Before you start

Ward registration and a residence card
Your foreign licence, with an official Japanese translation from JAF or the issuing embassy
Proof you held the licence and were physically present in the issuing country for at least three months after it was issued
A jūminhyō residence certificate

Step-by-step

1
Check whether your country is exempt from the practical test
A specific list of countries and territories can convert without a driving test — most of western Europe, Australia, Korea, Taiwan and others. If yours is not on it, expect a closed-course examination with standards that surprise experienced drivers.
OnlineWho: You
2
Get the official translation from JAF
The Japan Automobile Federation issues the accepted translation of a foreign licence, and it must come from JAF or your embassy — a private translation is not accepted. Allow time for it before booking anything.
In personWho: You
3
Prove the three-month residence requirement
You must show you were in the issuing country for at least three months after the licence was issued. Old passport stamps are the usual evidence, so do not dispose of expired passports.
In personWho: You
4
Book at the Kanagawa licence centre and expect to return
The application, eyesight check and knowledge test are done at the prefectural driving licence centre at Futamatagawa. Kanagawa is one of Japan's most populous prefectures and appointment availability reflects that — book early and treat it as a process rather than an appointment.
In personWho: You
5
Understand that an International Driving Permit expires after one year
An IDP issued under the Geneva Convention is valid for one year from entry and cannot be extended by a short trip abroad — Japan applies a rule preventing that. Start the conversion well before the year is up.
OnlineWho: You
6
Know that you must prove a parking space to own a car
Registering a vehicle requires a shakoshōmeisho — a police certificate that you hold a designated off-street parking space within a set distance of your home. There is no street parking option, and in the dense waterfront wards a monthly space is both expensive and sometimes unavailable.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Foreign driving licence
JAF or embassy translation of it
Passport, including expired ones showing the three-month residence
Residence card and jūminhyō
Passport photographs

Things most newcomers don’t know

The three-month rule blocks more conversions than the driving test does.

You must prove you were physically present in the country that issued your licence for at least three months after issue. Someone who obtained a licence shortly before emigrating simply cannot convert, regardless of experience. Old passports with entry and exit stamps are the standard evidence, which is a strong argument for never throwing an expired passport away.

Source: National Police Agency

The practical test assesses form, not competence, and experienced drivers fail it.

For applicants from non-exempt countries the closed-course examination tests a specific Japanese procedural style — exaggerated mirror and shoulder checks, precise positioning, a crank course and an S-curve. Decades of safe driving do not help. Budget for two or three attempts and consider one lesson at a local school first.

Source: community-reported

A car does nothing for your commute here and a great deal for your weekends.

Driving into Tokyo is slower and far more expensive than the train, and central Yokohama parking is priced accordingly — nobody sensible commutes by car. What a car buys is the Miura peninsula, Hakone, the Izu coast and the mountains, all within a couple of hours and all awkward by train with luggage. For many Yokohama households that trade-off works out in favour of a small kei car or a car-share membership rather than none at all.

Source: community-reported

Kanagawa's licence centre queues are longer than most prefectures'.

Kanagawa is among Japan's most populous prefectures and the conversion process is concentrated at Futamatagawa. Appointment slots, and particularly practical test slots for applicants from non-exempt countries, book out further ahead than in smaller prefectures. Starting the process the month you arrive rather than the month before your IDP expires is the practical advice.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Discarding old passports and losing the evidence for the three-month residence requirement.
Assuming your country is exempt from the practical test without checking.
Relying on an International Driving Permit past its one-year validity.
Buying a car before securing a parking space certificate.
Leaving the conversion until late and hitting Kanagawa's appointment queues.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.