How Foreign Residents Can Get a Moped License in Japan | Test Languages in All 47 Prefectures, Documents, and Costs (2026)

There are 2 ways to ride a moped (gentsuki) in Japan. If you do not have a driver's license from your home country, you get a new moped license at a driver's license center. If you do have one, you can switch it to a Japanese license through license conversion (gaimen kirikae). For a new license, the test languages range from 0 to 20 depending on the prefecture. For license conversion, 20 languages are available anywhere in Japan.

This article is for foreign residents living in Japan who want to get a moped license themselves. We checked the languages available in all 47 prefectures and set out the steps from start to finish.

After reading this article, you will know these 4 things.

• The 3 ways to get a moped license, and how to choose the right one for you

• What languages you can take the test in, in the prefecture where you live (all 47 prefectures)

• The required documents, fees, and what happens on test day

• What is on the test and how to prepare

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

3 ways to get a moped license

The 3 ways are "getting a new license in Japan," "license conversion," and "an international driving permit." If you do not have a license from your home country, the only option is to get a new license in Japan.

This article focuses on ① getting a new license in Japan, the option most people choose. ② License conversion is explained in the second half of the article.

👉 If you do not have a license from your home country, ① is your only option.

What languages can I take the moped written test in?

When you get a new moped license at a driver's license center, the test languages are decided by each prefecture. Aomori, Iwate, Akita, and Nagano offer Japanese only. Ibaraki, Shiga, Yamaguchi, Kagawa, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima offer 20 languages. Tokyo and Tochigi offer 5 languages.

Since June 28, 2024, written tests in Japan have been available in 20 languages. These 20 languages apply to the written tests for Class 1 licenses, Class 2 licenses, and provisional licenses, and to the knowledge test for license conversion.

The moped written test is not covered by these 20 languages. Each prefecture decides its own languages for the moped test, and the differences are very large.

Answers by prefecture (as of September 2026)

We checked the official page of each prefectural police, and for prefectures whose official pages do not say, we called the driver's license center to confirm. All 47 prefectures have been confirmed.

• In Aomori, Iwate, Akita, and Nagano, you cannot take the moped written test in a foreign language. It is Japanese only.

• In Hokkaido, Yamagata, Chiba, Kanagawa, Shizuoka, Kyoto, and Tottori, the moped written test is English only.

• In Ibaraki, Shiga, Yamaguchi, Kagawa, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima, you can take the moped written test in 20 languages.

• In Tokyo, you can take the moped written test in 5 languages: English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Nepali, and Myanmar.

• Tochigi also offers 5 languages: English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Portuguese, and Nepali.

• Mie offers 8 languages (English, Chinese, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Spanish, Tagalog, Indonesian, and Nepali).

• Hyogo offers 6 languages (English, Chinese, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Nepali, and Sinhala).

• Saitama, Aichi, and Osaka offer 4 languages (English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Portuguese).

• Fukuoka offers 3 languages (English, Chinese, and Vietnamese).

• Gifu offers 3 languages: English, Portuguese, and Chinese. Vietnamese is not available.

• Fukushima, Gunma, and Fukui offer 2 languages: English and Vietnamese. Chinese is not available.

• Okinawa offers 2 languages: English and Nepali.

Nationwide breakdown

The Aomori Prefectural Police state clearly in their official information that the written test questions for small special vehicle and moped licenses are in Japanese only. Even within the Tokyo area, the situation changes when you cross a prefectural border. Ibaraki offers 20 languages, Tokyo and Tochigi offer 5, Saitama offers 4, and Kanagawa and Chiba offer English only.

Also, the number of languages alone does not tell you everything. Even with the same number of languages, whether your native language is included differs by prefecture. Tokyo and Tochigi both offer 5 languages, but Tokyo includes Myanmar and Tochigi includes Portuguese.

Options if your native language is not offered in your prefecture

If you live in one of the 4 Japanese-only prefectures, one of the 7 English-only prefectures, or a prefecture that does not offer your native language, this may look like a dead end. However, people do pass by taking the test in a language other than their native language. What makes the difference is not their skill in that language, but whether they first understand what the traffic rules mean.

The test consists of true-or-false text questions. If you understand the meaning of the rules in your native language, you can judge the questions even when they are written in another language. On the other hand, if you memorize the question text, a small change in wording will make you answer wrong.

You choose your test language from the languages offered in your prefecture. For example, Gifu offers English, Portuguese, and Chinese, so your choices are these 3 and Japanese. Aomori, Iwate, Akita, and Nagano offer Japanese only, so you will take the test in Japanese.

