License Conversion Knowledge Test (50 Questions) | What Is Tested, the Pass Rate, and How to Prepare (2026)

First check whether your country is exempt, then move on to the test content and how to prepare

The procedure for switching a driver's license from your home country to a Japanese license is called license conversion (gaimen kirikae). In this procedure, most people must take the knowledge test (a written test).

This knowledge test changed greatly on October 1, 2025. The number of questions increased from 10 to 50, the passing score went up, and the pass rate has fallen to 42.8%.

This article explains the following 4 things.

• Whether your country is exempt from the tests (check this first)

• What is on the 50-question knowledge test

• Where people tend to stumble

• How to prepare

👉 If you want to see the actual question format first, start with the practice questions (with answers and explanations).

*The content of this article is as of September 2026. Rules and fees may change. Before applying, always check with the driver's license center in your prefecture.

Is your country exempt from the tests?

In license conversion, the knowledge test and driving skills test may be waived depending on the country where you got your license. Whether you are exempt completely changes what you need to prepare.

29 countries and regions exempt from both the knowledge test and driving skills test

Iceland / Ireland / United States (only Ohio, Oregon, Colorado, Virginia, Hawaii, Maryland, and Washington) / 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 (Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department: Converting a Foreign Driver's License to a Japanese License)

In addition, Indiana in the United States is exempt from the driving skills test only (the knowledge test is required).

If you have a license from a country not on the list above

You must take the knowledge test (50 questions).

Licenses from Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, China, Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Brazil, Peru, and others are not on the list above. Many foreign residents in Japan are in this "must take the test" group.

👉 The exempt countries are mainly European countries plus South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Canada, and a few others. If your license is from any other country, you will take the 50-question knowledge test.

One more condition: you must have stayed 3 months or more in the country where you got your license

Whether or not your country is exempt, there is a common condition for license conversion.

After getting your license in that country, you must have stayed in that country for a total of 3 months or more (Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department).

If you came to Japan right after getting your license, you may not meet this condition and may be unable to apply. The length of stay is checked with records such as passport entry and exit stamps.

Is the driving skills test required when converting to a moped license?

This point is often missed. Whether the driving skills test is required depends on the type of license you apply for through license conversion.

In other words, for people who only need a moped license, the only hurdle in license conversion is the 50-question knowledge test. There is no practical test, and no moped training course, which is required for a new license at a driver's license center.

👉 This difference matters a lot, especially if your prefecture does not offer the moped written test in your native language. Each prefecture decides its own languages for the moped written test, ranging from 0 (Japanese only) to 20, but the license conversion knowledge test is available in 20 languages anywhere in Japan. You can check which category your prefecture falls into in our list of languages in all 47 prefectures.

What kind of test is the knowledge test (50 questions)?

With the revision on October 1, 2025, the knowledge test changed as follows.

The number of questions, passing score, removal of illustration questions, and sessions are based on Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department: Revised Enforcement Regulations of the Road Traffic Act, effective October 1, 2025. The number of questions increased fivefold, and the passing score rose from 70% to 90%. Out of 50 questions, you can get no more than 5 wrong.

The test is available in 20 languages (English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Myanmar, Nepali, Indonesian, Thai, Tagalog, Khmer, Mongolian, Sinhala, Hindi, Urdu, Persian, Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, and Ukrainian; Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department: Written Tests Available in Foreign Languages). A big advantage of license conversion is that you are likely to be able to take it in your native language.

42.8% pass rate: nearly 6 out of 10 people fail

Since the rules became stricter (October to December 2025), the knowledge test pass rate has been 42.8%.

This means that out of 10 people who take it, nearly 6 fail. Before the revision, people sometimes said you could pass without studying, but that is no longer true.

👉 Even years of driving experience in your home country are not enough to pass anymore. The test does not measure driving skill; it measures whether you correctly understand Japan's traffic rules.

What is needed before the knowledge test?

With license conversion, booking a test is not the end. First you book the document check, and only after passing it do you move on to the knowledge test.

Some prefectures let you take the knowledge test on the same day you pass the document check, while in others the knowledge test is on a separate day. Check in advance which way your prefecture handles it.

