Drivers License

[Taka-Okami]

Can you renew Japanese drivers licenses from overseas? I don't want to go all the way to Japan just to wait out at Hirabari!

[Sarutaro]

Can you renew Japanese drivers licenses from overseas? I don't want to go all the way to Japan just to wait out at Hirabari!

When my J-wife lived with me abroad, she asked her father to go to the license center on her behalf, so I guess it's possible... Don't know exactly how, though...

[FG Lurker]

Can you renew Japanese drivers licenses from overseas? I don't want to go all the way to Japan just to wait out at Hirabari!

I think you're Australian, right?

The rules changed a few years ago and I believe the rules for Australia and Canada are much the same.

Assuming they are, you are not supposed* to hold both a Japanese and an Australian license at the same time. If you have a Japanese license and move to Australia you change your Japanese license to an Australian one and surrender your Japanese license. Likewise if you move to Japan you change your Australian license for a Japanese license and surrender your Australian one.

I found this out when I tried to renew my Canadian license on a trip back to Canada. The license center told me that I couldn't renew my Canadian license and that it was fine for me to drive in Canada (for up to 3 months? 6? I can't remember) on just my Japanese license with no international permit required.

* I'm sure it is possible to hold both licenses as long as you lie to the license issuing authority and tell the Japanese you are living in Japan and the Australians that you are living in Australia. I have no idea what the legal repercussions for this may be. There is also little point as it is so easy to change licenses. Just a translation, a photo, an eye test, and a fee and you're done.


Finally, all the above applies to cars. I know nothing about motorcycle licenses. They may be the same or they may be completely different. You might want to call the Australian Embassy in Tokyo and see if they can give you any information about it.

[GomiGirl]

Can you renew Japanese drivers licenses from overseas? I don't want to go all the way to Japan just to wait out at Hirabari!

What? You don't want to sit through the 2 hour video and lecture on driver safety?

Sorry - don't have the answer to your question though. But would assume probably not.

I did renew my Australian licence from Japan just recently. It was super easy. Just fill in an on-line form, send some cash and they posted a sticker for me to pop on the back. Again - not helpful to you at present. Just thought I would add this anecdote to the conversation.

[Taka-Okami]

Thanks guys.

I actually paid like 400,000 yen to get my license in Japan (didnt have an Aussie one at the time) so I never want to give it up! I couldnt be asses failing mutiple times and being a tight ass. It was kinda fun being the first white gaijin at the driving school!

Anyway, I got it like 10 years ago, I left Japan 6 years ago. I actually flew in back in 2007 and timed it to renew my license - didnt even ask me for a gaijin card and they just assumed I still lived at my old address. Do they still NOT check your gaijin card for renewal? They gave me a 5 year extension at that time, so I'm due in a bout 1.5 years. Looks like I'll have to try my luck again, and then take a nice skii trip up in Hokkaido!

[nottu]

[BigInJapan]

I found this out when I tried to renew my Canadian license on a trip back to Canada. The license center told me that I couldn't renew my Canadian license and that it was fine for me to drive in Canada (for up to 3 months? 6? I can't remember) on just my Japanese license with no international permit required.

I used a JPN int'l driver's permit last time I went back to Canada as my CDN license had also expired. Wish I'd known for sure that a JPN license could be used as is.

* I'm sure it is possible to hold both licenses as long as you lie to the license issuing authority and tell the Japanese you are living in Japan and the Australians that you are living in Australia.

I also went to into renew my CDN license last time, and found out that you can only hold one. They told me I would have to hand over my JPN license to renew (I stuck with the JPN license as I live in Japan).
After coming back, a clever buddy said I should have handed over my JPN license and renewed the CDN one, then when back in Japan just say I lost my JPN license (and get a new one issued). Hmm, don't know if the CDN authorities inform Japan, you never know.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Thanks guys.

I actually paid like 400,000 yen to get my license in Japan (didnt have an Aussie one at the time) so I never want to give it up! I couldnt be asses failing mutiple times and being a tight ass. It was kinda fun being the first white gaijin at the driving school!

Anyway, I got it like 10 years ago, I left Japan 6 years ago. I actually flew in back in 2007 and timed it to renew my license - didnt even ask me for a gaijin card and they just assumed I still lived at my old address. Do they still NOT check your gaijin card for renewal? They gave me a 5 year extension at that time, so I'm due in a bout 1.5 years. Looks like I'll have to try my luck again, and then take a nice skii trip up in Hokkaido!

