Moped Licenses for Technical Intern Trainees and Specified Skilled Workers | Securing a Commute for Supervising Organizations and Registered Support Organizations, and the Route Available in Their Native Language [2026 Edition]

Whether public transportation is usable in the municipality of placement decides, by itself, whether a moped license is needed

For technical intern trainees and Specified Skilled Workers, a moped license is different in nature from a license used for the work itself, as in newspaper delivery. In most cases it is about securing a way to commute.

At workplaces in rural areas, it is not unusual for only a few buses a day to run from the nearest station. Not being able to commute leads directly to not staying. For the accepting side, this is a practical task on the same level as arranging housing.

This article is for staff at supervising organizations, registered support organizations, and host companies. It sorts out how far the accepting side's responsibility extends under the system, which route to use to get the license, and when to act, counting back from the placement date.

*The information in this article is current as of September 2026. The system, supported languages, and fees change. Before you apply, always check with the police or driver's license center of the prefecture where the test will be taken.

[Specified Skilled Worker] Guidance on driver's licenses is part of mandatory support

First, a point about the system that is easy to overlook. For Specified Skilled Workers, driver's licenses are not "something nice to do." They are positioned within the support plan.

It is among the items explained in the life orientation

The Immigration Services Agency's "Operational Guidelines on Support for Specified Skilled Worker (i) Foreign Nationals" list the items to be explained in the life orientation. Under "③ Traffic rules, etc." is the following sentence.

"That a driver's license is required to drive a car, motorcycle, etc. (as necessary, how to obtain a driver's license, enrollment in voluntary automobile insurance, etc.)"

In other words, even explaining how to obtain a driver's license falls within the scope of mandatory support. If the premise is that the worker will commute by motorcycle, it is natural to consider "as necessary" satisfied.

8 hours or more, in "a language the person can fully understand"

The same guidelines require that the life orientation be conducted in a language the person can fully understand, and state that at least 8 hours are needed to fully understand the content.

👉 The system says "explain it in their native language." If so, an approach that leaves only the written test preparation that follows entirely in Japanese does not add up.

Explaining the commuting route is also mandatory support

The next item, "④ How to use transportation, etc.", requires explaining, among the public transportation in the area where the person will work and live, the option best suited for commuting, along with the route to the workplace and the time required.

Put the other way around, the system makes the accepting side answer "how will this person commute?" In an area where public transportation gives no answer, the answer is a moped.

[Technical Intern Training] Not an obligation under the system, but the practical reality is the same

For technical intern training, we find no provision that specifically names guidance on driver's licenses, equivalent to the life orientation for Specified Skilled Workers. Since we cannot confirm it, this article does not say "it is an obligation."

However, the practical reality that training cannot continue unless a way to commute is secured is exactly the same. And technical intern training has a period built into the system that is convenient for the timing of getting a license.

👉 It is the post-arrival training period. Under the Enforcement Regulations of the Technical Intern Training Act, technical intern trainees must not be engaged in work during the post-arrival training period. The training hours are one-sixth or more of the total planned hours of Technical Intern Training (i) (one-twelfth or more if pre-arrival training was received). The time when a solid block of hours is available is this period, not after placement.

[Important] For mopeds, there is no driving skills test on either route

Now, how to get the license. First, a point that is easily misunderstood. No practical driving test is required to get a moped license. This is the same whether you get a new license at the driver's license center or get it through license conversion.

In license conversion, in addition to the knowledge test, you normally take a driving skills test (an actual driving test). This driving skills test became stricter with the October 2025 revision, and the pass rate fell to 13.1%. However, when applying for a moped license, the driving skills test is not required. Furthermore, the moped training course is not required either.

👉 The judgment "avoid license conversion because the practical test is strict" does not apply to mopeds. What should be compared are 3 points: the pass rate, the languages available for the test, and the procedural steps.

2 routes to a moped license

	New license at the driver's license center	Moped license through license conversion
Written/knowledge test pass rate	58.7%	42.8%
Driving skills test	None	None
Moped training course	Required (Japanese only)	Not required
Languages available for the test	1 to 5 languages depending on the prefecture	20 languages
Number of reservations needed	1, for the test date	Document review and knowledge test (same day / different days depending on the prefecture)
Waiting time	Within 1 month in many areas	1 to 3 months depending on the area
Home-country license	Not required	Required (+ a stay of 3 months or more after obtaining it)

👉 The deciding point is "can this person take the written test in their native language in the prefecture of placement?" If yes, a new license with its higher pass rate has the advantage. If not, license conversion, available in 20 languages, is more realistic.

[Most important] The languages available for the test differ by prefecture

Since June 2024, support for 20 languages has been spreading nationwide, but it covers the written tests for Class 1, Class 2, and provisional licenses, and the knowledge test for license conversion. The written test for moped licenses is decided independently by each prefecture and is handled differently.

Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, updated May 11, 2026)	5 languages (English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Nepali, Burmese) / held on weekdays at Fuchu, Samezu, and Koto
Kanagawa and Chiba	English only

The languages available for the test change depending on where the host workplace is. Even within the same Tokyo metropolitan area, the conditions change when the prefecture changes.

