Reception Hours Monday through Friday (except for public holidays and New Year holidays)
※There are no exams on Saturday and Sunday.
  • 8:30 to 9:00
  • 13:00 to 13:30
※You must make a reservation prior to taking the driving skill test.
Location of Reception Reception No.10 on the 1st floor of Chiba Driver's License Center
Eligibility Requirements
  • The applicant must have a valid foreign license, have stayed in the country where the license was issued for three months or more from and inclusive of the date of issue, and be at least 18 years old for the regular-passenger-car license, 16 years old for the regular-size-motorcycle and moped license, and 18 years old for the large-size-motorcycle license.
  • The applicant must be a resident registered in Chiba Prefecture and must have a valid visa if he or she is a foreign national.
Necessary Documents
  • Driver’s License Application Form
  • A currently valid foreign driver’s license and an expired license if you have one 
  • Japanese translation of the valid foreign driver’s license
    The translation must be done by the embassy or consulate of representing the country where the license was issued, the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF), Ziplus Co.Ltd, Taiwan-Japan Exchange Association (for Taiwanese license only), or ADAC (for German license only).
  • A Certificate of Residence with the permanent domicile indicated (no photocopy acceptable).   Or, a Certificate of Residence indicating the applicant’s nationality etc., if the applicant is a foreign national (no photocopy acceptable).
  • Applicant’s photo (3 cm high × 2.4 cm wide)
  • Passport
    ※A valid passport and old passports, if you have any.
  • Japanese driver’s license, if you have one(even if expired)
*We recommend you to contact Chiba Driver’s License Center in advance since the documents you need to submit may vary depending on the conditions how you have earned your driver’s license overseas. The phone number should you need to call is Chiba Driver’s License Center at 043-274-2000, during our office hours (8:30 a.m. to 5:00 pm, JST, Monday through Friday except public holidays). Once you reach us, press “1”,”55”, then “1” while following instructions.
Procedures
  • Document-based examination
  • Traffic regulation knowledge test
  • Aptitude test
  • Driving skill test
Fees
  • Regular-Passenger-Car License: 2,550 yen
  • Moped or Light-Special-Equipment License: 1,500 yen
  • License for Large Vehicles,Mid-size Vehicles,or Semi-Mid-Size Vehicles: 4,100 yen
  • License for Motorcycles or Other Types of Vehicles: 2,600 yen
Issue Fee
2,050 yen
Fee for Each Entry of Additional License Type
200 yen