# Getting a Japanese driver's license in Vietnamese (thi bằng lái xe ở Nhật bằng tiếng Việt)

URL: https://japanhow.com/driving/license/japan-driving-license-in-vietnamese/
Author: JapanHow editors
Updated: Oct 23, 2026

## Summary

Vietnamese residents can take Japan's written driving tests in Vietnamese: the learner's permit, full license, moped and license-conversion tests are all offered in Vietnamese in Tokyo and Aichi, as of October 2026. A Vietnam-issued international driving permit follows the 1968 Vienna Convention and is not valid in Japan. To drive, you go through a driving school, take the tests directly at a license center, or convert your Vietnamese license by passing a 50-question test (45 correct) and a driving test.

## Key facts

- Vietnam IDP in Japan: Not valid (1968 Vienna format)
- Written tests in Vietnamese: Yes, incl. moped, in Tokyo and Aichi
- Conversion test: 50 questions, 45 to pass
- Extra paper for VN licenses: Embassy authentication (varies)

Yes, you can get a Japanese driver's license in Vietnamese. The written tests for the learner's permit (仮免許, karimen), the full license (本免許, honmen), the moped license (原付, gentsuki) and the license-conversion knowledge test are all offered in Vietnamese in Tokyo and Aichi, as of October 2026. Your Vietnamese **international driving permit (IDP) is not valid in Japan**, because Vietnam issues it under the 1968 Vienna Convention.

So to drive here you need a Japanese license: through a driving school, by testing directly at a license center, or by converting your Vietnamese license (50 questions, 45 to pass, plus a driving test).

To practise in Vietnamese for free, open our [practice app in Vietnamese](/driving/practice-test/app/?lang=vi): picture lessons, true/false questions in the official test format and mock exams. It is independent practice, not the official test.

**Tóm tắt bằng tiếng Việt:** Bằng lái xe quốc tế (IDP) do Việt Nam cấp **không dùng được** ở Nhật. Để lái xe, bạn cần bằng lái Nhật: học ở trường dạy lái xe, thi thẳng ở trung tâm cấp bằng, hoặc đổi bằng lái Việt Nam (thi lý thuyết 50 câu, phải đúng 45 câu, và thi thực hành). Ở Tokyo và Aichi, các bài thi lý thuyết, kể cả xe máy 50cc, đều có bằng tiếng Việt. Bạn có thể [luyện thi miễn phí bằng tiếng Việt](/driving/practice-test/app/?lang=vi); đây không phải đề thi chính thức.

About 694,000 Vietnamese nationals lived in Japan at the end of June 2026, the second-largest foreign community, with the most in Osaka, Aichi, Tokyo, Saitama and Kanagawa. Whether you are a technical intern (技能実習), a specified skilled worker (特定技能), a student or a family member, the rules below are the same. You do need a 住民票 (residence record), so short-term visitors can't get a license.

## Which route fits you?

| Route | In Vietnamese | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Driving school (指定自動車教習所), including a driving camp (合宿免許) | Học ở trường dạy lái xe | No license yet, or a license you can't convert |
| Straight to the license center (一発試験, ippatsu shiken) | Thi thẳng ở trung tâm cấp bằng | Experienced drivers who can pass the center's driving test without school |
| Convert your Vietnamese license (外免切替, gaimen kirikae) | Đổi bằng lái Việt Nam | You held a Vietnamese license and lived in Vietnam 3+ months after getting it |

School graduates skip the driving test at the center but still take the full-license written test there, so the center's language rules apply to you. Our guides to [driving camps for foreigners](/driving/schools/gasshuku-menkyo-foreigners/) and [English driving schools](/driving/schools/english-driving-schools-japan/) explain the school route in detail.

