Check the documents, the costs, the languages you can test in, and how to start studying — one step at a time.
To ride a moped (原付, gentsuki — a motorcycle of 50cc or less) in Japan, you need a moped license. This article is for foreign residents in Japan who want to get a moped license themselves, and it walks through the whole process from start to finish.
After reading this article, you will know:
The three ways to get a moped license, and how to choose the one that fits you
What languages you can test in, in the prefecture where you live
The documents, the costs, and what happens on the day
What the test covers, and how to prepare for it
Note: this information is current as of September 2026. Fees and rules change. Please confirm with the Driver's License Center in your prefecture before you apply.
Three ways to get a moped license
There are three main ways to ride a moped in Japan.
1. Get a new license in Japan |
2. Foreign license conversion |
3. International permit |
|
Who it is for |
People with no license from their home country |
People who hold a license from their home country |
People staying short-term |
Test you take |
Written test (48 questions) |
Knowledge confirmation (50 questions) |
None |
Pass rate |
58.7% |
42.8% |
— |
Test languages |
1 to 5, depending on the prefecture |
20 languages |
— |
Booking |
Usually easy to book |
Several months' wait in some areas |
— |
Validity |
Valid as a Japanese license |
Valid as a Japanese license |
Limited, such as one year from issue |
This article focuses on option 1, getting a new license in Japan, which most people choose. Option 2 is covered later in the article.
👉 If you do not hold a license from your home country, option 1 is your only choice.
Important: if you get a new license at a License Center, very few test languages are available
Many people miss this point, and it matters more than any other.
Since June 28, 2024, written tests in Japan have been available in 20 languages. Those 20 languages cover the written tests for Class 1 licenses, Class 2 licenses, and provisional licenses, and also the knowledge confirmation for foreign license conversion.
The written test for a new moped license at a License Center is handled separately, and each prefecture decides its own languages. In most cases, the list is far shorter than 20.
In other words, for the same moped license, the languages you can choose depend entirely on how you get it.
Languages in major prefectures (as of September 2026)
Prefecture |
1. New license at a License Center |
2. Foreign license conversion |
Tokyo |
English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Burmese, Nepali (5 languages) |
20 languages |
Kanagawa |
English only (1 language) |
20 languages |
Chiba |
English only (1 language) |
20 languages |
Saitama |
English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Portuguese (4 languages) |
20 languages |
Aichi |
English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Portuguese (4 languages) |
20 languages |
Osaka |
English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Portuguese (4 languages) |
20 languages |
Fukuoka |
English, Chinese, Vietnamese (3 languages) |
20 languages |
In Kanagawa and Chiba, English is the only language available for the moped written test when you get a new license. In those same prefectures, converting a foreign license gives you 20 languages. The gap between the two routes is that wide.
Even within the Tokyo area, Tokyo offers 5 languages while neighboring Kanagawa and Chiba offer English only. Where you live changes how hard the test is to take.
The 20 languages for foreign license conversion
The knowledge confirmation for foreign license conversion is offered in these 20 languages:
English / Chinese / Korean / Vietnamese / Burmese / Nepali / Indonesian / Thai / Tagalog / Khmer / Mongolian / Sinhala / Hindi / Urdu / Persian / Arabic / Portuguese / Spanish / Russian / Ukrainian
Take someone whose first language is Indonesian. Their situation splits in two:
They hold a license from their home country → with foreign license conversion, they can test in Indonesian
They hold no license from their home country → they get a new license at a License Center, and Indonesian is not offered in any of the seven prefectures above (they test in Japanese or English)
Thai, Tagalog, and Korean speakers are in the same position.
👉 "20 languages available" refers to the knowledge confirmation for foreign license conversion. The moped written test for a new license is handled separately, so always check for your own prefecture.
How to check your prefecture
If you live outside the seven prefectures above, check in either of these ways:
Search the website of your prefectural police for 「外国語 学科試験」 (written test in foreign languages)
Call the Driver's License Center and ask, "I want to get a new moped license. Can I take the written test in [your language]?"
