How to Convert a U.S. Driver’s License in Japan Without Losing Your Mind: Part 1 The Consultation Phase (At the Saitama Konosu Driving License Center)
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| Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain |
Getting Started: Why I Needed a Japanese License (you can skip this)
Over the past eight years, I’ve lived blissfully car-free in Japan (pun intended). [Hold for applause.] But after my family began to grow, the need for a set of wheels became clear. On my daughter’s first birthday, she came down with a fever that sent us rushing to the hospital at two in the morning.That night showed me my family could handle anything (alhamdulillah)—but it also made me realize that not driving wasn’t independence anymore; it was selfishness that put unnecessary pressure on them.
Fast forward a few months: while researching how to exchange my license for a Japanese one, I discovered a maze of paperwork and conflicting advice. Plenty of guides exist for other prefectures—but when it came to Konosu, the process was a complete mystery.
Although the law is the same across Japan, this article focuses on the Konosu Driving Center—my local testing site in Saitama. If you’re elsewhere, the procedures may vary slightly, but the principles remain the same.
Who this article is for:
This guide is for anyone from the United States currently living in Japan who wants to exchange their U.S. driver’s license for a Japanese one. My goal is to save you time, confusion, and a few gray hairs by walking you through what actually happens at the Konosu consultation phase—and what documents they really want to see. I’ll cover the written and behind-the-wheel tests in future parts.
Although this guide is based on the U.S.-to-Japan process, much of the information will still be useful if you’re converting a license from another country—the procedures at the Konosu Driving Center follow the same national framework. For more detailed information regarding your particular country follow this link to the police department's website pdf. It is in Japanese, but if you upload the document to an AI, you will get a near perfect translation.
Table of Contents
The Process (Making the Consultation Reservation)
How to book your consultation (the steps)
Advice for making the initial reservation
The Consultation: Eligibility and Required Proofs
Proof of Residency: What they accept and what they don't
Special Case: What if you renewed your license after moving to Japan?
California DMV and Texas DMV
What To Bring To the Consultation
Arriving at the Consultation: Things to keep in mind.
At the End of the Consultation
Final Thoughts
The Process (Making the Consultation Reservation)
Alright, let’s dive into the actual process.
The official website that explains how to exchange a foreign driver’s license in Japan is entirely in Japanese. If you’re using a browser extension to translate pages, you’ll be fine—but note that some parts (especially images and embedded text) won’t translate properly.
Don’t worry—I’ll walk you through everything step by step so you can follow along without wrestling half-translated menus.
As of September 1st, 2025, the Konosu Driving Center switched to an online reservation system—so those brutal 5:00 a.m. lineups are officially history.
Here’s how to book your consultation:
- Go to the official reservation page:
- These include basic details like your purpose for visiting and license type.
- You can choose any date between two days from making the reservation and two weeks ahead — roughly a 12-day window. The two-week window doesn’t count weekends or holidays. If your next available slot happens to land on one, the system will just bump you to the next business day.
- Don’t expect much clarity from the office. I tried calling to ask how their system actually works, but the officer either didn’t know or wasn’t allowed to explain.
- Luckily for you, I’ve experienced it firsthand, and I’ll share some tips below on the best time to book.
- You’ll be asked for your name, address, and passport number. Double-check everything. Even a single typo or spelling mismatch can get your reservation rejected on the day, and they’ll make you start over.
- After submitting, you’ll be able to download a PDF confirmation, and you’ll also receive an email with your reservation number plus the time and location for your consultation.
- Treat the email as the official record—the PDF sometimes contains small formatting or text errors.
- That’s it for this part—once you’ve got your confirmation, just hold tight until consultation day. Ensure you have all your documents gathered and ready in advance. We’ll get into that shortly.
A quick warning for smartphone users:
The reservation system’s interface is extremely basic until you reach the date selection page—and it’s going to test your patience. The calendar doesn’t have a close button; it only disappears once you select a date.Available dates appear in bold, which you can tap, while unavailable ones are hollowed out—meaning those days are already full.
Advice for Making That Initial Reservation
After learning I needed a reservation, I spent a week testing every possible time of day to figure out when the system refreshes. I searched Reddit, even asked the GPTs—it was a mission.Finally, I cracked it.
It’s midnight—12:00 a.m. sharp.
If you’re ready with your finger on the refresh button the moment the clock hits 12:00, the new slots will appear, and you’ll have your shot at grabbing one.
One more tip: the system lets you “save your input.” Do it ahead of time. That way, you can skip the preliminary questions and jump straight to the calendar—saving you precious seconds. Trust me, you’re not the only one burning the midnight oil trying to get this done.
