Japan to raise bar on foreign driver’s licence conversion test
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Short-term visitors, including tourists, will lose the right to convert their licences.
PHOTO: AFP
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Japan plans to make foreign driver’s licence conversion tests more stringent by significantly increasing the number of questions, police said on July 10.
With more foreign drivers on the road, and the number of accidents involving them also on the rise, the new written test is expected to include 50 questions and require a passing score of 90 per cent.
The current test has only 10 questions, with a minimum passing score of 70 per cent.
The government expects to introduce the new system on Oct 1 after soliciting public opinion. Short-term visitors, including tourists, will lose the right to convert their licences, according to the National Police Agency.
Questions regarding driving under the influence of alcohol and how to respond when involved in accidents, among others, are expected to be added to the written exam.
The driving test will be bolstered by the addition of assessments on how drivers negotiate pedestrian and railroad crossings on test courses.
With the passing rate in the written portion of the exam standing at 90 per cent, some lawmakers have criticised the current evaluation system as “too easy”. The passing rate for the driving test is around 30 per cent.
To apply for licence conversion, individuals will be required to submit a copy of their certificate of residence in Japan, regardless of their nationality.
Japanese nationals who wish to convert driver’s licences obtained abroad may submit their certificates of family register instead.
With the success of the government’s policies in attracting more foreign workers and tourists, the number of foreigners who converted their driver’s licence rose to 68,623 in 2024, more than double the figure from 10 years ago. Vietnamese were the largest group at 16,681, followed by Chinese and South Koreans, according to the agency.
Under the current system, Japan allows drivers from South Korea and more than 20 other nations to convert their licences without any written or driving test. KYODO NEWS
