Renewing your Japanese driving licence as a foreign resident
You renew in the window from one month before to one month after your birthday in the year your licence expires. In Tokyo, drivers under 70 book the visit online first, then sit a short eyesight check and a safety lecture whose length depends on your driving record. Since October 2025 foreign residents must also show proof of residence status. This guide follows Tokyo's (Keishicho) rules.
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When to renew
The renewal window runs from one month before to one month after your birthday. The licence is valid until the day one month after your birthday; if that day falls on a weekend, public holiday or 29 December to 3 January, you can still renew on the next weekday and the licence stays valid until then. Keishicho mails a renewal postcard (更新連絡はがき) with a booking ID. It does not reissue lost postcards.
If you will be abroad for the whole window, you can renew early: bring your licence and your passport or other proof that you will be away. No booking is needed for early renewal, and Keishicho asks you to use a licence test centre. If the window has already passed, see what to do if your licence has expired.
Booking the visit
- Under 70 with a postcard: book through the Keishicho licence reservation site (運転免許手続予約サイト). It has an availability calendar. The booked time is your arrival time, not the lecture time.
- No postcard (it never arrived, you lost it, or it came from another prefecture): go without a booking, preferably to a licence test centre. Renewal centres and police stations have small lecture rooms and may turn you away.
- 70 or over: no booking; the elderly drivers' course comes first.
Your lecture category
The lecture depends on your record over the five years before your birthday. You can check your category by taking your licence to any police box or station on a weekday; Keishicho does not answer this by phone.
| Excellent (優良), 30 minutes | Licence held continuously for 5 years or more and no accidents or violations in the last 5 years |
|---|---|
| General (一般), 1 hour | Licence held for 5 years or more and one minor violation or accident in the last 5 years |
| Violator (違反), 2 hours | More than one minor violation, or any other violation or accident, in the last 5 years |
| First renewal (初回), 2 hours | Licence held for less than 5 years, with at most one minor violation |
Where to renew in Tokyo
| Test centres: Fuchu, Samezu, Koto | All categories. Weekdays and Sundays; closed Saturdays, public holidays and 29 December to 3 January. Reception closes at 16:00 for excellent drivers, 15:00 for general and 14:00 for violator and first-renewal lectures. |
|---|---|
| Kanda renewal centre | Excellent and general drivers, weekdays |
| Shinjuku renewal centre | Excellent drivers, weekdays (no general lectures since January 2021) |
| 12 designated police stations | Excellent drivers, weekdays: Denenchofu, Setagaya, Seijo, Itabashi, Shakujii, Shitaya, Takenotsuka, Honjo, Tachikawa, Ome, Takao and Machida |
Anyone whose medical licence conditions may change (other than glasses) must renew at a test centre.
Fees
| Renewal | ¥2,850 for the plastic licence only, ¥2,100 for the My Number licence only, ¥2,950 for both |
|---|---|
| Lecture | At the venue: ¥500 (excellent), ¥800 (general), ¥1,400 (violator or first renewal). Online: ¥200. |
Excellent and general drivers under 70 who hold the My Number card licence can take the lecture online at home during the renewal window, but still have to attend in person for the eyesight check. See the My Number licence guide.
What foreign residents bring
- Your licence (and your My Number licence card, if you hold both)
- The renewal postcard, if you have it (you can renew without one)
- Proof of residence status, shown at the counter, required since 1 October 2025: one of your My Number licence, residence card, special permanent resident certificate, or a certificate of residence (住民票の写し) showing the "specified items" such as nationality and residence status
- Glasses or hearing aids, if you use them
The licence photo is taken on the day.
Frequently asked questions
When can I renew my Japanese driving licence?
From one month before to one month after your birthday in the year it expires. If you will be abroad for the whole window, you can renew early with proof such as your passport.
Do I need to book a renewal in Tokyo?
Yes, if you are under 70 and have the renewal postcard: book through the Keishicho licence reservation site. Without a postcard, go to a licence test centre without a booking.
What do foreign residents need to bring to renew?
Your licence, the postcard if you have it, and, since October 2025, one proof of residence status shown at the counter: My Number licence, residence card, special permanent resident certificate, or a certificate of residence showing the specified items.
How much does renewal cost in Tokyo?
¥2,850 for a plastic licence (¥2,100 for the My Number licence only, ¥2,950 for both) plus the lecture: ¥500, ¥800 or ¥1,400 at the venue, or ¥200 online.
Can I take the renewal lecture online?
Yes, if you hold the My Number card licence, are in the excellent or general category and are under 70. You still go in person for the eyesight check.
How do I find out my lecture category?
Take your licence to any police box or police station on a weekday and ask. Keishicho does not answer this by phone.
Related guides
- Take the test in English
- Karimen test format
- Honmen test format
- October 2025 rule change
- Test centres by prefecture
- Free online mock test (50 questions, 30 minutes)
- Conversion guide
- Driving in Japan on an International Driving Permit
- Getting a Japanese licence from scratch
- The My Number card driving licence
- What to do if your Japanese licence has expired
- The traffic points system and fines
- The beginner driver mark and your first year
- Retaking the written test after failing
- 10 free sample questions with answers
- All driving licence guides
Practice papers written for this exam, in English
Ten topic papers, 500 true-or-false questions with answers, explanations and a Japanese term 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 questionsThis page was last checked in September 2026 against the Tokyo Metropolitan Police (Keishicho) pages on licence renewal, renewal booking, the online renewal lecture, the My Number licence fees and the October 2025 document rules for foreign nationals. Rules, fees and formats are set prefecture by prefecture and change with little notice, so always confirm the current requirements with your local licence centre before you book. Independent study material; not affiliated with any prefectural police, licence centre or driving school.