When you get your confirmation email, save it or print it. The downloadable PDF can contain typos, and from what I learned after calling them, the email is considered the official confirmation. The check-in officer we had actually preferred seeing the email from the phone.
The Consultation: Eligibility and Required Proofs
Before you head to your consultation, make sure you actually qualify for a license exchange. Right off the bat the eligibility rules are:
1. You are a resident of Saitama. (Side note: you have to be a resident of Japan essentially. This article is focusing on the Saitama procedure)
2. You have a valid driver’s license issued from a foreign country.
3. You have resided in the issuing country for a cumulative of at least three months since the date of issue on the license.
Officers usually verify this by reviewing your actual driver’s license along with the official JAF translation. They cross-check the issue date against your home country’s passport exit stamp, and also review your residence card together with your certificate of residence (Juminhyo).
But for the beautiful citizens of the U.S. of A., it’s not that simple anymore.
💡U.S. Customs and Border Protection no longer stamps passports when you leave—and sometimes they don’t even scan them to record your exit or entry.
I know this because I filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request—and the results came back saying there was no record of my departure or return.
For U.S. citizens, it all comes down to proving you actually lived in the States for at least three months before moving to Japan—even if your passport doesn’t back you up.
Proof of U.S. Residency: What They Accept and What They Don’t
Let’s start with what doesn’t count as proof of U.S. residency.- They will not accept Japanese entry or exit stamps.
- They also won’t accept the visa sticker you get from the Japanese consulate in the U.S.—the one with your photo and the issuing city.
- Old insurance policies or receipts.
So, what do they actually accept? According to the officer, the most reliable options are:
- Tax return documents
- College transcripts
- A W-2 or any document showing you worked during that period
Luckily, I still had an old W-2 he accepted—though he told me to print it out and bring it again when I come back for the written test.
※ If you hold a foreign license that was recently renewed or a foreign license that does not indicate the date of issuance, etc., you may need to provide a driving history certificate or similar documentation.
※ Depending on the issuing country, you may need to provide a certificate for your foreign license or other various supporting documents. Please refer to the list of required supporting documents (by country).
Now—to make my own experience a little more complicated, because apparently my errands can’t ever be simple—I had renewed my license years after moving to Japan. That puts me in a category I wouldn’t wish on anyone (well, maybe a few people).
The good news? You can still exchange your license if you can prove the original issue date and show you were living in your home country at that time.
What does that actually mean?
You’ll need an official certified letter from your home state’s DMV showing the original issue date of your license. Then pair it with documentation proving you lived in the U.S. during that time. If you can do that—you’re in the clear.Of course, that’s easier said than done. This step alone can open up a whole new set of headaches that perfectly showcase the quirks of American bureaucracy—so buckle up. We’re in for a bumpy ride.
Unique Case: California and Texas
For Californians, getting a “first issue date” letter means filling out a form called INF-1125. This form can only be requested by the license holder—it’s not available to third parties—and it can’t be done electronically. You have to send it the old-fashioned way: snail mail.Here’s where it gets tricky.
❗The California DMV won’t send the letter internationally, so you’ll need help from someone back home. You fill out the form, mail it to your U.S. address, and have a trusted person forward it to the DMV. After about two months, the DMV mails the completed letter back to your contact, who then ships it to you in Japan.
With me so far?
If anyone has figured out a smoother way to handle this process from overseas, please share it in the comments below.
Now, here’s the kicker, my fellow Californians:
💡California purges previous license applications every time you renew.
Read that again. When you renew, the DMV deletes your old records and replaces them with the new one—meaning you can’t retrieve your original issue date after a renewal. Instead, they’ll send a generic letter saying your license number belongs to a numbering series established in 1945, and that your block was issued sometime later. In other words: good luck getting that accepted at the driving center.
When I told the officer, he looked at me and asked, “Do you have your old license with you?”
Luckily, I survived that part of the consultation by the skin of my teeth—thanks to a twist of fate. I had once lived in Texas for a year and a half. And believe it or not, the Texas DMV ended up saving me.
Because of my job, they still had a copy of my old Texas license showing the issue date and my name exactly as it appeared on my passport. And because I believe in redundancy, I also ordered my driving record directly from the Texas DMV website—which, I hate to admit, was far easier than dealing with California’s system. Score one for Texas.
That record even included an entry showing I had surrendered my first California license when I moved to Texas. The officer saw that and immediately understood the connection—why I had a Texas license, and why it later became a California renewal.
All that was left was proving residency. I tried showing my old insurance policy, but that’s when he reminded me (as mentioned earlier) why insurance documents don’t count. In the end, he accepted my W-2 as proof—and that’s how I managed to avoid spending 300,000 yen on a Japanese driving school.