## Is the test in Vietnamese where I live?

Vietnamese is one of 20 foreign languages the National Police Agency (警察庁) told all prefectural police to introduce in May 2024, for the learner's permit, full license, second-class (第二種) and conversion tests. Each prefecture decides days and centers, so check your own police page. What official pages say, as of October 2026:

| Prefecture | Tests in Vietnamese | When | Source date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo (Fuchu, Samezu; Koto for full license and 第二種 only) | Learner's permit, full license, 第二種, moped, conversion knowledge test | Every weekday | Updated May 11, 2026 |
| Aichi, main license test center | Full license, learner's permit, 第二種, moped | Wednesdays and Fridays (8:45–11:30; mopeds 8:45–9:45) | Checked October 2026 |
| Aichi, Higashi-Mikawa center (東三河) | Same tests | Thursdays (8:45–9:20) | Checked October 2026 |
| Aichi, conversion knowledge test | 50-question test at 13:30 | Mondays and Wednesdays | PDF of October 27, 2025 |
| Saitama | Learner's permit, full license, 第二種, moped | Ask at the counter; choose the language when booking the learner's test online | Since August 30, 2024 |
| Nagano (Hokushin, Chunanshin) | Learner's permit, full license, 第二種 | Tuesday to Friday | Updated April 15, 2025 |

Moped (原付) tests come in fewer languages than car tests. Tokyo offers mopeds in 5 (English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Nepali and Burmese), and Aichi and Saitama list Vietnamese among their 4, so Vietnamese speakers are better served than most. Aichi's web booking is needed for some full-license candidates, and only Aichi residents can test there. Tokyo has no tests on weekends, holidays or December 29 to January 3.

If you plan to drive a taxi or bus, you need a second-class license (第二種). Its written test is in Vietnamese in Tokyo, Aichi, Saitama and Nagano, but you can't get it by conversion: Wakayama police state that a foreign license can't be converted to 第二種.

### Can I learn in Vietnamese at a driving school?

Rarely. Booking platforms list Vietnamese among the languages some schools support, but classroom lectures are in Japanese and daily-conversation Japanese is usually expected. One example: Ibaraki Kennan Driving School (茨城けんなん自動車学校) offers textbooks and the learner's written test in Vietnamese, per the booking site menkyo-mucho. The camp booking site i-drive has a Vietnamese-speaking desk, though the camps it sells run in Japanese. A school-search platform that launched in June 2026 in 7 languages, Vietnamese included, sums up the problem in its own press release: you can take the test in your own language, but lessons are only in Japanese.

## Can I drive on my Vietnamese license or IDP?

No, not on its own and not with a Vietnamese IDP.

- **Japan accepts only 1949 Geneva Convention IDPs.** JAF says IDPs issued under other treaties, such as the 1968 Vienna Convention, are not valid. Vietnam joined the 1968 Vienna Convention in 2014 (UN treaty records), and Vietnam's IDP rules (Circular 29/2015/TT-BGTVT; IDPs have been under Ministry of Public Security rules since 2025) issue permits for use in Vienna Convention countries. Japan is not a party to that convention.
- **Vietnam is not on the Tokyo police list** of Geneva countries whose IDPs work in Japan (updated July 2, 2026), nor on its list of countries still being checked. The UN still lists "Viet Nam" under the 1949 Geneva Convention, but only through a 1953 accession by the former Republic of Viet-Nam; Japanese police follow their own list, so don't rely on that entry.
- **The translation route doesn't apply.** Only licenses from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan can be used with a Japanese translation.

So a Vietnamese license is useful in Japan only for conversion. See our [international driving permit guide](/driving/license/international-driving-permit-japan/) for the general rules.

## How do I convert a Vietnamese license?

You can convert if your Vietnamese license is **still valid**, you stayed in Vietnam **at least 3 months in total after it was issued** (shown by passport stamps), and you live in Japan with a 住民票. Vietnam is not one of the 29 countries and regions that skip the tests, so you take both:

- a **knowledge test (知識確認)** of 50 written questions with a 90% pass mark (45 correct), in force since October 1, 2025; Kyoto and Tokyo confirm it is still offered in 20 languages, Vietnamese included
- a **driving test (技能確認)** on the center's course, stricter since October 2025

The full process, booking and waiting times are in our [license conversion guide](/driving/license/convert-foreign-license-japan/).