Make it clear that you mean the written test for a new moped license. If you only ask "what languages is the written test available in," staff may answer about the 20 languages for standard licenses or for conversion.
If your language is not available
You still have options.
Consider foreign license conversion, if you hold a license from home. It covers 20 languages, so you are more likely to test in your own language.
Test in Japanese. The test is made up of sentence questions. If you understand the traffic rules in your own language first, testing in Japanese is realistic.
Test in English. All seven prefectures above offer English, and most prefectures do.
Documents you need
Foreign nationals applying for a new moped license need the following:
A copy of your certificate of residence (住民票) — it must show all items for foreign residents, including your period of stay, and be issued within the last 6 months. Photocopies are not accepted.
Your residence card (or special permanent resident certificate, My Number card, or passport)
One photo — 3cm tall by 2.4cm wide, taken within the last 6 months, no hat, front-facing, plain background
Your reservation QR code or reservation number — required where booking is mandatory, as in Tokyo
Writing materials — an HB pencil, an eraser, and a black or blue pen
Glasses, if you need them
Some people cannot take the test
You cannot take the moped test in these cases. Check before you apply.
You are not covered by the Basic Resident Registration Act. If your residence status does not let you obtain a certificate of residence, you cannot take the test.
Your period of stay has expired.
You are under 16. You can get a moped license from age 16.
Your eyesight is below the standard. You need 0.5 or better with both eyes (glasses and contacts are fine).
You must also test in the prefecture where your residence is registered. If you live in Tokyo, you cannot test in Osaka.
Costs
In Tokyo, the costs are as follows (as of September 2026).
Test fee |
1,600 yen |
License issuance fee |
2,350 yen |
Moped training course |
5,250 yen |
Total |
9,200 yen |
You will also pay a small fee for your certificate of residence (around 300 yen) and for your photo. Fees vary slightly between prefectures, so check the amount where you live.
Note that the 1,600 yen test fee is not refunded if you fail, and you pay it again every time you retake the test.
From application to receiving your license
A moped license can be completed in one day. In most prefectures, you apply in the morning and receive your license the same day.
Book your test. Tokyo is reservation-only. You cannot test without a booking.
Get your certificate of residence. Go to your city or ward office and ask for the version that shows all items including your period of stay.
Go to the driving license test center. In Tokyo, the Fuchu and Samezu centers hold the test on weekdays only. Report at 8:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m.
Submit your application. At this point, tell the staff which language you want.
Take the aptitude test. This checks your eyesight and color recognition.
Take the written test. 48 questions, 30 minutes.
Take the moped training course. It lasts 3 hours and includes riding a moped.
Receive your license.
👉 You will actually ride a moped during the training course. Wear long sleeves, long pants, and athletic shoes. You cannot take part in sandals or a skirt.
In some prefectures the training course is held on a different day.
Important: the moped written test and the conversion knowledge confirmation are two different tests
People often assume these are the same test. They are not. The number of questions differs, the content differs, and so does the way you prepare. Work out which one you are taking before you start studying.
Moped written test |
Knowledge confirmation |
|
Questions |
48 (46 sentence, 2 illustration) |
50 |
Scoring |
50 points total (illustrations are 2 points each) |
Correct answers out of 50 |
Passing score |
45 points or more (90%) |
45 questions or more (90%) |
Time |
30 minutes |
— |
Pass rate |
58.7% |
42.8% |
Test languages |
1 to 5, depending on the prefecture |
20 languages |
Both share a 90% passing score and both are built around true-or-false sentence questions. The questions themselves, however, are different. Studying a moped question bank will not prepare you for the conversion test, and the reverse is equally true.
The moped written test: 58.7% pass rate, and 4 in 10 native speakers fail
You may have heard that the moped license is easy. The numbers say otherwise. According to the National Police Agency's Driver's License Statistics, here is the moped license test in 2025:
Applicants |
162,668 |
Passed |
95,495 |
Pass rate |
58.7% |
Failed |
About 67,000 |
What matters here is that most of these applicants are native Japanese speakers. People who grew up in Japan, read road signs in Japanese, and live surrounded by Japanese traffic rules — and 4 out of every 10 still fail.