For example, if an Indonesian speaker is placed at a workplace in Kanagawa Prefecture, the person cannot take the moped written test in their native language. In that case, if the person holds a license from their home country, getting a moped license through license conversion, which supports 20 languages, becomes a valid option. Since there is neither a driving skills test nor a moped training course, the only Japanese-language hurdle is the 50-question knowledge test.

👉 Before deciding the placement, check the languages supported in that prefecture. Some prefectures have begun offering the moped test in 20 languages, so do not judge based on last year's information.

If you choose license conversion, the document review is where people stumble

License conversion has a step that getting a new license at the driver's license center does not. Before the knowledge test, there is a document review.

The document review also requires a reservation

First you reserve the document review, and only after passing it do you move on to the knowledge test. And in some prefectures you can take the knowledge test on the same day you pass the document review, while in others the knowledge test is on a different day. If it is a different day, the number of days until you get the license grows accordingly.

Incomplete documents lead to rejection

If there is a problem with the documents, the application is not accepted on the spot, and you have to start over from the reservation. You cannot even move on to the knowledge test. The main required documents are as follows.

Foreign driver's license (valid, not expired)
Japanese translation of the driver's license — prepared by Ziplus, JAF (Japan Automobile Federation), or a similar organization
Copy of the certificate of residence (juminhyo) — one that lists nationality, residence status, expiration date of the period of stay, residence card number, and so on
Residence card, passport — old passports may be needed to confirm a stay of 3 months or more in that country after obtaining the license
1 photo — 3 cm tall × 2.4 cm wide, taken within the last 6 months

The Japanese translation of the driver's license can be prepared by Ziplus

Among the required documents, the one most easily missed, and the one the accepting side can take care of in advance, is the "Japanese translation of the driver's license." If it is left to the individual, the day arrives without them knowing where to request it, and they are stopped at the document review.

This translation is also prepared by Ziplus Co., Ltd., the company that runs Drivey.

Learning and document preparation are handled through a single contact — there is no need to arrange study materials and documents separately
You can request translations for several people at once — when moving a group of trainees who arrive around the same time, this is more reliable than each person arranging it separately
You can start before they enter Japan — if you proceed at the same time as the start of studying, they can move to the document review right after arrival

👉 Stumbling over the translation and having to re-reserve is the most wasteful kind of delay in license conversion. When the placement date is fixed, this single delay affects securing the commute itself.

If the person has a home-country license, also check whether they are eligible for an exemption

In license conversion, both the knowledge test and the driving skills test may be waived depending on the country where the license was obtained. The following 29 countries and regions are eligible.

Iceland / Ireland / United States (limited to 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

The main sending countries for technical intern training and Specified Skilled Workers — Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, China, Cambodia, Thailand, Nepal, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Uzbekistan — are none of them included. Therefore, the 50-question knowledge test will always have to be taken.

A schedule counted back from the placement date

A way to commute is needed from the first day of placement, so count back with the placement date as the starting point. This is a guide for getting a new license at the driver's license center.

2 months before entering Japan	Start studying in the home country. Japanese traffic rules can be learned before coming to Japan
Before entering Japan	Check the languages supported in the prefecture of placement and decide the route. For license conversion, prepare the translation in parallel
Right after arrival	Resident registration. Reserve the test (within 1 month in many areas)
During the post-arrival training period	A period without work duties, so it is easy to fit in the test date. For Specified Skilled Workers, the same time as the life orientation
Placement date	Placed with a license in hand. Can commute from the first day

If you choose license conversion, the reservation for the document review and a waiting time of 1 to 3 months are added to this. First confirm whether it can be done in time, counting back from the placement date.

If the person fails, this countdown falls apart. The test fee has to be paid again, and the reservation has to be made again as well.

The moped written test is not a test you "pass without studying"

48 questions, 50 points total (46 text questions + 2 illustration questions), pass with 45 points or more (90%)
The pass rate is 58.7%
According to National Police Agency statistics, 162,668 people take it per year and 95,495 pass. Put the other way, 67,173 people fail

The passing line is high at 90%, and the test is mostly text questions. Even when the test can be taken in the native language, you cannot reach it without an accurate understanding of Japanese traffic rules.

Lost points concentrate on "differences in practice from the home country"

Japan drives on the left — it is easy to get the direction of signs and the way of thinking about right and left turns mixed up
Pedestrian priority at crosswalks — the standard is "if a pedestrian is about to cross, always come to a complete stop"
At railroad crossings, always come to a complete stop, open the window, and check for safety — how this is handled varies greatly by country
The definition of "slow driving" — it means proceeding at a speed at which you can stop immediately, which is not the same as "driving slowly"

If you start from memorizing Japanese, things fall apart as soon as the wording changes a little. Understanding "why the rule exists" in the native language is what gives the ability to handle questions seen for the first time.

Practical points when moving several people through at once

Costs (Tokyo, as of September 2026)

Test fee (moped)	1,600 yen
License issuance fee	2,350 yen
Moped training course	Charged separately (the amount differs by prefecture)

If the person fails, the test fee is charged again. When moving 10 or 20 people through at the same time, applying the 58.7% pass rate as is, roughly 40% would end up retaking the test. The quality of advance preparation feeds directly back into costs and the schedule.