Problems with documents lead to rejection

If there is a problem with your documents, the application is not accepted on the spot, and you have to book again from the start. You cannot even move on to the knowledge test. Prepare carefully (required documents based on the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department).

• Foreign driver's license (valid)

• Japanese translation of the driver's license — made by ZIPLUS, JAF (Japan Automobile Federation), or similar

• Copy of the certificate of residence (juminhyo) — showing nationality, status of residence, expiration date of the period of stay, residence card number, and so on

• Residence card and passport (an old passport may also be needed to confirm how long you stayed after getting your license)

• 1 photo — 3 cm high × 2.4 cm wide, taken within 6 months

Since October 2025, a certificate of residence is required. Short-term visitors who are not covered by the Basic Resident Registration Act generally cannot apply, except for diplomats and other exceptions. People who came to Japan as tourists are not eligible.

ZIPLUS can prepare the Japanese translation of your driver's license

Of the required documents, the "Japanese translation of the driver's license" is where people often get stuck because they do not know where to request it. ZIPLUS Co., Ltd., which operates Drivey, also prepares this translation. ZIPLUS is a translation provider recognized by the National Police Agency. You can check your country's license in the list of supported countries.

👉 Having to rebook because of a problem with the translation is the most avoidable delay. If you prepare it at the same time you start studying, you will not get stuck at the document check. You can apply for a translation here. You can also contact us through the contact form.

What is on the knowledge test?

The test covers the basics of Japan's traffic rules. Questions come mainly from the following areas.

• Meanings of signals, signs, and road markings — what each sign instructs

• Right of way — who goes first at intersections, and what a priority road is

• Going slow (jokou) and stopping — where to go slow and where to come to a complete stop

• No parking and no stopping — where you may and may not stop

• Protecting pedestrians — how to treat pedestrians at crosswalks and railroad crossings

• Driving on expressways — included even when you apply for a moped license

The format is mainly true-or-false text questions. Since you no longer choose answers by looking at illustrations, you need to be able to read the text accurately.

Differences in how rules work compared with your home country are tested

What matters most on this test are rules that are different in Japan, even if something else is normal in your home country. Since the revision, questions focus on these differences.

• Japan drives on the left — people from right-hand-traffic countries tend to confuse the direction of signs and how to turn

• Pedestrian priority at crosswalks — in Japan, you must always stop before a crosswalk if a pedestrian is about to cross. The standard is not "stop if a pedestrian is there" but "stop if a pedestrian is trying to cross"

• Always stop at railroad crossings, open the window, and check for safety — how railroad crossings are handled differs greatly by country

• The concept of "jokou" (going slow) — it means moving at a speed at which you can stop immediately. It is different from simply "driving slowly," and this distinction appears on the test

👉 The questions are designed so that answering with your home country's common sense leads to mistakes. You need to relearn these as Japanese rules. Where the differences appear depends on your country of origin. Indonesia, Thailand, and Nepal drive on the left like Japan, so people from these countries do not make mistakes there. It is people from Vietnam, China, the Philippines, and Myanmar for whom left and right are reversed. You can check where you are likely to lose points with practice questions organized by the stumbling points for each country of origin.

Be careful not to misread the text questions

• "Must not" and "must" — in Japanese, the negative comes at the end of the sentence. If you do not read to the end, the meaning is reversed

• Exceptions with "as a rule" or "however" — if you miss the exception, you will answer wrong even if you know the correct rule

• Words like "all," "always," and "at all" — questions with absolute expressions test whether there are exceptions

How is it different from the moped written test?

It is a common misunderstanding, but the license conversion knowledge test and the written test for a new license at a driver's license center are different tests.

Both share a 90% passing line and mainly text questions, but the questions themselves are different. Studying with a moped question book does not mean you are ready for license conversion.

👉 First confirm which test you will take. If you get this wrong, your preparation is wasted. For a new moped license, the required documents, fees, and test-day steps are covered in How Foreign Residents Can Get a Moped License. The differences between the 2 tests are compared in this article.

