A Mainland China license can't be used to drive in Japan: China is not a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention, so it issues no IDP valid in Japan. You can convert it (外免切替) after 3 months in China post-issue, with a 50-question knowledge test (45 to pass) and a driving test, or learn at a school. As of October 2026, written tests are in Chinese in Tokyo, Osaka, Aichi and other prefectures. Taiwan licenses skip both conversion tests; Hong Kong and Macau IDPs are valid.
If you hold a Mainland China driver’s license, you can’t use it to drive in Japan, and Japan accepts no Chinese international driving permit (IDP), because China is not a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention. You need a Japanese license: convert yours (外免切替) with a 50-question knowledge test (45 to pass) and a driving test, or learn at a school or test at a license center.
Conversion needs at least 3 months in China after your license was issued.
The good news: as of October 2026 the written tests are offered in Chinese in Tokyo, Osaka, Aichi and many other prefectures.
Free practice in Chinese: our practice app in Chinese has picture lessons, 274 true/false questions in the official format, hazard pictures and mock exams for the learner’s permit, the full license and conversion.
China is the largest foreign community in Japan, with 941,031 residents at the end of June 2026 according to the Immigration Services Agency, so this page is written mainly for Mainland readers. Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau licenses are treated differently, and we note where.
No, for a Mainland license. The National Police Agency (警察庁) says you may drive in Japan with a Japanese license, an IDP issued under the Geneva Convention (道路交通に関する条約), or a license plus Japanese translation from a short list of places: Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan. Mainland China is in none of these groups. The UN treaty record does not list China as a party, and the Tokyo police list of Geneva states (updated July 2, 2026) does not include it.
| License from | Drive on a visit? | Convert: tests? |
|---|---|---|
| Mainland China | No IDP valid in Japan; no translation route | Knowledge test and driving test |
| Hong Kong, Macau | Yes, with a Geneva IDP (China applies the convention to both) | Knowledge test and driving test |
| Taiwan | Yes, with the license plus a Japanese translation | Both tests skipped |
An IDP or translated license works for up to one year from landing, and you can’t convert an IDP itself. Details: driving in Japan on an international driving permit.
1. Driving school (驾校, 指定自動車教習所). You learn at a designated school, pass its learner’s permit (仮免, karimen) test, graduate, then take the final written test (本免) at your prefecture’s license center. A commuting school usually takes 2 to 3 months; a driving camp (合宿免許, gasshuku menkyo) about 14 days for an automatic (AT) license. See driving camps for foreigners and English driving schools.
2. Direct test at the center (一发试验, 一発試験). You take every test at the license center yourself. Osaka’s steps:
3. Converting your Chinese license (换证, 外免切替). For people who already drive in China; covered below.
Yes. In May 2024 the National Police Agency told all prefectural police to offer written tests in 20 languages, Chinese among them, for the learner’s permit, the full license and the conversion knowledge test. What we confirmed, as of October 2026:
| Prefecture | Chinese tests | Schedule and booking |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo (警視庁, page updated May 11, 2026) | 仮免, 本免 (first and second class), moped (原付), conversion | Any weekday. 本免 at Fuchu, Samezu and Koto; 仮免 and conversion at Fuchu and Samezu |
| Osaka (大阪府警察) | Every license except small special vehicles (小型特殊), incl. moped | All written tests booked online; Osaka residents only |
| Aichi (愛知県警察) | 仮免, 本免, moped | Monday and Wednesday at the main test center; Thursday at Higashi-Mikawa |
| Aichi, conversion test | Conversion knowledge test | Wednesday and Friday, 13:30 |
| Saitama (埼玉県警察) | 仮免, 本免, moped | Since August 30, 2024 |
| Kyoto (京都府警察) | Conversion knowledge test | 20 languages kept after the 2025 reform |
Unlike some languages, Chinese is also offered for the moped test in Tokyo, Osaka, Aichi and Saitama. No page we read says whether the Chinese is Simplified or Traditional characters. Other prefectures: check your police page before you book.