The conversion knowledge confirmation: 42.8% pass rate
Foreign license conversion is even tougher. Since the rules tightened in October 2025 (data from October to December 2025), the pass rate for the knowledge confirmation is 42.8%.
That means close to 6 out of every 10 applicants fail. Before the change, the test had 10 questions and a 70% passing score. It now has 50 questions and a 90% passing score, and the format moved from mostly illustrations to mostly sentence questions.
👉 Neither route is a test you pass without studying. With a 90% passing score, you can afford to miss only about 5 of 48 questions. "I mostly understand it" is not enough.
Where foreign applicants tend to lose points
Foreign applicants face everything native speakers face, plus the work of reading Japanese accurately. Both tests are built around sentence questions, so they check whether you know the rules and whether you can read the sentence correctly. These are the common traps:
Confusing "must not" with "must." In Japanese the negative comes at the end of the sentence, so the meaning flips if you stop reading early.
Telling "slow down" (徐行) apart from "stop." This distinction is specific to Japanese traffic rules.
Rules that differ from your home country. Japan drives on the left. If you come from a country that drives on the right, it is easy to misread signs.
Exceptions marked by "as a rule" or "however." Miss the exception and you get the question wrong even when you know the rule.
Time pressure. The moped test gives you 48 questions in 30 minutes — about 37 seconds each. There is no time to look words up.
👉 Memorizing alone rarely gets you to 90%. Understanding what each rule means, in your own language, is the faster route.
If you hold a license from your home country
If you already have a license from your home country, you can convert it to a Japanese license through foreign license conversion (外免切替, gaimen kirikae). However, this process became much harder on October 1, 2025.
Until September 2025 |
From October 2025 |
|
Questions |
10 |
50 |
Passing score |
7 or more (70%) |
45 or more (90%) |
Format |
Mostly illustrations |
Mostly sentence questions |
Pass rate |
— |
42.8% |
The number of questions is now five times higher, and the passing score went up. Residence checks also became stricter, and a certificate of residence is now required. Short-term visitors are no longer eligible.
Since the change, more people are taking the test, and in some areas the knowledge confirmation is booked out for months. If you fail, you start again from the booking queue.
👉 Conversion gives you 20 languages, but it also brings a 42.8% pass rate and waits of several months. Getting a new license at a License Center is easier to book but limits you to 1 to 5 languages. Decide on both questions together: how soon can you book, and what language can you test in.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Are the moped written test and the conversion knowledge confirmation the same test?
No, they are different tests. The number of questions differs (48 versus 50) and so does the content. Both use a 90% passing score and sentence questions, but the questions themselves are separate, so each needs its own preparation. Check which one you are taking before you start.
Q. Can I get a moped license if I cannot read Japanese?
It depends on the route. With foreign license conversion, 20 languages are available, so you are likely to test in your own language. Getting a new license at a License Center limits you to 1 to 5 languages, and some prefectures, such as Kanagawa and Chiba, offer English only. If your language is not offered, you test in Japanese or English. Learning the traffic rules in your own language first makes testing in Japanese realistic.
Q. Can I pass without studying?
We do not recommend it. The moped written test has a 58.7% pass rate (National Police Agency, Driver's License Statistics, 2025), and the conversion knowledge confirmation sits at 42.8% since the rules tightened. Most moped applicants are native Japanese speakers, and about 4 in 10 still fail. Both tests use a 90% passing score, so five shaky answers are enough to fail.
Q. How many days does it take?
Getting a new license at a License Center takes one day in most prefectures. You apply in the morning, take the written test and the training course, and receive your license the same day. Some prefectures hold the training course on a separate day. Foreign license conversion can take months just to get a booking.