👉 Drivey offers a moped license course where you can study for the moped written test in English, Vietnamese, Myanmar, Indonesian, and Chinese. After understanding the traffic rules in your native language, you can take the test in a language you can read from those offered in your prefecture. You can try it with a free trial.

The 20 languages for license conversion

The 20 languages available for the license conversion knowledge test are as follows. These are the same nationwide, with no differences between prefectures.

English / Chinese / Korean / Vietnamese / Myanmar / Nepali / Indonesian / Thai / Tagalog / Khmer / Mongolian / Sinhala / Hindi / Urdu / Persian / Arabic / Portuguese / Spanish / Russian / Ukrainian

For example, for a native speaker of Indonesian, the situation divides as follows.

• With a license from your home country → through license conversion, you can take the test in Indonesian anywhere in Japan

• Without a license from your home country → you get a new license at a license center, and Indonesian is available only in Mie and the 8 prefectures that offer 20 languages

The situation is the same for Thai, Tagalog, Korean, and others.

👉 "20 languages" applies to the license conversion knowledge test. The moped written test for a new license at a license center is handled separately, so always check your own prefecture.

You cannot bring an interpreter to the written test

You cannot bring an interpreter into the written test room. You take the test alone.

This means you can take the test in a language other than Japanese only when the test questions are prepared in that language. Bringing an interpreter to translate for you is not an option. In the 4 Japanese-only prefectures, or if you cannot read any of the foreign languages offered in your prefecture, you will take the test in Japanese.

For reception and paperwork, guidance differs by prefecture. Check with the driver's license center in advance about whether someone can come with you.

How to check your prefecture

The available languages may change. Before taking the test, check the latest information in one of these ways.

• Search the website of your prefectural police for "foreign language written test"

• Call the driver's license center and ask, "I want to get a new moped license. Can I take the written test in (language)?"

When you ask, make clear that you mean "the written test for a new moped license." If you only ask "What languages can I take the written test in?", you may get the answer for the regular license or the 20 languages for license conversion.

👉 Even if an official page says that mopeds are excluded from the 20 languages, some other languages may be offered just for mopeds. Chiba, Tochigi, Gunma, and Fukushima all have this exclusion on their pages, but when we called, they offered 1 to 5 languages for the moped test. Do not give up based only on the website. Always confirm by phone.

Documents foreign residents need for a moped license

You need a copy of your certificate of residence (juminhyo) (showing all items such as your period of stay, issued within 6 months, no photocopies), your residence card, and 1 ID photo. If your status of residence does not allow you to get a certificate of residence, you cannot take the test.

• Copy of the certificate of residence — one that shows all items for foreign residents, such as the period of stay. Issued within 6 months. Photocopies cannot be used

• Residence card (or special permanent resident certificate, My Number card, passport, etc.)

• 1 photo — 3 cm high × 2.4 cm wide, taken within 6 months, no hat, facing forward, plain background

• Reservation QR code or reservation number — required in areas like Tokyo where all tests are by appointment

• Writing tools — pencil (HB), eraser, black or blue pen

• Glasses (if needed)

Some prefectures require additional items. In Ishikawa, payment is cash only, and the ID photo must show the date it was taken. Check in advance.

Cases where you cannot take the test

You cannot take the moped license test in the following cases. Always check before applying.

• If the Basic Resident Registration Act does not apply to you — you cannot take the test with a status of residence that does not allow you to get a certificate of residence

• If your period of stay has expired

• If you are under 16 — a moped license can be obtained from age 16

• If your eyesight is not good enough — you need 0.5 or better with both eyes (glasses and contact lenses are allowed)

Also, you can take the test only in the prefecture where you are registered as a resident. Someone living in Tokyo cannot take the test in Osaka. In other words, you cannot choose your test language yourself. It is decided by the prefecture where you live.

How much does a moped license cost?

In Tokyo, the total is 9,200 yen. This is made up of a 1,600 yen test fee, a 2,350 yen license issuing fee, and a 5,250 yen moped training course fee (as of September 2026).

You also pay a fee for the certificate of residence (about 300 yen) and for the photo. Fees differ slightly by prefecture, so check with your prefecture.

If you fail, the 1,600 yen test fee is not refunded, and you pay it again each time you retake the test. Passing on the first try saves you money.

From application to receiving your license

In many prefectures, you can get a moped license in 1 day. You check in in the morning, take the aptitude test, the written test, and the moped training course, and receive your license the same day.

1. Book the test — In Tokyo, all tests are by appointment. You cannot take the test without one

2. Get your certificate of residence — Get it at your city or ward office. Ask for "one that shows all items such as the period of stay"

3. Go to the driver's license test center — In Tokyo, the test is held on weekdays only at the Fuchu and Samezu test centers. Check-in is at 8:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m.

