I would like to share a case from November 2025 regarding the conversion of a foreign driver’s license to a Japanese one.
I recently accompanied an American client—who obtained a mid- to long-term residence status in Japan this year and currently lives in Osaka—as an interpreter and translator to the Komyoike Driver’s License Examination Center in Osaka, where we completed the conversion process. Below is an outline of the current situation after the new, stricter rules that took effect in October.
Since we had made a reservation by phone in advance, we arrived at the counter at 8:45 a.m. as instructed. It took about five hours until the Japanese license was issued.
If all the documents had been perfectly prepared, the process would likely have been much faster. However, the document standards required on-site turned out to be stricter than what had been explained over the phone beforehand, so we needed extra time to prepare additional documents.
The American client held a Virginia state driver’s license, and the documents that had been listed in advance as required were as follows:
- U.S. driver’s license (presentation required)
- Copy of both sides of the U.S. license
- Certificate of driving record from the U.S. (necessary because the issue date is not printed on the license itself)
- Japanese translation of the U.S. license (prepared by JAF or another designated organization)
- U.S. passport (presentation required)
- Copy of the entire passport (all pages except blank ones)
- Resident record (juminhyo) showing nationality and details of residence status (not omitted)
- Residence card (presentation required)
- Copy of both sides of the residence card
- ID photo (for the application form)
- Official fee (credit card payment accepted)
Regarding items (5) and (6)—the passport and its copy—we already knew in advance that this could be problematic.
Since 2023, U.S. citizens have been processed through automated gates upon departure and arrival, meaning no entry/exit stamps are placed in their passports. The client had told me that this makes it impossible to prove his recent stay periods in the U.S. The driving test center had informed us that in such cases, substitute documents showing the duration of residence in the U.S. would be required.
They specifically said that applicants must submit documents proving they stayed in the U.S. for at least three months—preferably one year or longer—after the date of license issuance. Acceptable proof documents were said to include:
- Utility payment statements
- Income tax return documents
Accordingly, the client brought the following:
- Last year’s U.S. tax return
- Proof of internet service payment for three months
- Proof of annual insurance payment for the building registered as his U.S. license address
However, the counter officer said that none of these documents were acceptable as valid proof.
Internet bills were not considered part of utilities, and the officer explained that monthly-issued payment receipts for water, electricity, or gas were required. If such receipts were unavailable, monthly-issued pay slips would be acceptable instead.
If the applicant can submit such proof for three months, a beginner’s license (with a restriction) would be issued; if proof for twelve months is submitted, a non-restricted regular license could be issued.
In this client’s case, the utilities were managed by an agent, so no payment receipts were issued in the client’s own name. Furthermore, as the client was a company owner receiving director’s remuneration only once a year, monthly pay slips were not available either.
The client then argued that showing any evidence of residing in the U.S. for at least one year at any time after the license issuance should be sufficient—for example, by showing passport stamps dated before 2023, prior to the introduction of automated gates. However, the officer firmly rejected this.
They explained that even before the automation, U.S. entry and exit stamps were often not applied, and for frequent business travelers, if even a single stamp (either entry or exit) was missing, such records could not be accepted. The center’s policy assumes that passport stamps are inherently unreliable evidence. Therefore, only utility bills or monthly pay slips would be accepted as valid proof.
Since the client could not provide either of those, the center requested submission of additional supporting documents covering the entire period, namely:
- Two years of income tax returns
- Two years of insurance payment certificates
- Two years of internet payment statements
Among these, only the internet payment records could show monthly payments, so the officer required 24 months of individually issued statements to be submitted.
We urgently obtained the digital files and printed them at a convenience store near the test center—it was a considerable volume.
Even after submitting all those additional documents, the officer said that since they did not meet the official categories of “utility bills” or “pay slips,” the client would still only be eligible for a beginner’s license (with restrictions).
In addition, the client was asked to fill out a written questionnaire describing in detail the process of obtaining his U.S. license, including training and testing history, and the license renewals, replacement, or loss status after issuance. After submitting the form, an oral interview followed.
During the interview, the client was not allowed to refer to his smartphone and had to answer entirely from memory.
Questions covered topics such as pre-license driving practice, the contents of the license test, the client’s driving experience after obtaining the license, and the licence status history.
The examiner asked numerous detailed and cross-referenced questions—probably over 30 in total—apparently to check for inconsistencies or suspicious gaps between the submitted documents and verbal statements.
After successfully passing through all these steps, the client paid the fee, took the vision and color-blindness tests, had a photo taken for the license card, and finally received the Japanese driver’s license.
After all, the process turned out to be much more demanding than expected.
Since this occurred shortly after the implementation of the new rules, the screening process felt extremely strict.
It was evident that the authorities have a strong determination not to issue Japanese driver’s licenses unless all required documents are perfectly prepared and submitted, and all oral questions are answered appropriately.