Where this applies and where to check
This guide is about getting a Japanese translation of a foreign driver’s license through JAF. The application is available online, but only from within Japan. If you are overseas, use the route indicated by JAF for customers currently outside Japan.
For license exchange details and local conditions, recheck the driver’s license center or prefectural police office that handles your place of residence.
- JAF handles the translation application.
- Applications are accepted only from within Japan.
- Local license-exchange rules must be checked with the prefectural police or licensing center.
Required materials and country-specific documents
The shared requirements are an image of the front and back of a currently valid driver’s license and the translation fee. JAF asks for an unedited image of the original license.
Extra documents may be required by country: for China, the supplement page for the license; for the Syrian Arab Republic, a passport; for the Republic of Korea, Myanmar, and other Arabic-script licenses, a residence card, resident record, or passport. Some licenses may not be eligible for issuance by JAF.
- Prepare clear front-and-back images of a valid license.
- Check whether your country requires extra documents.
- If your license is renewed or the details recorded on it change, you must obtain a new translation.
Issuance, printing, and delivery notes
Applications are accepted 24 hours online, but issuance is handled during business hours. JAF’s stated average processing time is 2 to 3 business days for Swiss, German, French, Belgian, Monaco, and Taiwanese licenses, and 5 to 10 business days for other countries.
When you use the online application site, you can print the translation at convenience stores nationwide through the network print service. The first print-number validity period is one week, and if the application is within one year, you can reissue the print number from your My Page. Some translations come with an attached supplement sheet, which must also be collected and printed when needed.
- Issuance is handled during business hours.
- Do not forget any attached supplement sheet when printing.
- Print-number reissue is possible within one year through My Page.
Fee checks and why the latest amount matters
JAF states that part of the fee was revised on 2026-07-01. If you apply for the purpose of switching to a Japanese driver’s license, the new fee is 6,600 yen, tax included. If you apply to attach a Japanese translation for temporary driving in Japan with a license issued in Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco, or Taiwan, the fee does not change.
Do not rely on an old quoted price. Check the current fee list at the time of application. Debit cards and prepaid cards may fail to complete payment and are not available. For license-exchange procedures, requirements and reservations differ by area, so recheck the local prefectural police or licensing center before you apply.
- Fees depend on the purpose of the application.
- Use the current fee list, not an old quote.
- Recheck payment methods and local license-exchange rules.
GAIMEN JAPAN
Sources
Procedures vary by prefecture. Always confirm the latest details with the relevant prefectural police authority.