What to Bring to the Consultation
You can visit the official website, and they will have this list in Japanese in pdf form, they used to have an English version, but since they updated their process recently they have taken them down. For now, here is the list in English:
1. Your valid foreign driver’s license
Make sure it’s the actual card, and its unexpired.
2. An official JAF translation of your license
This is required for every foreign license, regardless of language.
3. Your residence card (在留カード)
4. Your Juminhyo (住民票 / Certificate of Residence)
Must be issued within the last 3 months.
It must show your current address, nationality, and visa status.
✅ Pro Tip: If you have a My Number Card, you can print it at most convenience stores.
5. Your passport(s)
Bring your current passport and any old ones that may contain your exit stamp from your home country.
6. Proof of at least three months of residency
Bring documents showing you lived in your home country for at least three months before coming to Japan (as covered earlier—e.g., tax return, W-2, or transcripts).
7. Three driver’s-license photos
Taken within the last 6 months.
Size: 3 cm × 2.4 cm (standard Japanese license photo).
Plain background, no shadows or hats.
Arriving at the Consultation: Things to Keep in Mind
The consultation room is on the second floor of the main building. When you enter, look slightly to your right—you’ll see the elevators along the near wall. Just before them is the information desk. (There are stairs too, if you’re looking to get your steps in.)After exiting the elevator, look right again. You’ll see a hallway—follow it until you spot a sign that says “Foreign Driver’s License.” That’s your destination. The hallway turns right, and bam—a row of seats. Depending on the day (and everyone’s enthusiasm), it might already be packed.
Reception is officially from 9:30 to 10:00. I arrived around 9:15 a.m., and the waiting area was fairly full but still had room for me and my partner.
At exactly 9:30, the check-in officer appears—clipboard in hand—to verify everyone’s presence. Have your email confirmation ready (printed or on your phone) along with your passport. He’ll ask whether it’s your first time and if you brought an interpreter.
If you didn’t bring one, no problem. He’ll simply check whether you can speak or understand Japanese. Either way, you’ll manage—though things may move a bit slower.
Once check-in is done, he’ll double-check the reservation list for no-shows. Around 10:00 a.m., consultations begin. The room has four desks, presumably for four officers, but on the day I went, there was only one. (I have no idea why.)
Important Details
- The order is not first-come, first-served.
- It’s based on your reservation number. If you nailed that midnight refresh, you’ll be called early. If not… you’ll be waiting. A long. Long. Time. It’s the kind of system that would make the U.S. DMV proud.
- ❗No display monitor or digital queue.
- There’s no “Now Serving” announcement. The officer simply steps out and calls your number. If you hear it—great. If not, he moves on to the next person.
Stay alert, especially if you’re sitting around the corner of the hallway.
At the End of the Consultation
Once the officer reviews your documents and confirms that everything checks out, they’ll start preparing your paperwork. They’ll trim your photo, attach it to the form, and fill out the required sections.During this step, the officer asked if I had any card that displayed my name in katakana—my bank card did, and that worked perfectly.
They’ll also ask whether you’d like to create a dual MyNumber/Driver’s License card.
❌Don’t do this.
If your visa ever expires, your driver’s license will automatically become invalid as well. Keep the two separate—it’s not worth the “convenience.”
After that, the officer will bundle everything together and explain how to pay the required fees (I will detail it in part two). You’ll also receive a small slip of paper with a QR code—don’t lose it. That little square is your golden ticket for booking your written test reservation.
Now here’s the kicker (because there’s always one): the officer will tell you when you’re allowed to make that reservation. In my case, I have to wait three months before I can even access the QR code and schedule my test.
As for how that system works or what dates will be available—well, Habibi, we’ll just have to wait and find out together!
Final Thoughts
Don’t get me wrong—if this article sounds frustrated at times, that’s because the process is frustrating. But beneath all that, I genuinely love Japan. It’s an incredible country to live in and raise a family.That said, the bureaucracy here can be mind-numbingly, counterintuitively, overzealously obsessed with precision—yet somehow miss the mark on actual user experience.
Japan is famous for being one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world, yet somehow parts of the system still feel like they’re running on floppy disks and Windows 95. (Shout-out to the old nine-five—can we get the kids to chant that one instead?)
Anyway, good luck to all my fellow foreign siblings. After going through this process, the U.S. DMV is going to feel like a day at Disneyland.
And if you’ve made it this far—congratulations. You’ve survived the paperwork jungle of Konosu. The next chapter (the written and driving test) is on the horizon, and trust me… that’s where the real fun begins.
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