Hi,
I recently went through the process of converting my Canadian license to a Japanese one, so thought I’d share the updated process and how it went for future reference.
Make a reservation beforehand as they don’t do walk-ins anymore! Here is the reservation link, new slots open at exactly midnight for a date around a month later.
As Canadians, we do not have to take a practical test nor a theory test, just a standard eye test.
- Canadian Driver’s License
- Translation of above driver’s license by Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) (This needs to be official, so you can’t translate yourself)
- Passport
- CBSA Entries & Exits for minimum 3 months starting from the date you got your DL
- Translation of the CBSA Entries & Exits (You can translate this yourself)
- Juminhyou (City Hall)
- Zairyuu Card + Myna Card
- 3 x Pictures (2.4cm * 3cm) (If you drive with glasses, you can keep glasses for the picture)
- Cashless payment method
You need to prove that you have stayed inside Canada for a minimum of 3 months AFTER receiving your Canadian Driver’s License (3 months starting from the “Valid from XX/XX”date stamped on your DL). Technically, you can bring anything (utilities bill, pay slip, etc.), but I highly recommend the CBSA Entries & Exits list as it is an official document and the staff know how to process it. It’s also free to request on the internet via the CBSA website.
Now after you have secured a reservation on the website, you get an email confirming this. Do NOT delete that email, as they will want to see it on the day of. No screenshots, no printed paper, the ACTUAL email on your phone.
On the day of, the process is divided into 3 parts: document check, eye test, and picture/receiving your license.
Document Check
You need to be present in the 外国免許切替 waiting room on the 2nd floor at 9:30AM when they start calling numbers out (the confirmation # in the reservation email). Based on past threads here, I showed up at 8AM thinking there would be one hell of a lineup (there wasn’t). You should be good if you get there for ~9AM. They go by order of confirmation numbers, so no need to show up extra early as being first in the waiting room =/= going first for document check. For document check, they will take you to another room and go over every single item I have listed above. Questions like:
- Where did you learn to drive? How was the process of getting a Canadian DL? How were the driving tests in Canada?
- Did you already drive in Japan? (via IDP)
- Do you want MT or AT license? (Selecting MT = you can drive both AT and MT, while selecting AT = you can ONLY drive AT)
If you are not confident in your language abilities, please bring a translator with you. The staff will speak normally and won’t dumb it down for you. They also request to not use apps.
This lasted around ~35 mins for me. After this, the next step only opens at 12:30 PM. So off to the cafeteria for some soba.
Eye Test
Once document check is done and everything is good, you can proceed to the next step: eye test. You line up on the 1st floor at exactly 12:30PM at the designated booth, pay for the eye test (cashless payment method), and are leaded into another room. The eye test literally lasted 15 seconds and had 6 questions:
- 3 questions on color: What color is the screen? Blue, Yellow, Red
- 3 questions on Landolt C: Which direction is open? (No diagonals)
That’s it. If you wear glasses when driving, you wear glasses for this test. If you fail this, I don’t know what to say…
Picture & Receipt
The staff are on break from 1:30PM-2:30PM. After the successful eye test, they will lead you to a place and tell you to meet them back there at 2:30PM. Another hour and a half to kill at the cafeteria: ice cream this time!
At 2:30PM, you lineup at the designated spot, pay for the actual license (again, cashless payment method) and get your picture taken. The picture you brought with you is NOT the picture that will be on the DL.
You wait another ~1 hour for them to process everything and then you get your Japanese license! You can either have it separately, linked to Myna or both.
That’s it, it only took the entire day and a trip to Konosu….
Up until my reservation date, I was bracing myself for a terrible experience. Just based on past posts here and reading Google review of the place. However, aside from the time it took, process went exactly as how it is described on the website.
Also, there is a TON of free parking on the premises, so I would recommend renting a car instead of taking the bus/train.
Happy to answer questions if any.
by Dark_Void_and_Mega_K