Hi guys, so I would like to get a Japanese driver’s license. I heard it is possible to convert a foreign one into a Japanese (even easier if you’re from a short list of privileged places like Taiwan, Monaco, Switzerland, Ohio, Virginia, etc.).
My license (still with me) expired during my time in Japan. I’ve been driving for 7-8 years in the US prior to coming to Japan. I’m planning on returning to the US (Florida, which isn’t part of the privileged places that allow direct conversion without tests) later this summer to reapply and start the conversion process.
My big question is one of the requirements is that you must have proof of having lived in the place of issue for 3 months after getting the foreign license. Obviously, I’m only going to be in the US for a short vacation so I can’t fulfill it. Will this kill my conversion process? Thanks
5 comments
Your best bet is to call the driver license center and ask
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I just did the interview this last week ( next comes the written and driving test) and if I understood correctly as long as you can prove you were in the US for any stretch of 3 months after you received the licence – take your old licence and some sort of licence record from the dmv to show that you drove for 7 years. They’ll look at your passport to check stamps and any other documents you have and ask a bunch of questions to make sure you aren’t lying.
Are you renewing in the state where the original license was issued, or a completely different state?
I’ve heard of people renewing when they’re in the US, then getting proof of when the -original- license was issued from the DMV as proof they were living in the US for the required amount of time after receiving the license.
The Japanese government cares about how long you’ve been driving total, not how long you’ve had the most recent renewed license. Unfortunately some states put the renewal date only, so you’d have to get a different kind of proof. (My state’s license had the original date and the most recent renewal date, so I was able to just use my renewed license).
You’re getting some wrong advice here.
Doesn’t matter if your license expired. Just renew it AND when you’re at the DMV, get a driving record that shows the first date you were issued a drivers license. Bring your old license and any other proof that your license was initially issued while you lived in the US (edit) to the Japan license center. Passports work. I brought an old passport and an old license. My husband got some pushback for a two week vacation we took in Japan in 2015, but that was only because the lady was being an asshole and deliberately trying to make issues for us. A supervisor intervened and everything was chill.
Expiring doesn’t mean you have to start the process over and it doesn’t mean your previous driving record is void.
My husband had an expired license when we started the process of swapping ours. Renewed it in California on a trip home and used that new license for the conversion.