Japan Plans Tougher Foreign License Conversion Tests and Restrictions on Tourists

A tougher route to a Japanese driving license

Japan's National Police Agency (NPA) has announced plans to tighten the process for converting foreign driver's licenses into Japanese licenses, including a longer written test, a higher passing score and stricter checks on practical driving skills. Short stays would no longer qualify visitors, including tourists, for license conversion.

The changes come after 68,623 foreigners converted overseas licenses in 2023, more than double the number a decade earlier. The NPA also recorded 7,286 traffic accidents in which foreign drivers were assigned the largest share of blame last year, representing about 2.7 percent of all traffic accidents in Japan.

For applicants who must take the written test, the proposed change is substantial: the exam would grow from 10 questions to 50, while the passing score would rise from 70 percent to 90 percent. The practical assessment would also give greater attention to pedestrian crossings and railroad crossings.

The NPA announced an October 1 start following a period of public consultation. The stated calendar date of October 1, 2024, however, conflicts with the description of the changes as forthcoming as of July 13, 2025. The implementation year therefore needs clarification.

Foreign residents who depend on driving for their jobs or everyday journeys would face more demanding preparation where testing is required. Tourists would face a different change: losing access to the conversion process altogether. Applicants would also need documentation showing their connection to Japan, with a certificate of residence required regardless of nationality and a family register certificate accepted as an alternative for Japanese nationals.

Why police want stricter standards

Japan has attracted more foreign workers and tourists through government efforts over the past decade. The growing number of foreign drivers has made the standards used to issue Japanese licenses a more pressing road safety issue.

Vietnamese nationals formed the largest group of foreigners converting licenses in 2023, followed by Chinese nationals and South Koreans. The total of 68,623 conversions was more than twice the figure recorded 10 years earlier.

The NPA's accident figure concerns cases in which a foreign driver was apportioned the highest percentage of blame. In simple terms, it counts accidents where the foreign driver was judged to bear more responsibility than the other people involved. That number reached a record high of 7,286 last year, or about 2.7 percent of Japan's traffic accidents.

Lawmakers and traffic safety advocates have called for stricter standards, with some describing the existing evaluation as too easy. Their concern is that receiving a Japanese license should require a sufficient understanding of the country's rules and the ability to drive safely in its road conditions.

The NPA has said the changes are intended to protect all road users and maintain Japan's reputation for road safety. The planned tests focus on both knowledge of the rules and the decisions drivers make behind the wheel.

What changes in the written and driving tests

The current written test for applicants who are required to take it contains 10 questions and has a passing threshold of 70 percent. Under the new rules, applicants would answer 50 questions and need a score of at least 90 percent.

Both changes matter. Applicants would face five times as many questions, and the passing threshold would increase by 20 percentage points. A longer exam can cover more subjects, while the higher threshold requires a larger share of correct answers.

The expanded content would include questions about driving under the influence of alcohol and the proper procedures to follow after an accident. Those topics concern responsibilities that extend beyond steering and parking: drivers also need to know when driving is unsafe and what to do when something goes wrong.

The practical driving exam would place greater attention on safely navigating pedestrian crossings and railroad crossings. These are areas of particular concern in Japan's densely developed urban and suburban surroundings, where drivers may encounter people crossing the road and railway tracks along ordinary routes.

Applicants would therefore need to prepare for a broader knowledge check and demonstrate safe handling of specific situations. For people unfamiliar with Japanese road rules, preparation would need to include the actions expected at crossings as well as the rules tested in the written exam.

Residence documents and the end of tourist conversion

All applicants would be required to submit a copy of their certificate of residence in Japan, regardless of nationality. Japanese nationals converting a foreign license could instead provide their family register certificate.

The documentation requirement is intended to ensure that people obtaining a Japanese license through conversion have a legitimate, ongoing connection to the country. It makes residence status a central part of eligibility, alongside the license and any required examinations.

Short stay visitors, including tourists, would no longer be eligible for conversion. Previously, some tourists could convert their overseas licenses and drive legally in Japan during their visits. The new restriction would remove that option.

The policy reflects concerns about road safety and whether visiting drivers are familiar with Japan's traffic laws and driving conditions. For tourists who had expected to obtain a Japanese license during a brief visit, the restriction changes their transport planning. For foreign residents, the main issues are the residence documentation and any tests required for their particular license.

