What is Gaimen Switching?

Gaimen Kirikae is a method for people who have a foreign driver's license to switch to a Japanese driver's license. Compared to other license acquisition methods, Gaimen Kirikae has the advantage of being the fastest and cheapest way to obtain a license.
The procedure may seem difficult at first glance, but in reality, it is just a lot of preparation. Let's take a look at the application requirements and necessary documents for converting to a Japanese license.

Application requirements for the conversion of a foreign driver's license.

The procedure for converting to a foreign driver's license is the responsibility of each prefectural police. First, check whether you meet the conditions to apply for a foreign license conversion.

Application Requirements

1. Your foreign driver's license has not expired
2. After obtaining a license in a foreign country, you must have stayed in that country for more than 3 months.

The expiration date of your foreign driver's license must be valid until you pass the driving test, which will be explained later. The application for foreign driver's license change may take longer than you think, so if you have less than a month until the expiration date, it is better to renew your foreign driver's license first.
In addition, after obtaining a foreign license, you will need to prove that you have stayed in the country where you obtained the license for more than three months. The period of stay is confirmed by the entry stamp on your passport. Some prefectures have a form available to make it easier to confirm your period of stay in advance, so filling it out in advance will make the application process go more smoothly.

9. List of status of residence in country where driver's license was obtained
Please help us compile a list of the status of residence in the country where you obtained your driver's license.
If you fill out this form accurately and submit it, the examination time can be significantly reduced. If you fill out the form inaccurately or fill it out after you arrive at the facility, your examination may be delayed. If you have an entry and exit record from the country you are in, etc., from the time you obtained your license, you do not need to submit this form. (Metropolitan Police Department)
Reference: How to change a driver's Driver's License obtained abroad to a Japanese driver's Driver's License

What should you do in this situation?

① If the entry and departure dates cannot be confirmed on the passport

Due to the increasing use of facial recognition gates, there are cases where passports are not stamped when entering or leaving the country, or where it is difficult to discern the date even if stamps are stamped. In that case, it is safe to request an "Immigration/Departure Record." It will take some time for it to be issued, so please prepare well in advance.

Reference: Regarding disclosure requests regarding entry/exit (return) country records | Immigration Services Agency

②If it has been less than three months since you renewed your license abroad

This is a case where the driver obtained a foreign driver's license many years ago, but renewed it just before entering Japan (within 3 months). In this case, of course, there is no problem with the application. However, if your driving license does not clearly indicate the "initial issue date (= the date you first got your driver's license)," please contact your foreign driver's license examination center and prepare a document that shows the initial issue date. 

Documents and fees required for driver's license conversion

The documents required to convert your foreign license are as follows.

Required documents checklist

*1 If you have the ticket, whether it is within the validity period or has expired.
*2 If you do not have a resident card, you will need other documents. For details, please contact the license center where you will be converting to a foreign driver's license.

How to prepare a "Japanese translation"

A  Japanese translation is required for anyone holding any foreign license.
The "Japanese translation" must be issued by a designated institution in order to be accepted at the time of application, so you cannot submit a translation you have created yourself or one produced by a general translation company.

If you hold a license from the United States, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, or Ukraine

ZIPLUS Co., Ltd. can issue translations

Home page: ZIPLUS foreign license conversion
TEL：050-1731-8335
Mail：gaimen_kirikae@ziplus.jp

Click here to apply for a translation

If you have a license other than those listed above

Translations can be issued by JAF (Japan Automobile Federation)

Homepage: https://jaf.or.jp/

・Other translation agencies

Taiwan-Japan Relations Association (Taiwan license only)

Homepage: https://www.koryu.or.jp/

German Automobile Federation (German license only)

Homepage: https://www.adac.de/

Embassy of the country in Japan

How much does it cost?

At the license center, there are three main costs involved in switching to a foreign license:
①Application fee
② Issuance fee: 2,050 yen
③Additional fee: 200 yen

The application fee for ① varies depending on the type of vehicle Driver's License you are switching to.

How much will it cost in total including preparation documents? Let's take a look at the costs of switching to a regular car.

*1 When issued by ZIPLUS Ltd.
*2 If issued at a city hall or other counter
*3 When using a photo booth
*4 May vary by prefecture

This is just a rough guideline, but you can obtain a driver's Driver's License for a regular car for approximately 15,000 yen.
If you don't switch to a foreign driver's license and go to a driving school for Driving Camp or commute to school, the training fees alone will cost you about 300,000 yen, which is 20 times the cost. You can see that switching to a foreign driver's license is a great deal.

Ready to go? Check out what happens after you apply

Applications for switching to a foreign driver's license must be completed at the driver's license center in each prefecture. There are four general steps in total.

• Step. 1 Examination
• Step. 2 Appropriate examination
• Step. 3 Knowledge confirmation
• Step. 4 Skill confirmation

The details of each review and confirmation can be found on the website of each prefectural police department or on the website of ZIPLUS Co., Ltd.

When you feel anxious...

So far, we have looked at all the documents and fees required for applying for a foreign driver's license conversion.
However, each person’s case may be different depending on the country in which they obtained their license and the circumstances under which they obtained it.
If you have any questions or concerns about the switch, we strongly recommend that you contact the license center where you will be going to apply in advance. It may seem like a hassle to get through to the license center on the phone, but it's much better than gathering your documents, clearing your schedule, heading to the license center in high spirits, only to have your license turned away because they found something incomplete, and then having to trudge home. Also, in most prefectures, the review for switching to a foreign license requires an appointment. You will probably have a chance to speak with a license center staff member in advance, so make sure you resolve any questions you have before applying.

Finally

What did you think? This time, we looked at the preparations you should know before applying for a foreign driver's license.
Please make use of this article so that you can smoothly switch to a foreign driver's license.