4. Submit your application — Tell the counter which language you want at this time

5. Aptitude test — Tests of eyesight, color recognition, and so on

6. Written test — 48 questions, 30 minutes

7. Moped training course — 3 hours, including practice riding a real moped

8. Receive your license

👉 You ride a real moped in the moped training course. Wear long sleeves, long pants, and sneakers. You cannot take the course in sandals or a skirt.

The order of the moped training course differs by prefecture

The steps above are for Tokyo and Osaka. In some prefectures, you must take the moped training course before the written test.

• Akita — First call the driver's license center to book the moped training course, then take the written test on the day you booked

• Tochigi — The moped training course is required. Book it online first, take it, and then take the written test

• Shiga — If you have not taken the moped training course within 1 year before the test, you will not receive your license even if you pass the written test

• Ehime — First get a reservation number at a police station, then take the written test at the driver's license center within 5 days

If you get the order wrong, you cannot receive your license that day. Before applying, always check the order in your prefecture.

The moped written test and the license conversion knowledge test are "different tests"

These 2 tests do not have the same questions. The moped written test has 48 questions and the license conversion knowledge test has 50, and the test ranges are different. First, be clear about which one you will take.

The license conversion knowledge test covers a wider range

There is a point that is easy to miss. Even when you get a moped license through license conversion, the knowledge test is the same 50 questions as for conversion to a regular license. It is not a moped-only test.

This means that for the same moped license, license conversion covers a wider range. This difference in range is one reason the pass rates differ: 58.7% and 42.8%.

👉 License conversion has "no driving skills test, no moped training course, and a test in your native language," but "the test range is the same as for a regular license." Cheaper does not mean easier.

The moped written test pass rate is 58.7%

According to the National Police Agency's Driver's License Statistics (2025 edition), 162,668 people took the moped written test in one year, and 95,495 passed. The pass rate was 58.7%, and 67,173 people failed.

Most test takers are Japanese people whose native language is Japanese. Even so, about 40% fail. It is not an easy test.

The license conversion knowledge test pass rate is 42.8%

The license conversion knowledge test changed greatly in October 2025.

Before the rule change (until September 2025)

• Number of questions: 10

• Passing score: 70%

• Pass rate: about 90%

After the rule change (from October 2025)

• Number of questions: 50

• Passing score: 90%

• Pass rate: 42.8%

A lot of information from before the change is still online. Information saying "only 10 questions" or "easy to get" is outdated.

Common stumbling points for foreign residents

People fail less because of their Japanese ability and more because of differences between the rules in Japan and in their home country.

• Which side of the road — Japan drives on the left. Vietnam, China, the Philippines, and Myanmar drive on the right, so your instincts are reversed

• Pedestrian priority at crosswalks — In Japan, you must always stop if there are pedestrians

• Definition of "jokou" (going slow) — It means a speed at which you can stop immediately, which is different from simply slowing down

• Distances where parking and stopping are prohibited — Set at 5 meters or 10 meters depending on the place

• Japanese phrasing — "As a rule" and "for any reason whatsoever" can reverse the answer

👉 You can try the kinds of questions that appear in our license conversion practice questions and explanations. The stumbling points above appear as actual questions.

If you have a license from your home country (license conversion notes)

To use license conversion, you must have stayed in your home country for a total of 3 months or more after getting your license there, and you need a Japanese certificate of residence. Licenses from 29 countries and regions are exempt from the knowledge test and driving skills test, but licenses from Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, China, and Nepal are not.

• You must have stayed in that country for a total of 3 months or more after getting your license there. This is checked with records such as passport entry and exit stamps

• Since October 2025, a certificate of residence is required. Short-term visitors cannot apply

• 29 countries and regions are exempt from the knowledge test and driving skills test, including South Korea, Taiwan, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Australia

• Appointments take time. In some areas, the document check or knowledge test is booked months ahead

👉 In areas where appointments are months away, failing once means a delay of several months. The content of the knowledge test is explained in our guide to the license conversion knowledge test (50 questions). You can prepare in your native language with the license conversion course.

A motorcycle license from your home country does not always become a moped license

If you have a motorcycle license from your home country, note the following. Which license you get after conversion depends on the category of your home country's license. It will not necessarily be a moped license.

If it corresponds to a Japanese regular motorcycle license or similar, you need the driving skills test (an on-road test) in addition to the knowledge test. For conversion to a moped license, there is no driving skills test.

How each country's license is treated is not published. The final decision is made at the document check at the driver's license center. Before applying, check with the driver's license center which category your license will fall into.

