Foreign Drivers License Conversion Rules to Be Toughened; NPA to Make Testing More Thorough, Exclude Tourists

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:54 JST, July 10, 2025

Foreign tourists will be excluded from the system for converting an overseas driver’s license to a Japanese one, according to a draft revision of the enforcement regulations of the Road Traffic Law officially compiled on Thursday by the National Police Agency.

The number of questions to check applicants’ knowledge of traffic rules is planned to be increased to 50 from the current 10. After a public comment procedure, the revised system is envisioned to be put into operation on Oct. 1.

Cases of overseas tourists obtaining Japanese driver’s licenses using the addresses of their hotels or other lodgings have become a problem. In addition, there has been a string of traffic accidents caused by foreign drivers who do not understand basic traffic rules. These issues have prompted calls for a review of the system.

According to the NPA, the draft limits the method of address verification at the time of application to a copy of the applicant’s residence certificate in principle, thus making it impossible for tourists and other short-term visitors to obtain a driver’s license through the system. But it makes exceptions for diplomats and certain temporary visitors, such as racers, allowing them to use identification documents issued by public institutions or sponsoring organizations for applications.

As a result, foreign tourists who can drive in Japan will be limited to those with an international driver’s license issued by a member state of the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic. Short-term visitors with licenses issued by nonmember states, such as China and Vietnam, will be excluded.

The test, which asks about traffic rules, will also be substantially revised.

Currently, seven out of 10 questions using a true-false format must be answered correctly in order to pass the test. The number of questions is likely to be increased to 50, and the threshold for passing the test will be raised to 90%, the same as when a new driver’s license is obtained.

The test will be designed to comprehensively check knowledge of Japanese traffic rules, such as the prohibition of drinking and driving, protection of pedestrians and what needs to be checked when turning right and left.

New tasks are planned to be added to the practical driving test for situations such as passing through crosswalks and railroad crossings. Correct practice in such situations as turning right and left and signaling while driving will also be more strictly checked.

The overseas driver’s license switchover system was introduced in 1933. Initially, it was intended for Japanese who had obtained a license abroad to switch to a Japanese license after returning to their home country, but in recent years it has been used more and more by foreigners.

Last year, 68,623 foreigners obtained Japanese licenses through the system, a 170% increase from the number 10 years ago. By country of origin, Vietnam had the largest number at 16,681, followed by China at 15,251.

Accidents involving foreign drivers totaled 7,286 last year, an increase of 342 over the previous year. An NPA official said: “The number of foreign drivers is expected to continue to increase in the future. We would like to ensure that Japanese traffic rules are strictly enforced.”