News Japan to tighten rules for foreign driver’s licence conversion

The NPA announced on Thursday that it plans to revise the regulations for converting foreign drivers' licences to Japanese ones, in response to a recent string of traffic accidents involving overseas drivers.

On Sunday, two Chinese men were arrested over an alleged hit-and-run that injured four elementary school boys near Tokyo last week. The driver was suspected to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time. A Peruvian man was also arrested Monday after he allegedly drove his car the wrong way on an expressway in central Japan, collided with multiple vehicles and injured four women. Both drivers had Japanese licenses converted from foreign licenses, according to investigative sources, and held certificates of residence, according to the National Police Agency.

Click to expand...

The NPA intends to make residence certificates a standard requirement for foreign nationals applying to convert their driver's licences to Japanese ones. Authorities are also considering increasing the number of questions on the written knowledge test. Short-term visitors can apply for a Japanese license by listing hotels or accommodations similar to their address.

Applicants are required to pass both a knowledge and a practical driving test. The written test currently has a pass mark of seven out of ten questions correct, with around 90% of candidates succeeding—a figure some lawmakers have criticised as too lenient. Japanese nationals returning from overseas will be exempt from the residence certificate requirement, but will still need to present other documents verifying their overseas residence.

Good l am in agreement with the change

Japan plans to make it more difficult for foreign nationals to convert their driver's licences, citing a rise in the number of overseas drivers and traffic accidents involving them. The NPA has announced that the written exam will be expanded from 10 to 50 questions, with the required passing score raised from 70% to 90%. The new system is set to take effect on 1st October, pending a round of public consultation. Under the revised rules, short-term visitors—such as tourists—will no longer be allowed to convert their foreign licences into Japanese ones.

The content of the written exam is expected to be broadened to include questions on drunk driving and what to do in the event of an accident. At the same time, the practical test will be updated to assess how well drivers handle specific, real-world situations like pedestrian crossings and railway junctions during the driving course. At present, around 90% of applicants pass the written test, a figure that some lawmakers have criticised as being unreasonably high. In contrast, the driving portion of the test sees a much lower success rate of around 30%, highlighting a growing debate about whether the current system adequately ensures road safety.

To apply for license conversion, individuals will be required to submit a copy of their certificate of residence in Japan, regardless of their nationality. Japanese nationals who wish to convert driver's licenses obtained abroad may submit their certificates of family register instead. With the success of the government's policies to attract more foreign workers and tourists, the number of foreigners who converted their driver's license rose to 68,623 last year, more than double the figure from 10 years ago. Vietnamese were the largest group at 16,681, followed by Chinese and South Koreans, according to the agency. Under the current system, Japan allows drivers from South Korea and more than 20 other nations to convert their licenses without any written or driving test.

Click to expand...