👉 If you only want to ride a moped, getting a new moped license at a license center may be faster. There is no driving skills test, and appointments are easier to get.

Frequently asked questions

Q. What languages can I take the moped written test in?

It depends on the prefecture. Aomori, Iwate, Akita, and Nagano offer Japanese only. Hokkaido, Yamagata, Chiba, Kanagawa, Shizuoka, Kyoto, and Tottori offer English only. Ibaraki, Shiga, Yamaguchi, Kagawa, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima offer 20 languages. Tokyo and Tochigi offer 5 languages.

Q. What documents do foreign residents need for a moped license?

A copy of your certificate of residence showing all items such as your period of stay (issued within 6 months, no photocopies), your residence card, 1 ID photo (3 cm high × 2.4 cm wide), and writing tools. In prefectures where all tests are by appointment, you also need your reservation number.

Q. How much does a moped license cost?

9,200 yen in total in Tokyo. This is the 1,600 yen test fee, the 2,350 yen license issuing fee, and the 5,250 yen moped training course fee. You also pay for the certificate of residence and the photo.

Q. How many days does it take to get a moped license?

1 day in many prefectures. You check in in the morning, take the written test and the moped training course, and receive your license the same day. However, some prefectures, such as Akita, Tochigi, and Shiga, require you to take the moped training course first. For license conversion, appointments can take months in some areas.

Q. What is the pass rate for the moped license?

The moped written test pass rate is 58.7% (National Police Agency, Driver's License Statistics, 2025). 162,668 people took it in one year, and 67,173 failed. The license conversion knowledge test pass rate is 42.8%. Both have a high passing line of 90%, so getting more than 10% of the questions wrong means you fail.

Q. Can I bring an interpreter to the test?

No. You take the written test alone. You can take it in a language other than Japanese only when the test questions are prepared in that language. Always check in advance which languages your prefecture offers.

Q. Can I get a moped license if I cannot read Japanese?

It depends on how you get it and where you live. If you have a license from your home country and use license conversion, 20 languages are available anywhere in Japan, so you are likely to be able to take the test in your native language. For a new license at a license center, the range is 0 to 20 languages, and Aomori, Iwate, Akita, and Nagano offer Japanese only. If your native language is not offered, you take the test in a language you can read from those offered in your prefecture. In Japanese-only prefectures, you take it in Japanese. One approach is to understand the traffic rules in your native language first, then take the test in an available language.

Q. Are the moped written test and the license conversion knowledge test the same questions?

No. The number of questions (48 and 50) and the content are different. They share a 90% passing line and mainly text questions, but the questions themselves are different. The license conversion knowledge test covers the same range as the regular license, even when you are getting a moped license. Preparation is also divided into the moped license course and the license conversion course.

Q. The neighboring prefecture offers more languages. Can I take the test there?

No. You can take the test only in the prefecture where you are registered as a resident. If you move and transfer your residence registration, you take the test under the conditions of your new prefecture.

Q. What happens if I fail the test?

You can retake it. However, you must pay the test fee (1,600 yen) again. In areas like Tokyo where all tests are by appointment, you also need to book again. If you have not yet taken the moped training course, the course fee can often be carried over to next time, but this differs by prefecture, so please check.

Q. Can I take the test without a certificate of residence?

No. If your status of residence is not covered by the Basic Resident Registration Act, you cannot take the moped license test. You also cannot take it if your period of stay has expired. Since October 2025, license conversion also requires a certificate of residence.

Q. What can I ride with a moped license?

With a moped license, you can ride motorcycles of 50cc or less and the "new-standard mopeds" added on April 1, 2025. A new-standard moped is a two-wheeler of 125cc or less whose maximum output is limited to 4.0 kW or less.

👉 This does not mean you can ride any 125cc motorcycle. Even at 125cc or less, a vehicle with a maximum output over 4.0 kW is a Class 2 motorized bicycle (gentsuki nishu) and cannot be ridden with a moped license. Before buying, always check whether the vehicle is a new-standard moped. You can still ride conventional mopeds of 50cc or less.

The roads you can ride on and the rules you must follow are the same for both. You cannot ride on expressways or motor-vehicle-only roads. There is also a 30 km/h speed limit, and some intersections require a two-stage right turn. These also appear on the written test.

How to start preparing for the test

The passing line is high at 90%, and the pass rates are 58.7% for mopeds and 42.8% for license conversion. It is not something you can learn at the test site on the day. Preparation in advance decides the result.

