{
  "rulesAsOf": "2026-10-27",
  "name": "Driving in Japan on a foreign license, and converting it (外免切替)",
  "legalBasis": "Road Traffic Act art. 107-2 (international/foreign licenses), art. 97-2(1)(iii) (conversion)",
  "shortTerm": {
    "routes": {
      "idp": "1949 Geneva Convention IDP from a party that issues the Geneva format (+ home license). Vienna-format IDPs are not valid.",
      "translation": "License from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan + Japanese translation by the issuing authority/embassy, JAF, 訪日運転者支援協会, ADAC (Germany) or 台湾日本関係協会 / ZIPLUS (Taiwan)."
    },
    "period": "Up to 1 year counted from the landing date, but not past the IDP's validity (1 year from issue) or the home license's expiry.",
    "threeMonthRule": "People on the Basic Resident Register who leave and return within less than 3 months don't restart the count; 3 months or more restarts it. Visitors restart on each landing.",
    "genevaIdpCountries": [
      "IS Iceland",
      "TT Trinidad and Tobago",
      "IE Ireland",
      "TR Türkiye",
      "US United States",
      "PL Poland",
      "AE United Arab Emirates",
      "SM San Marino",
      "NA Namibia",
      "PT Portugal",
      "SL Sierra Leone",
      "MG Madagascar",
      "AR Argentina",
      "MW Malawi",
      "GE Georgia",
      "NZ New Zealand",
      "ML Mali",
      "IL Israel",
      "NO Norway",
      "MT Malta",
      "IT Italy",
      "SG Singapore",
      "MY Malaysia",
      "IN India",
      "VA Vatican City",
      "ZA South Africa",
      "SE Sweden",
      "PG Papua New Guinea",
      "GB United Kingdom",
      "ES Spain",
      "PY Paraguay",
      "EC Ecuador",
      "LK Sri Lanka",
      "EG Egypt",
      "SK Slovakia",
      "BH Bahrain",
      "JO Jordan",
      "EE Estonia",
      "SI Slovenia",
      "HU Hungary",
      "LA Laos",
      "AU Australia",
      "SN Senegal",
      "BD Bangladesh",
      "LT Lithuania",
      "AT Austria",
      "FJ Fiji",
      "NL Netherlands",
      "TH Thailand",
      "PH Philippines",
      "LU Luxembourg",
      "KR South Korea",
      "FI Finland",
      "RO Romania",
      "CA Canada",
      "CZ Czechia",
      "KH Cambodia",
      "CY Cyprus",
      "TN Tunisia",
      "BF Burkina Faso",
      "LB Lebanon",
      "CL Chile",
      "BN Brunei",
      "GR Greece",
      "DK Denmark",
      "BJ Benin",
      "GT Guatemala",
      "TG Togo",
      "HR Croatia",
      "DO Dominican Republic",
      "PE Peru",
      "GG Guernsey",
      "JE Jersey",
      "MO Macau",
      "GI Gibraltar",
      "HK Hong Kong",
      "IM Isle of Man"
    ],
    "translationCountries": [
      "CH Switzerland",
      "DE Germany",
      "FR France",
      "BE Belgium",
      "MC Monaco",
      "TW Taiwan"
    ],
    "nonIssuingParties": [
      "AL Albania",
      "RS Serbia",
      "GH Ghana",
      "ME Montenegro",
      "CU Cuba",
      "BG Bulgaria",
      "LI Liechtenstein",
      "CI Côte d'Ivoire",
      "RW Rwanda",
      "ZW Zimbabwe",
      "BW Botswana",
      "RU Russia"
    ],
    "unclear": [
      "DZ Algeria",
      "CF Central African Republic",
      "VE Venezuela",
      "CG Republic of the Congo",
      "NG Nigeria",
      "MA Morocco",
      "CD DR Congo",
      "NE Niger",
      "LS Lesotho",
      "JM Jamaica",
      "HT Haiti",
      "SY Syria",
      "BB Barbados",
      "UG Uganda"
    ],
    "listAsOf": "NPA data 令和8年5月 (Keishicho page updated 2026-07-02)"
  },
  "conversion": {
    "who": "Holders of a valid foreign license who spent 3+ months (cumulative) in the issuing country after getting it and who have a 住民票 (since 2025-10-01; tourists can't apply). Exceptions for diplomats, SOFA etc.; Japanese nationals abroad use 戸籍 documents.",
    "exemptBoth": [
      "IS",
      "IE",
      "US (OH, OR, CO, VA, HI, MD, WA only)",
      "GB",
      "IT",
      "AU",
      "AT",
      "NL",
      "CA",
      "KR",
      "GR",
      "CH",
      "SE",
      "ES",
      "SI",
      "CZ",
      "DK",
      "DE",
      "NZ",
      "NO",
      "HU",
      "FI",
      "FR",
      "BE",
      "PL",
      "PT",
      "MC",
      "LU",
      "TW"
    ],
    "exemptSkillOnly": [
      "US (IN)"
    ],
    "knowledgeCheck": "50 questions, pass 45 (since 2025-10-01)",
    "passRates": {
      "period": "2025-10 to 2025-12",
      "knowledge": 0.428,
      "skill": 0.131,
      "previousYear2024": {
        "knowledge": 0.925,
        "skill": 0.304
      },
      "source": "NPA figures reported by NTV, 2026-03-05"
    },
    "feesTokyoOrdinary": {
      "application": 2500,
      "issuance": 2350
    },
    "age": "Ordinary: apply from 17y6m, license from 18; medium 20; large 21",
    "vision": "Ordinary: both eyes 0.7+, each eye 0.3+"
  },
  "sources": [
    "https://www.npa.go.jp/policies/application/license_renewal/have_DL_issed_another_country.html",
    "https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/menkyo/menkyo/kokugai/kokugai04.html",
    "https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/menkyo/menkyo/kokugai/gaikokumenkyo.html",
    "https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/menkyo/menkyo/kokugai/kokusaimenkyo.html",
    "https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/menkyo/menkyo/kokugai/kokugai05.html",
    "https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/menkyo/oshirase/low.html",
    "https://english.jaf.or.jp/driving-in-japan/drive-in-japan/switch-to-japanese-license"
  ],
  "disclaimer": "Educational estimate, not legal advice. Not affiliated with the National Police Agency, any prefectural police or JAF. Driving without a valid license in Japan is a crime (無免許運転); rental companies and the police decide on the spot. Confirm with the police or your rental company before you drive.",
  "docs": "https://japan-driving-check.vercel.app/openapi.json",
  "checker": "https://japan-driving-check.vercel.app/api/check"
}