Getting my Japanese Driver’s License (FOREIGN CONVERSION)

Описание: In this video, James Ricks shares his experience getting his Japanese drivers license. This video is for those looking to convert their foreign issued drivers license without taking the tests. If you are wondering what it is like, or need to know the specifics, then you need to watch this video.

A full list of required documents is below:

1. Passport
2. Residence Card/ Zairyu Ca-do (在留カード）
3. THIS WILL TAKE THE LONGEST: SO DO IT FIRST: Drivers license: Look up the closest JAF office (Japan Automobile Federation https://jaf.or.jp ) it will be in a different location from the Office of licensing/ drivers school, and you will need them to translate your license. It will cost around 4,000 Yen ($30), and that is super easy, they will most likely have multilingual signs in the front directing you which desk to see specifically for translating your license. For countries other then the United States, you also have the option to get your license translated by your embassy, so if you are on a budget, or the embassy is closer to you, you may want to look into that option.
4. Driving record : You will need to go to your home states driving website, and will need to purchase it, and it can be downloaded immediately online. For Washington State, it was $12.
5. Proof that you lived in the place your foreign license is from. This is pretty loose, but any sort of rent stub, bill, or other documentation with your name and address will *probably work. However, at our office, they said the best way to get this was to bring two years of tax returns showing that you lived in the US for that amount of time, and you won’t have to have your license marked as a beginner, that will also require you to have a beginner driver magnet/ sticker on your car while you are driving.
6. 2 - ID photographs (3cm x 2.4cm) , you can take them at most major stations in the little booths, and they have an automatic preset for drivers license photos, and there are multiple language options for the whole process. One sheet cost me 800 yen, and it came with 4 photos.
7. 住民票　　(Ju-min-hyou) Basically a statement from the city hall that confirms your place of residence. We paid 300 yen to get this, and it took about 20 minutes for the city hall people to put it together.
8. Between 3,750 and 7,000 yen, depending on the license type.


If your license is from the following states/ countries, the previous paperwork will be all that you should need:


-United States of America (State of Indiana (only driving test is exempted), Ohio, Hawaii, Virginia, Washington, Maryland),
-Iceland
-Ireland
-United Kingdom
Italy
-Austria
-Australia
-Netherlands
-Canada
-South Korea
-Greece
-Switzerland
-Sweden
-Spain
-Slovenia
-Czech
-Denmark
-Germany
-New Zealand
-Norway
-Hungary
-Finland
-France
-Belgium
-Poland
-Portugal
-Monaco
-Luxembourg
-Taiwan


If you are not, you will need to also need to take the following exams:

-Aptitude Test
-Traffic Rule Test
-Driving Skills Test



Additional Tips:

Call ahead. Each office will do all the transferring of foreign licensing in batches. For our office we needed to come between 1:00 and 1:30, but that time will vary. Call ahead and ask what time they transfer foreign drivers licenses. I recommend you go about 15 minutes before, so you can be first in line, as there will likely be others doing this each day, and there is usually only one staff member who is assigned to do this.


I though it would be a cool vlog, and then I realized I am an idiot, and was trying to figure out the process along the way, so this will be a mix of useful information as well as idiotic me trying to figure out the whole process and talking about paperwork. Not nearly as exciting as the last couple videos, but I am hoping this will open up doors for me to create better content moving forward! Just thought I’d disclose that for you now, and if you are just here for the Useful stuff, please read the description below, as it has all the useful information compiled into a nice list, on what to bring, as well as tips I wish I had known before going through this process.

Japan’s Kei Cars explained:
   • Japan's UGLY BOX Cars: EXPLAINED  

Follow James’s day to day life on Instagram: @james_ricks_official