• The passing line is high at 90%

• The pass rates, 58.7% for mopeds and 42.8% for license conversion, are by no means high

• For mopeds, about 40% fail, including Japanese people

• Most questions are text questions, testing whether you can read them accurately

• The 2 tests are different, so you need to prepare for the one you will take

• You cannot bring an interpreter, so if the questions are not prepared in your native language, you take the test in another language offered in your prefecture or in Japanese

When preparing, keep these 3 points in mind.

• Confirm which test you will take — the moped written test or the license conversion knowledge test. The questions are different, so getting this wrong wastes your preparation

• Understand the meaning of the rules in your native language — if you start by memorizing question text, 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

• Get used to the text question format — practicing in the same true-or-false format as the real test makes misreading less likely on test day

Prepare for both the moped test and license conversion in your native language with Drivey

The moped written test and the license conversion knowledge test are different tests, but Drivey offers courses for both. Whichever route you choose, you can prepare in your native language.

Drivey's features are as follows.

• Separate courses for each test — moped license, license conversion, provisional license, regular license, and Class 2 license. You practice with questions for the test you will take

• 6 languages — Japanese, English, Vietnamese, Myanmar, Indonesian, and Chinese. Even if the test is not offered in your native language, you can understand the traffic rules in your native language and then work on questions in the language you will actually take the test in

• Practice in the real test format — you practice with the same true-or-false text questions as the real test, so you are less likely to lose points by misreading

• Videos and Q&A text — you can see signs and intersection rules on video that are hard to understand from text alone

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

Understanding the rules in your native language before the test is especially practical for the following people.

• People living in Aomori, Iwate, Akita, or Nagano — there are no foreign-language questions for the moped written test

• People living in Hokkaido, Yamagata, Chiba, Kanagawa, Shizuoka, Kyoto, or Tottori — the moped written test is English only

• Native speakers of Thai, Tagalog, Korean, and others — most prefectures do not offer these languages for a new license

• People choosing license conversion — in addition to the 42.8% pass rate, failing means losing months to rebooking

With a 90% passing line, the quality of your preparation greatly affects the result. If you pass on the first try, you do not need to pay retake fees or spend time rebooking.

👉 Start with a free trial. Moped license course / License conversion course

Summary

• A moped license can be obtained from age 16, and in 1 day in many prefectures

• With a moped license, you can ride motorcycles of 50cc or less and the new-standard mopeds added in April 2025 (125cc or less and maximum output of 4.0 kW or less)

• The moped written test and the license conversion knowledge test are different tests (48 and 50 questions). License conversion covers the same range as the regular license, even when you are getting a moped license

• The pass rates are 58.7% for mopeds and 42.8% for license conversion. For mopeds, about 40% of test takers, including Japanese people, fail (National Police Agency, Driver's License Statistics, 2025)

• For a new license at a license center, the test languages are decided by the prefecture. Aomori, Iwate, Akita, and Nagano offer Japanese only; Hokkaido, Yamagata, Chiba, Kanagawa, Shizuoka, Kyoto, and Tottori offer English only; Ibaraki, Shiga, Yamaguchi, Kagawa, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima offer 20 languages. Tokyo and Tochigi offer 5 languages

• License conversion offers 20 languages anywhere in Japan. The languages you can choose depend on whether you have a license from your home country

• You cannot bring an interpreter to the written test. Unless your prefecture offers the questions in that language, you cannot take the test in a language other than Japanese

• Even if an official page says "excluding mopeds," some other languages may be offered just for mopeds. Always confirm by phone

• You can take the test only in the prefecture where you are registered as a resident. You cannot take it in another prefecture because of the language

• The order of the moped training course differs by prefecture. Some prefectures, such as Akita, Tochigi, and Shiga, require you to take the course first

• You need a copy of your certificate of residence (showing all items such as the period of stay) and your residence card. You cannot take the test with a status of residence that does not allow you to get a certificate of residence

• The cost in Tokyo is 9,200 yen (1,600 yen test fee, 2,350 yen issuing fee, 5,250 yen moped training course fee)

Fees and available languages 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: 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 (46 text + 2 illustration questions, 45 points or more) / Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department: Moped License Test (eligibility, fees, moped training course) / Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department: Converting a Foreign Driver's License to a Japanese License (required documents, 29 exempt countries, 3-month stay requirement) / 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) / National Police Agency, Driver's License Statistics (2025 edition), and the official pages and PDFs of each prefectural police. For prefectures whose official pages do not say, we confirmed by phone with each driver's license center (September 2026). For new-standard mopeds, see the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) guidance (effective April 1, 2025; 125cc or less and maximum output of 4.0 kW or less). This article is provided for information only and does not assume the use of any particular service.