Converting to a regular license also requires the driving skills test

If your country is not exempt and you are converting to a regular license or similar, you take the driving skills test (an on-road test) in addition to the knowledge test. Scoring on this test also became stricter in October 2025, and the pass rate fell from about 30% to 13.1%.

• Passing through a crosswalk was added as a task

• Forgetting to signal and turning incorrectly are now scored by the same standard as for a new license

• Crossing railroad tracks is also checked

The longer you have been driving, the more likely your home-country driving habits are to show here. The test checks not whether you can drive safely, but whether you can drive according to Japanese standards.

👉 To repeat: when converting to a moped license, there is no driving skills test.

The deduction criteria and test-day steps for the driving skills test are covered in ZIPLUS's License Conversion Driving Skills Test: Deduction Criteria and Tips for Passing. If you want support including driving practice, there is the License Conversion Support Package.

How much does it cost? (Tokyo, as of September 2026)

Fees are based on the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. For a regular license, the estimate is 2,500 yen + 2,350 yen = 4,850 yen. You also pay for the translation and the certificate of residence. If you fail, you pay the application fee again.

Some areas have a 1 to 3 month wait for appointments

After the rule change, more people are taking and retaking the test, so in some areas knowledge test appointments are booked 1 to 3 months ahead.

👉 If you fail, you have to book again from the start. Passing on the first try is what saves your time.

In Tokyo, you can apply at the Fuchu, Samezu, and Koto test centers. However, the Koto test center is only for people with licenses from the 29 exempt countries and regions. Appointments are made by phone or through the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's online administrative procedures service.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Where can I get past questions for the knowledge test?

No past questions are officially distributed. However, the test covers the basics of Japan's traffic rules (signals and signs, right of way, going slow and stopping, no parking and no stopping, and protecting pedestrians), so practicing these areas in the true-or-false text format is the way to prepare. Practicing in the same format as the real test reduces points lost to misreading. We have published practice questions based on the test range, with answers and explanations.

Q. I have driven for 20 years in my home country. Do I need to study?

Yes. The pass rate is 42.8%, and most test takers have driving experience in their home country. Even so, nearly 60% fail. That is because the test measures knowledge of Japan's traffic rules, not driving skill, and the passing line is high at 90%.

Q. What languages can I take it in?

The knowledge test is available in 20 languages, including Vietnamese, Myanmar, Indonesian, Chinese, Nepali, Thai, and Tagalog. Tell the counter which language you want when you apply.

Q. Do I need the driving skills test if I only want to convert to a moped license?

No. When you apply for a moped license, the driving skills test is waived. There is no moped training course either. You get the license by passing the 50-question knowledge test.

Q. What happens if I fail?

You can retake it. However, you pay the application fee again and must book again. In some areas the next appointment is 1 to 3 months away, which greatly delays your license.

Q. Can I convert my license on a short-term stay (tourist visa)?

No. Since October 2025, a certificate of residence is required, and short-term visitors who are not covered by the Basic Resident Registration Act generally can no longer apply, except for diplomats and other exceptions.

Q. I came to Japan right after getting my license. Can I convert it?

The condition is that you stayed in that country for a total of 3 months or more after getting your license. If you do not meet this condition, you cannot apply. The length of stay is checked with records such as passport entry and exit stamps.

How should I start preparing for the knowledge test?

As we have seen, the knowledge test after the revision is a test with

• 50 questions and a 90% passing line (you can get only 5 wrong)

• a pass rate of 42.8%, with nearly 60% failing

• mainly text questions, which also test reading comprehension

• a focus on differences between Japan's rules and your home country's

It is not a test you can pass just because you have driving experience.

When preparing, keep these 3 points in mind.

• Start with the differences from your home country's rules — driving on the left, stopping at crosswalks, checking at railroad crossings, and the meaning of going slow. These are where most points are lost

• Understand the meaning in your native language — if you start by memorizing Japanese, a small change in wording will make you answer wrong. If you understand in your native language why each rule exists, you can handle questions you have never seen

• Practice in the true-or-false text format — getting used to the same format as the real test reduces points lost to misreading

You can start preparing before coming to Japan

The test asks about Japan's traffic rules, so you can study before coming to Japan. If you start looking for materials after arriving, your test will be delayed by that much. With an online learning environment, you can start while still in your home country.