Q. What happens if I fail?
You can take the test again. You pay the test fee (1,600 yen) again, and where booking is mandatory, as in Tokyo, you also book again. If you have not yet taken the training course, the course fee can often be carried over, but this varies by prefecture, so please check.
Q. Can I take the test without a certificate of residence?
No. If your residence status is not covered by the Basic Resident Registration Act, you cannot take the moped test. You also cannot take it if your period of stay has expired. Foreign license conversion has required a certificate of residence since October 2025.
Q. Where can I ride with a moped license?
A moped license covers motorcycles of 50cc or less. You cannot ride on expressways or motor-vehicle-only roads. There is a 30 km/h speed limit, and at some intersections you must make a two-stage right turn. These rules appear on the written test.
How to start preparing
As we have seen, whichever route you take:
the passing score is 90%
pass rates are 58.7% for the moped test and 42.8% for conversion — not high
4 in 10 native Japanese speakers fail the moped test
the tests are built on sentence questions and check your reading as well as your knowledge
the two are different tests, so you need to prepare for the one you are actually taking
This is not something you can learn at the test center on the day. Preparation decides the result.
Keep three things in mind while you prepare:
Confirm which test you are taking. The moped written test or the conversion knowledge confirmation — the questions differ, so getting this wrong wastes your study time.
Understand what the rules mean, in your own language. If you start by memorizing Japanese, a small change in wording will trip you up. Understanding why a rule exists lets you handle questions you have never seen.
Get used to the sentence format. Practicing in the same true-or-false format as the real test makes misreading less likely on the day.
Drivey covers both the moped test and foreign license conversion, in your own language
The moped written test and the conversion knowledge confirmation are different tests, and Drivey has a separate course for each. Whichever route you take, you can prepare in your own language.
Your situation |
Drivey course |
No license from home |
Moped license course (for the 48-question written test) |
You hold a license from home |
Conversion course (for the 50-question knowledge confirmation) |
Driving school for a standard license |
Provisional license and standard license courses |
What Drivey offers:
Four courses, one per test — moped, conversion, provisional, and standard. You practice on the questions for the test you are actually taking.
Five languages — English, Vietnamese, Burmese, Indonesian, and Chinese. Even when your test is not offered in your language, you can understand the material in your own language first and then test in Japanese or English.
Practice in the real format — the same true-or-false sentence questions as the test, which cuts down on losing points to misreading.
Videos and Q&A text — signs and intersection rules are easier to grasp on video than in writing alone.
Japanese with furigana — if you test in Japanese, kanji will not slow your studying down.
Preparing in your own language first is a practical choice especially if you are:
living in Kanagawa or Chiba — the new-license written test is English only
a speaker of Indonesian, Thai, Tagalog or a similar language — not offered for a new moped license
converting a foreign license — a 42.8% pass rate, and failing costs you months in the booking queue
With a 90% passing score, the quality of your preparation decides the outcome. Pass on the first try and you pay no second test fee and lose no time rebooking.
Summary
You can get a moped license from age 16, usually in one day.
The moped written test and the conversion knowledge confirmation are different tests (48 versus 50 questions). Prepare for the one you are taking.
Pass rates are 58.7% for the moped test and 42.8% for conversion. About 4 in 10 moped applicants fail, most of them native Japanese speakers (National Police Agency, Driver's License Statistics, 2025).
For the same moped license, the languages you can choose depend on the route. A new license at a License Center gives you 1 to 5 languages (English only in Kanagawa and Chiba, 5 in Tokyo); conversion gives you 20.
When you call your License Center, say clearly that you mean the written test for a new license.
You need a certificate of residence showing all items including your period of stay, plus your residence card. If your residence status does not allow a certificate of residence, you cannot take the test.
The cost in Tokyo is 9,200 yen (1,600 test fee, 2,350 issuance, 5,250 training course).
Fees and available languages change. This article is current as of September 2026. Please confirm the latest information with the Driver's License Center in your prefecture before you apply.
Sources: National Police Agency, "Driver's License Statistics (2025)"; Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department; Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Aichi, Osaka and Fukuoka Prefectural Police