Who can convert a license without tests

Japan's conversion system treats foreign licenses differently depending on where they were issued. Drivers with licenses from South Korea and more than 20 other nations can currently convert them without a written or practical driving test, provided their home country's licensing standards are considered equivalent to Japan's.

This arrangement is commonly described as a reciprocal agreement system. In straightforward terms, it allows licensing standards from certain countries to be accepted without making applicants repeat the same examinations. Similar systems operate internationally, although eligible countries vary between jurisdictions.

Drivers whose licenses fall outside those agreements have faced a basic written test and a practical driving examination. The proposed increase from 10 to 50 questions would make that written assessment much more extensive.

Japan's approach has been described as relatively lenient compared with other developed countries. Critics argue that the existing written test has allowed some applicants to obtain Japanese licenses without enough knowledge of local traffic rules and road culture. The planned changes respond to that criticism through more demanding testing and tighter eligibility requirements.

Why Japanese roads can challenge newcomers

Language barriers can make Japanese road signs, traffic signals and local driving etiquette harder for newcomers to understand. A driver may have experience in another country while still needing time to learn what is expected on Japanese roads.

Japan also uses the left side of the road, unlike the right side used in many countries. Drivers accustomed to the opposite arrangement must adjust their habits when approaching junctions, making turns and judging the position of other traffic.

Urban roads can add further difficulty through complex networks, narrow streets and frequent pedestrian crossings. Railroad crossings require drivers to stop and check for trains even when the barriers are raised. That requirement can be unfamiliar to people who learned to drive under different rules.

These conditions help explain the attention being given to crossings in the practical exam. The aim is to check how applicants respond to situations they may encounter repeatedly, rather than relying only on their previous driving experience abroad.

An unnamed lawmaker who called for stricter standards argued that the same safety expectations should apply to everyone using Japanese roads. The lawmaker said:

The current evaluation system is too easy. We need to ensure that everyone on our roads, regardless of nationality, understands the rules and can drive safely.

The NPA's stated purpose follows the same principle: protecting road users by making sure drivers understand the rules and can put them into practice.

What residents and businesses need to prepare for

Foreign residents who rely on driving for work or daily life could need more time and resources to prepare for conversion. A longer written examination and closer assessment of practical skills would add to the demands of settling into life in Japan.

Businesses employing foreign workers could also face difficulties, particularly in logistics, construction and tourism. Where employees need to drive, a more demanding route to a Japanese license could affect recruitment and retention. Supporters of the changes argue that safer roads would outweigh those inconveniences.

Tourism businesses may experience a different effect. With tourists excluded from conversion, demand could increase for public transportation and rental services that cater to international visitors. Visitors who had planned around conversion would need to reconsider how they travel during their stay.

Foreign residents and prospective visitors should familiarize themselves with the requirements relevant to their circumstances. Applicants who must take the examinations would benefit from studying Japanese traffic laws, preparing for the expanded written test and gaining familiarity with local driving conditions.

Drivers from countries outside the reciprocal arrangements would have particular reason to budget time and resources for test preparation. Language support services and driving schools serving foreigners could see increased demand as applicants prepare for the tougher assessments.

The sequence of the announced changes is:

• In 2023, 68,623 foreigners converted overseas licenses into Japanese licenses.
• Last year, the NPA recorded 7,286 accidents in which foreign drivers bore the largest share of blame.
• As of July 13, 2025, the changes were described as forthcoming, with public consultation preceding an announced October 1 start.
• The October 1, 2024 calendar date stated for implementation conflicts with that timetable.

Key Points

• The planned written test would expand from 10 questions to 50, with the passing score rising from 70 percent to 90 percent.
• The practical exam would give greater attention to pedestrian and railroad crossings.
• Applicants would need a certificate of residence; Japanese nationals could instead submit a family register certificate.
• Tourists and other visitors on short stays would lose access to license conversion.
• South Korea and more than 20 other nations currently have arrangements allowing conversion without written or driving tests.
• The NPA says the changes are intended to protect road users and maintain road safety.
• The announced October 1 start and the stated October 1, 2024 date leave the implementation year unclear.