Learning in Chinese is rarer than testing in Chinese. Classroom lectures at the schools booking agent Mucho lists are in Japanese. Mucho lists five schools with Chinese textbooks and eight with a Chinese learner’s permit test, and says one, Atago Driving School (あたご自動車学校), can give lessons (教習) in Chinese. The i-drive camp desk answers in Chinese, but its camps run in Japanese. Japan License Connect, a school-search site launched in June 2026, is available in Chinese (per its press release).
The October 1, 2025 reform applies to everyone. You need:
China is not on the list of 29 countries and regions that skip the tests, so you take the knowledge test (50 questions, 45 correct to pass; Chinese available) and the driving test on the center’s course. In Tokyo, non-exempt licenses go to Fuchu or Samezu; Osaka books non-exempt countries by phone in Japanese in set time windows.
Chinese applicants need extra documents. Tokyo’s country list (as of August 2026) asks for a 基本信息 record sealed by the vehicle management office (车辆管理所), one more record such as a 成绩证明, 经历证明, violation and accident record or a printout of your digital license, and 10 years of entry and exit records, which it suggests you request online from the National Immigration Administration (国家移民管理局) and print in advance. Tokyo publishes its document lists in Chinese, and wants originals. Osaka’s list asks for entry and exit records. Gifu lists a resident ID card (居民身分証), 基本信息, a medical certificate and 10 years of entry and exit records, as originals. Ask your own center for its China list. Waits can be long: Gifu says about 2 months to the document review and about 5 more to the tests. Full process: how to convert a foreign license in Japan.
Taiwan: on the exempt list, so no knowledge or driving test; in Tokyo, exempt licenses can also go to the Koto center. The translation can come from the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association (台湾日本関係協会) or JAF. Hong Kong and Macau: not exempt, so both tests apply.
| Item (regular car) | Cost, October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Driving camp, Ibaraki Kennan (Chinese textbooks), AT, dorm | ¥231,000 (Nov 2026 entry) to ¥297,000 (late Dec) incl. tax |
| City school English course, Koyama, AT | ¥432,520 incl. tax |
| Final test at the center after school (Osaka) | ¥1,900 test + ¥2,350 license |
| Direct test, all fees and courses (Osaka) | ¥29,200 if you pass every test first time |
| Conversion (Tokyo) | ¥2,500 application + ¥2,350 license |
| JAF translation for conversion | ¥6,600 |
The Osaka direct-test total adds ¥2,950, ¥1,100 and ¥1,750 for the learner’s permit, ¥2,500, ¥2,350 and ¥800 for the full license, and ¥12,200 plus ¥5,550 for the required courses. Each retake costs more. Camp prices change by season and school.
Our practice app in Chinese (免费中文练习) has:
It is independent practice, not the official test, and the questions on the real test are different. The English version and the full overview are on our driving test practice page.
Not a Mainland China license. China is not a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention, so it has no IDP valid in Japan, and it is not on the translation route. You need a Japanese license, by conversion or through the tests.
Yes, in many prefectures. Tokyo offers Chinese for the learner's permit, full license, moped and conversion tests on weekdays; Osaka for every license except small special vehicles; Aichi on set weekdays. Pages don't say whether the Chinese is Simplified or Traditional.
You need 3 months in China after the license was issued, a 住民票, a Japanese translation and your passports. China is not test-exempt, so you take a 50-question knowledge test (45 to pass) and a driving test. Tokyo and Gifu also ask Chinese applicants for extra documents, including 10 years of entry and exit records.
As of October 2026, one camp school with Chinese textbooks charges ¥231,000 to ¥297,000 for an AT license, and a Tokyo-area school's English course costs ¥432,520. The direct test at the Osaka center costs ¥29,200 in fees if you pass first time. Converting costs ¥4,850 in Tokyo for a regular car, plus a translation (¥6,600 at JAF).
Not to convert. Taiwan is on the list of 29 countries and regions that skip both the knowledge and driving tests. Visitors drive on a Taiwan license with a Japanese translation, not an IDP.
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