Job Discussion Forums

[skirmish]

Im a New Zealander with a full drivers licence. My NZ licence expires in November and I cannot renew it from Overseas.
Someone told me that because Im from a country that drives on the same side of the road as Japan, I dont need to do a test to get my Japanese Licence, just go and pay a fee?
Is there any truth to this?
Cheers

[canuck]

Depends on what country you're from and what the agreement is. Canadians and Brits don't have to take a test. They just have to get their licence translated at JAF, and then go the the driver's licence office, fill out the paperwork, take an eye test and pay the fees. I'm not sure what it is for Kiwis. Just got to the licencing bureau and find out. My guess, no, you don't have to take a test. I've heard only of Americans having to take the test. There could be more.

[JimDunlop2]

Do a search on this forum -- this topic comes up from time to time and has been well discussed.

In any case, to answer your question: depends. Probably not, but there ARE some parts of Japan which require you to do a test regardless of where you are from. You must check with your local DMV to be certain.

[Gordon]

Get the Japanese license before it expires. How are you driving now? On an int'l license?
Every prefecture is different, I'm one of those lucky Canadians that had to do the full driving test.

[shadowsinner]

gordon, why did u get picked to take the test?

i'm an aussie. my mate in japan says if i bring my drivers licence to japan, i won't have to take the test - just fill out some forms and i'll be able to get a japanese licence, since the conditions are pretty much the same. my mate told me that as long as an aussie has held a full time aust licence for more than 3 mths, they can apply for a jap licence without doing the test.

not sure if the same rule applies for kiwis tho.

[Gordon]

[ironopolis]

Ditto the advice of gordon & canuck - get it done sharpish! Apart form the impending expiry of your nz licence, if you've been in Japan over a year and get caught using an International licence, then you're in deep pooh.
As canuck said, it's easy to get. And I have a kiwi mate who's got a J-licence and I'm 99% sure he didn't take a test. One thing to be wary of though - you must have spent at least 90 days in your home country since your licence from there was issued. To check this, they look at the stamps on your passport. Potentially problematic for those of use whose home countries don't stamp our passports - so if need be, go prepared with something to prove you were in NZ for the required time.

Incidentally, the reason is not because of driving on the left as a whole load of countries whose citizens who drive on the right - most of the EU, Korea, Canada and others I forget - can also get the J-licence without a test in the same way. Not totally sure, but I think the Japanese govt has reciprocal agreements with some other countries, providing they've been provided with accident statistics and testing details from those countries. I heard that in the case of the US, they insisted on separate details from every licence issuing authority (i.e. every individual US state) which they didn't get, hence no agreement. Dunno how true this is though.

[skirmish]

Actually, I dont drive in Japan.
My main reason for wanting one is that Im leaving to go travelling in 6 months, and am going to end up in Canada, where I would want to drive. Im not heading back to NZ, so I thought maybe if I had a valid Japanese licence it would be easier in Canada?
How long are the Japanese licences valid for?

[Gordon]

[Jawful]

I will, eventually, get my license here in Japan too. Perhaps this summer sometime, even though I will have my international license until next May. Unfortunately I'm American so I gotta take the tests, though I've done research and the written test is super easy, and the driving test is much shorter than the version Japanese have to take.

First thing you have to do is get your license translated. You gotta do that one way or the other, and it's gotta be done through one of only a few official ways. JAF is the most common org. I think, and it costs 3000. I will be using them.

[craven]

I'll echo the "every prefecture is different" comments already posted, and say that in most places, New Zealanders do not have to take the written or skills test. Translate you licence at JAF (Y3-4000), and take it to your local licence bureau.

That being said, it is REALLY worth your while to have a Japanese friend (or you if you speak well enough) call ahead and check local regulations. In my case (Canadian), even though I KNEW I didn't have to take the test, my supervisor had to call three times before she got someone who said "oh, of course you can simply translate your licence, no need to take the test". The two knobs she got on the line beforehand were adamant that it could not be done...

Does anyone know why there seems to be such a wide variety of interpretations of the rules around Japanese licences? I got pulled over using an IDP over the one year limit (I had left the country for 2 months, and thought the clock would reset itself...apparently it DOES after 3 months), and the cop at first didn't even know what the IDP was (I had to point out the Japanese section), and then let me off because he couldn't figure out the multiple entry and exit dates on my passport. I've had other friends who have also had frustrations with getting a different story from different employees at the same licence bureau, and some who were able to get their licences easily by simply going to a branch in a different city!

[Gordon]

Regarding prefectural differences, from what I gathered, every prefecture can interpret the reciprocal agreements between the respective gov'ts. In other words, a prefecture can ignore the treaty that the japanese gov't has signed with the other gov't. At least that is what they told me. I think it is some moron on a power trip who thinks he is above the law, but I guess he is since he has gotten away with it.
When I told the Cdn gov't what happened they told me they had to abide by the treaty. They didn't. I also checked into getting a license in another prefecture, but you can't do it that.

[Sweetsee]

Just spent the entire day at the driving center, for the third time. Felt very good about the test only to be told I had failed. When asked, the examiner couldn't say where I lost points, only that I had looked over my shoulder and turned at the same time. He also said I did very well. Just hadn't spent enough money, missed enough work or wasted enough time, I guess.
Hate cops.

[Glenski]

[Gordon]

How many years have you been trying to get your license?