Guide · Updated September 2026

The gaimen kirikae written test, explained in English

If you are converting a foreign driving licence in Japan (gaimen kirikae, 外免切替), the written test is no longer a formality. Since October 2025 it uses the full 50-question format (what changed and why) with a 90% pass mark, drawing on the same traffic rules as the karimen and honmen exams, so the same preparation covers all three tests. Here is how it works and how to pass it first time.

    The October 2025 change: the traffic-knowledge check for licence conversion jumped from 10 quick questions to 50 text-based true-or-false questions drawn from 22 areas of the traffic rules, with the pass mark at 90% (45 of 50). That is the same scope and difficulty as the karimen exam Japanese learners sit. The practical driving test is also marked more strictly now, and a certificate of residence (jūminhyō) is required, which ended conversions on a tourist stay.
  

Do you even need the test?

Holders of licences from 29 exempt countries and regions skip both the written and practical tests: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Britain, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Luxembourg, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United States only for licences issued in Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia and Washington state.

Everyone else sits both tests. In practice that includes most Americans, plus drivers from India, the Philippines, Brazil, China, Vietnam and many other countries.

The written test at a glance

Questions	50 true-or-false statements, marked ○ or ✕ on a paper answer sheet
Time	30 minutes. Most people finish in 20 and re-read.
Pass mark	90%: 45 correct out of 50, no partial credit
Language	Available in English at most prefectural centres. Tokyo offers the test in 20 languages.
Content	22 areas of the Japanese traffic rules: signs, right of way, speed, parking, pedestrians, overtaking, signals, licence rules, hazards and more
If you fail	Re-book, pay the test fee again, and sit it on a later day

Why people fail: the wording

The questions are not conceptually hard. They fail people through precise wording: statements that are almost true, but turn on a single word like "always", "may", "must", "immediately" or "enough". For example: "At a railway crossing, it is enough to stop and check safety with your eyes" is false, because you must check by looking and listening.

Try it yourself: 10 free sample questions with answers.

Documents you will need

Your valid foreign licence (bring old licences too, if any)
An official Japanese translation of the licence, issued by JAF or your embassy
Passport(s) proving at least 3 months in the issuing country after the licence was issued
Residence card
Certificate of residence (jūminhyō) showing nationality and residence status, without the My Number
An application photo (2.4 cm × 3.0 cm, plain background)

The process, step by step

Gather documents (above), then book at the licence centre for your registered address. Waits of several weeks are normal in the big cities, and many centres ask you to bring an interpreter if you do not speak Japanese, so check when you book.
Document check. Expect to spend several hours at the centre.
Aptitude test. Eyesight of at least 0.7 with both eyes and 0.3 per eye, recognising red, yellow and blue, plus an interview about how you obtained your licence and your driving history.
Written test. The 50-question knowledge test described above (exempt-country holders skip this).
Practical test on the centre's closed course, marked with a strict deduction sheet from 100 points; 70 or more passes. Pass and your Japanese licence is normally issued the same day.

How to prepare for the written test

Study in the format of the exam. Reading a rulebook is not the same as answering trap-worded true-or-false statements under time pressure. Practice papers train the reading habit the test actually examines.
Sit papers under the clock. 50 questions in 30 minutes leaves 36 seconds per question.
Re-read every statement you get wrong. The pass mark leaves room for only 5 mistakes, so weak topics are expensive.
Start with a free paper. Our Paper 07 (25 questions, free by email) shows you the level before you spend anything. The full set is ten topic papers, 500 questions, all in English with explanations and a Japanese term glossary.

Related guides

Study material built for this exam

Ten topic papers, 500 true-or-false questions in English with answers, explanations and glossary. ¥500 per paper, or ¥4,000 for all ten plus ten full 50-question mock tests. Paper 07 is free.

Get the free paper Try 10 sample questions

Rules, fees and formats are set prefecture by prefecture and change with little notice. Always confirm the current requirements with your local licence centre before you book. This page was last checked against official Tokyo (Keishicho) information in September 2026. Independent study material; not affiliated with any prefectural police, licence centre or driving school.