Drivey has a dedicated license conversion course

The license conversion knowledge test is separate from the moped and regular license written tests. Drivey has a dedicated course for the license conversion knowledge test.

Drivey's features are as follows.

• License conversion course — practice with 947 questions for the 50-question knowledge test. It is separate from the moped, provisional license, and regular license courses, so you can focus only on the questions for the test you will take

• 6 languages — Japanese, English, Vietnamese, Myanmar, Indonesian, and Chinese. You can understand the meaning of Japan's traffic rules in your native language before the test

• The same true-or-false text questions as the real test — practicing in the actual format means fewer points lost to misreading

• Videos and Q&A text — you can see on video situations that are hard to understand from text alone, such as stopping at crosswalks and crossing railroad tracks

• Japanese with furigana — people taking the test in Japanese can study without getting stuck on kanji

ZIPLUS Co., Ltd., the operator, also prepares the Japanese translation of your driver's license needed for the application. You can handle studying and document preparation together.

With a 42.8% pass rate, and 1 to 3 months lost to rebooking if you fail, the quality of your preparation decides when you get your license. If you pass on the first try, you do not pay extra fees or lose extra time.

👉 You can start the license conversion course with a free trial. You can check all 947 questions, videos, the glossary, and mock tests before deciding. Also see how to use the course and plan your study.

If you support several people with license conversion at a company, supervising organization, or registered support organization, see our corporate service. The corporate dashboard lets you check each learner's progress remotely. If learners start studying before arrival, they can go to the document check right after coming to Japan. For quotes, please use the contact form.

Summary

• First check whether your country is exempt. 29 countries and regions are exempt (mainly European countries plus South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Canada, and others). Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, China, Nepal, and others are not

• You must have stayed in the country for a total of 3 months or more after getting your license

• The knowledge test has 50 questions and you pass with 45 or more (90%); the pass rate is 42.8%. It changed from 10 questions and 70% in October 2025, and illustration questions were removed

• When converting to a moped license, there is no driving skills test or moped training course. The only hurdle is the 50-question knowledge test (conversion to a regular license and others also has the driving skills test at 13.1%)

• There is a document check before the knowledge test, which also requires an appointment. Problems with documents lead to rejection. ZIPLUS can prepare the translation

• Questions cover signals and signs, right of way, going slow and stopping, no parking and no stopping, protecting pedestrians, and expressway driving. Differences from your home country's rules are tested heavily

• It is a different test from the moped written test. The moped test has a 58.7% pass rate, but the languages range from 0 to 20 depending on the prefecture, and the moped training course is also required

• The knowledge test is available in 20 languages, so you are likely to be able to take it in your native language

• The cost in Tokyo is 4,850 yen (for a regular license). Since October 2025, a certificate of residence is required, and tourists on short-term stays are not eligible

• In some areas, appointments have a 1 to 3 month wait. If you fail, you must book again

Rules, fees, and exempt countries may change. This article is based on information as of September 2026. Before applying, check the latest information with the driver's license center in your prefecture.

Sources: National Police Agency results for license conversion, October to December 2025 (knowledge test 42.8%, driving skills test 13.1%; reported by Nikkei and NTV NEWS NNN) / National Police Agency, Driver's License Statistics, 2025 edition (moped written test: 162,668 test takers, 95,495 passed, 58.7% pass rate) / Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department: Converting a Foreign Driver's License to a Japanese License (required documents, 29 exempt countries, 3-month stay requirement, fees) / Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department: Revised Enforcement Regulations of the Road Traffic Act, effective October 1, 2025 (knowledge test: 50 questions, 45 or more correct, illustration questions removed, afternoon only, stricter driving skills test) / Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department: Written Tests Available in Foreign Languages (updated May 11, 2026) / Kanagawa Prefectural Police: Test Procedures for Moped and Small Special Vehicle Licenses (moped: 46 text + 2 illustration questions, 45 points or more) / Fukuoka Prefectural Police: Conversion from a Foreign License (no practical test required when applying for a moped license)