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 — compulsory for every applicant since 1 October 2025

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, which is a strong argument for never discarding an expired passport.
In personWho: You
4
Book at the prefectural driving licence centre and expect to return
The application, eyesight check and knowledge check are done at the Saitama Prefectural Police licence centre. Since 1 October 2025 the knowledge check has been fifty written questions with a 90% pass mark rather than ten illustrated ones at 70%. If a practical test is required, first-attempt failure is common and repeat bookings can take weeks.
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 renewed by a short trip abroad. Start the conversion well before the year is up.
OnlineWho: You
6
Know that you must prove a parking space before you can register a car
Registering a vehicle requires a shakoshōmeisho, a police certificate that you hold a designated off-street parking space. There is no street-parking option. Around Ōmiya and Urawa a monthly space is a meaningful cost; in the outer wards it is often included with the property.
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, however experienced. Old passports with entry and exit stamps are the standard evidence — never throw one away.

Source: National Police Agency

The practical test assesses a procedural style, not competence, and experienced drivers fail it.

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

Source: community-reported

A car buys you the prefecture, not the city.

Saitama City is well covered by rail and the parking cost near Ōmiya or Urawa is real, so a car earns its keep here mainly for what is beyond the rail network: Chichibu, the Arakawa valley, Kawagoe's back streets, the mountains toward Gunma and Nagano. Weekend rental or a car-share membership does that job at a fraction of ownership's cost, which is what a large number of Saitama households actually do.

Source: community-reported

Expressway tolls, not fuel, dominate the cost of driving out of Kantō.

Saitama sits on both the Tōhoku and Kan-Etsu expressways, which is why the prefecture is a logistics belt — but tolls are high by international standards and an ETC card is effectively mandatory to avoid queuing and to get discounted rates. Price the tolls before assuming that driving beats the Shinkansen from Ōmiya, which for most northern destinations it does not.

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 the list.
Relying on an International Driving Permit past its one-year validity.
Buying a car before securing the parking-space certificate.
Paying for a car and a parking space when a season ticket and weekend rental would cost far less.

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