### Extra documents for Vietnamese licenses

Prefectures ask for proof that your Vietnamese license was really issued, and their lists differ:

| Prefecture | What they list for Vietnam |
|---|---|
| Osaka | An authentication (認証) with a Japanese translation attached |
| Wakayama | Authentication of the license at the Vietnamese embassy in Japan |
| Tochigi | Your test result sheet (成績票) or an embassy authentication |
| Kumamoto | The papers from when you got your license in Vietnam: license application (Đơn đề nghị học, sát hạch để cấp giấy phép lái xe), test results (Biên bản tổng hợp kết quả sát hạch lái xe), health certificate (Giấy khám sức khỏe của người lái xe) and, if you went to a school, the graduation certificate (Giấy chứng nhận tốt nghiệp). Without them, an embassy authentication |
| Yamanashi | A printout of your license details from the Vietnamese license authority |

All of these are examples: centers may ask for more after pre-screening. The National Police Agency also tells police that Vietnamese license issuance can be checked on the issuing authority's website. Ask the Vietnamese embassy about its authentication fee and timing, and ask your center which paper it wants before you book.

You also need a **Japanese translation** of the license. JAF publishes a Vietnamese-language guide: ¥6,600 per translation, online application only, about 1 to 2 weeks, printed at a convenience store in Japan (¥20 per sheet). JAF does not translate IDPs or digital licenses, and doesn't refund the fee if your conversion is refused. The Vietnamese embassy or consulate is also an accepted translator, per the National Police Agency.

## How much does it cost?

| Item | Cost (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Driving camp, regular car AT (Ibaraki Kennan, dorm single room) | ¥231,000 to ¥297,000 incl. tax, by entry date |
| Commuting school with English support (Tokorozawa, Koyama) | ¥367,280 to ¥432,520 incl. tax |
| Learner's permit application at school | ¥2,900 (Koyama) |
| Full-license written test and issue, Osaka | ¥1,900 + ¥2,350 |
| Conversion, Tokyo (regular car) | ¥2,500 + ¥2,350 |
| JAF translation for conversion | ¥6,600 |

School prices vary by age, season and licenses you already hold. A commuting school usually takes 2 to 3 months and a camp about 2 weeks for an automatic license, per menkyo-mucho.

## Practise for the test in Vietnamese

Our free [driving test practice app](/driving/practice-test/app/?lang=vi) has picture lessons, 274 true/false questions in the official test format, hazard pictures, and mock exams for the learner's permit, the full license and the conversion test. Japanese terms carry furigana, so you can read them at the center. Progress is saved in your browser, with no account.

It is independent practice, not the official test: the questions on the real test are different. The [practice test hub](/driving/practice-test/) explains each exam in English.

**Luyện thi miễn phí bằng tiếng Việt:** [mở ứng dụng luyện thi](/driving/practice-test/app/?lang=vi).

**General information, not legal advice:** Rules, documents and test days differ by prefecture and can change. Check your license center's page before you go, and bring an interpreter if your Japanese is limited: Tokyo says one may be required, and Osaka asks you to bring one.

## Questions people ask

### Can I take the Japanese driving test in Vietnamese? (thi bằng lái xe ở Nhật bằng tiếng Việt)

Yes. Vietnamese is one of the 20 foreign languages the National Police Agency asked prefectures to offer. Tokyo offers it every weekday for the learner's permit, full license, moped and conversion tests. Aichi offers it on set weekdays. Check your own prefecture's police page.

### Can I use a Vietnamese international driving permit in Japan?

No. Vietnam issues international driving permits under the 1968 Vienna Convention, and JAF says Vienna-format permits are not valid in Japan. Vietnam is not on the Tokyo police list of Geneva Convention countries.

### Can I convert my Vietnamese license to a Japanese one? (đổi bằng lái xe Việt Nam sang Nhật)

Yes, if it is still valid, you stayed at least 3 months in Vietnam after it was issued, and you live in Japan with a 住民票. Vietnam is not on the exempt list, so you take the 50-question knowledge test and a driving test. Many prefectures also ask for an authentication from the Vietnamese embassy.

### Can I take the 50cc moped test in Vietnamese in Japan? (thi bằng lái xe 50cc ở Nhật bằng tiếng Việt)

In Tokyo, Aichi and Saitama, yes. Moped (原付) tests come in fewer languages than car tests, but all three list Vietnamese, as of October 2026.

### How much does a Japanese driver's license cost? (thi bằng lái xe ở Nhật hết bao nhiêu tiền)

In our examples a driving school course costs about ¥231,000 (camp) to ¥432,520 (Tokyo commuting school), depending on school, season and plan. Converting a Vietnamese license in Tokyo costs ¥2,500 plus ¥2,350 at the center, plus ¥6,600 for a JAF translation.

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