Keep progress visible

When moving several people through at the same time, "who has studied how far" becomes invisible. If you rely on self-reporting, insufficient preparation only comes to light just before the test. This is all the more true when they study before entering Japan, so a system that lets the accepting side check the progress of people in a distant location is needed.

About the Drivey corporate plan

Drivey is a corporate platform that "makes progress and results visible", completing driver's license written test preparation and safe driving education entirely online. It is run by Ziplus Co., Ltd., which also prepares Japanese translations of driver's licenses.

Learning can start before entering Japan

With a web connection and a device, learning can begin while the person is still in the sending country. On the corporate admin dashboard, the accepting side can check remotely who has progressed how far. Compared with cramming everything into the post-arrival training period, the margin before placement is completely different.

Covers both mopeds and license conversion

Because it covers all of moped, license conversion, provisional, regular, and Class 2 licenses, preparation can start before the route is fixed. Even with the approach of "decide the route after checking the languages supported in the prefecture of placement," learning does not stop.

6 languages

Japanese, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Burmese. They can understand the meaning of Japanese traffic rules in their native language before facing the real test. Japanese with furigana is also available, so those taking the test in Japanese can study without stumbling over kanji.

Corporate admin dashboard

Member management	Create and invite accounts, assign licenses by license type (course)
Learning management	Check study time, progress, and progress rates by category
Test management	Track test results, pass rates, test dates, and the number of attempts
Reports	Export data reports as CSV or PDF

What the learning includes

Videos — see scenes that words alone can't convey, such as stopping at a crosswalk or passing through a railroad crossing
Interactive Q&A learning — one-question-one-answer drills to confirm that knowledge has stuck
Comprehension tests and practice exams — from sign tests to timed practice exams, measure ability in the same format as the real test
"Beyond" getting the license — hazard prediction, traffic ethics, manners, and other knowledge for preventing accidents during the commute

Pricing (tax included, monthly per license)

Moped	5,500 yen
License conversion	5,280 yen
Provisional license	5,500 yen
Regular license	6,600 yen
Class 2 license	8,800 yen

The corporate plan comes with the corporate admin dashboard. If you use the "License Conversion Peace-of-Mind Package," we provide a separate quote. Please also consult us about preparing translations. Invoice payment is also available on request.

Summary

A moped license is a matter of "securing a way to commute." In areas with little public transportation, not being able to commute leads directly to not staying
For Specified Skilled Workers, guidance on how to obtain a driver's license is among the items explained in the life orientation. It is mandatory support, and 8 hours or more in the native language is required
For technical intern training, we find no provision that names driver's licenses, but the practical reality is the same. No work duties during the post-arrival training period, so it is a period where it is easy to fit in the test date
For mopeds, there is no driving skills test on either route. When getting a moped license through license conversion, neither the driving skills test nor the moped training course is required (for conversion of regular licenses and the like, the driving skills test pass rate is 13.1%)
A new license at the driver's license center has a 58.7% written test pass rate and needs only 1 reservation, which is easy to get. However, the test is available in only 1 to 5 languages, and the moped training course, conducted in Japanese, is required
A moped license through license conversion has a lower pass rate, 42.8% on the knowledge test, but the test is available in 20 languages. However, the document review also requires a reservation, and incomplete documents lead to rejection. Translations can be prepared by Ziplus
The decision depends on the prefecture of placement. Tokyo offers the moped test in 5 languages on weekdays; Kanagawa and Chiba offer English only
On the moped written test, 67,173 people fail per year. It cannot be passed without advance study
Learning can start 2 months before entering Japan. The accepting side should keep itself able to check progress remotely

The system, supported languages, and fees change. This article reflects information as of September 2026. Before applying, check the latest information with the police or driver's license center of the prefecture where the test will be taken.

Sources: Immigration Services Agency, "Operational Guidelines on Support for Specified Skilled Worker (i) Foreign Nationals — Standards for Support Plans for Specified Skilled Worker (i) Foreign Nationals," partially revised April 1, 2025 (life orientation is mandatory support, at least 8 hours in a language the person can fully understand, with "③ Traffic rules, etc." and "④ How to use transportation, etc." among the items to be explained) / Enforcement Regulations of the Act on Proper Technical Intern Training and Protection of Technical Intern Trainees (technical intern trainees must not be engaged in work during the post-arrival training period; training hours are one-sixth or more of the total planned hours of Technical Intern Training (i)) / National Police Agency, "Driver's License Statistics, 2025 Edition" (moped written test: 162,668 examinees, 95,495 passed, pass rate 58.7%) / National Police Agency figures on license conversion results for October–December 2025 (knowledge test 42.8%, driving skills test 13.1%; reported by the Yomiuri Shimbun, Nikkei, and Nippon TV NEWS NNN) / Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, "Written tests available in foreign languages" (updated May 11, 2026) / Fukuoka Prefectural Police, "Procedures for converting a foreign license" (no driving skills test when applying for a moped license)

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