A place where you can get a driver’s license test in English in Japan

Yohji

Hello.  This is Yohji.
Are there any foreigners living in Japan who have given up on getting a driver’s license because you can’t speak Japanese? This topic introduces facilities where you can get  a driving test in English. In addition, I will also introduce a driving school that many Japanese attend to obtain a driver’s license.
(* Since there are very few driving schools other than Tokyo that teach in English, only driving schools in the suburbs of Tokyo are introduced here.)Of course, I will only introduce driving schools that teach in English.

How to get a driver’s license in Japan

There are two ways to get a driver’s license（運転免許 / うんてん めんきょ） in Japan.  The first is to switch your driver’s license in your home country, and the other is to obtain a driver’s license in Japan.  Both of them will eventually go to a facility called the Driver’s License Center（運転免許センター / うんてん めんきょ せんたー） to get their license issued.

Switch your home country driver’s license in Japan

Yohji

You can easily switch to a Japanese driver’s license in the following countries just by checking your eyesight.

Iceland, Ireland, United States (Ohio, Virginia, Hawaii, Maryland and Washington only), United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Austria, Netherlands, Canada, South Korea, Greece, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Hungary, Finland, France, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Monaco, Luxembourg, Taiwan

Obtained a driver’s license in Japan (cannot be switched)

Even if you have a driver’s license in a country other than the above and some states in the United States, you cannot switch the validity of your license.  (Excluding international driver’s license) Therefore, you need to go to a driving school（自動車学校 / じどうしゃ がっこう） in Japan and get a driver’s license.

Where you can take a driver’s license test in English

In Japan, you can take a driver’s license test in English at a facility called a driver’s license center （運転免許センター / うんてん めんきょ せんたー）.  The driver’s license center is located at the prefectural capital of each prefecture.

Driving school that teaches in English

Yohji

If you live in the suburbs of Tokyo, you can take classes in English at the following driving schools.  The cost is a little high …

1. Koyama driving school ¥400,000〜
2. Musasisakai driving school ¥400,000 ~
3. Shin-Tokyo driving school ¥320,000~

●Ogikubo driving school ¥220,000~
Not recommended as it is not officially recognized. The cost of an unofficial driving school seems to be reasonable, but it does not include the certification fee, and in fact the cost is not much different from that of a certified driving school.

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Cost to get a license

• Driving license switching … About ¥4800〜
• Obtaining a driver’s license … About ¥350,000 to ¥450,000

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Conclusion

If you would like to know the time and flow required to obtain a driver’s license in Japan, please comment. If you request, I would like to summarize it as a topic.

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See you !