driver's license (overseas), driver's license translation, resident's card, fee, seal, ballpoint pen |
| Training fee | First time (1 time period) 7,000 yen (7,700 yen including tax) From the second time onwards (1st period) 5,000 yen (5,500 yen including tax) |