The point is if you have a valid Australian license you don't have to worry about losing your Japanese license because if you move back all you have to do to get a Japanese licence is fill out the paperwork, pass the eye test, pay the fee and have your photo taken. There is no driving or written test required.

FGL, I don't know if it's true that you can't hold a foreign licence if you have a Japanese one. I know my case is different since as an American I had to pass a written and driving test to do the gaimen kirikae. However, they didn't make me surrender my US license or even mention it and I didn't see anything in any of the literature I received either.

But maybe that's part of the reciprocal agreement between Japan and Canada. i.e. Since Japanese lose their license when they get a Canadian one, Canadians lose their license when they get a Japanese one.

[BigInJapan]

But maybe that's part of the reciprocal agreement between Japan and Canada. i.e. Since Japanese lose their license when they get a Canadian one, Canadians lose their license when they get a Japanese one.

Just to clarify, you don't lose your Japanese or Canadian license when you obtain one in the other country. The problem FGL and I both had is that once your CDN license has expired, in order to renew it you have to prove that you had a valid license in another country, and then give up that other's country license (and show proof of an address in Canada).
It is possible to renew the CDN license just prior to it expiring (in the past anyway), but you have to do it in person (it cannot be done from overseas).

[Mock Cockpit]

What? You don't want to sit through the 2 hour video and lecture on driver safety?

Sorry - don't have the answer to your question though. But would assume probably not.

I did renew my Australian licence from Japan just recently. It was super easy. Just fill in an on-line form, send some cash and they posted a sticker for me to pop on the back. Again - not helpful to you at present. Just thought I would add this anecdote to the conversation.

That's always a fun way to spend an afternoon, sitting in the driver's license centre. Fuck I hate that joint.
In WA they only make you get a picture taken once every ten years so this year my old girl just renewed for me. $116 for 5 years, what a bunch of pisstakers. Anyway I don't see how it could be illegal to have two licenses, to get one here you have to have a valid one back home, don't you? Obviously after you get your Japanese license you'll have 2, at least for a while. And even if it is illegal how are they ever going to find out?

[FG Lurker]

During my time in Japan I renewed my Canadian license twice without any problems. Both times it had expired and I just explained that I was living in Japan so couldn't renew it on time. (Of course I don't remember the exact conversations but I'm reasonably sure I would have explained it like that as I had no reason to "adjust" the truth.)

The 3rd time it had also expired, so off I went to get it renewed again. I definitely know I said I was living in Japan and that is why I hadn't been able to renew my license before it expired. The woman behind the counter then asked if I had a Japanese license, and I told her that I did. She said that as I had a Japanese license that I could exchange that for a Canadian license, or if I was just visiting that I could just drive on my Japanese license in Canada for up to 6 (I think! It may have been 3) months. There was no way that I could renew my Canadian license without surrendering my Japanese license according to the woman who was helping me.

Now, if I had managed to renew my license before it had expired I doubt this problem would have come up at all. Also if I had just told the woman that I had been away on business it would also have been fine I am sure. Finally, even if I had been living in Japan but had no license here (or told her I had no license here) I am guessing I could have got my Canadian license renewed.

I have no idea if they have any way to check if you hold both a Canadian and a Japanese license. I can't imagine there is any penalty for it anyway, beyond perhaps having to choose one or the other. In the end though, I don't need a Canadian license as I am only in Canada once in 18 months or so for a few weeks and I can drive on my Japanese license without having to do anything extra. Keeping my Canadian license would just cost extra money and be a pain in the ass to renew every few years.

So, that's the situation with Canada and Japan as far as I know. Some countries have similar sorts of agreements with Japan but the fine details are probably different from country to country.

[taisaku]

So, that's the situation with Canada and Japan as far as I know. Some countries have similar sorts of agreements with Japan but the fine details are probably different from country to country.

Interesting conversation here. I had not heard of having to give up one driver's license in order to get the other. I am Dutch, living in Tokyo and holding a Dutch driver's license. I got my Japanese driver's license by simply showing the Dutch one (and sit through the video lesson). I didn't have to take any test, except for the eye test.
The Japanese don't make me give up my Dutch license and I have been able to renew my Dutch license without having to give up the Japanese license (they don't ask whether you hold another driver's license). Why wouldn't you be able to hold driver's licenses of multiple countries?

[FG Lurker]

Why wouldn't you be able to hold driver's licenses of multiple countries?

I have no doubt that each country is different so the situation for Dutch licenses could easily be different than it is for Canadian licenses.

My understanding is that the reasoning behind all this is data sharing. If you drive recklessly in one country and get your license suspended that data is (in theory) being shared with other countries now. Again, I have no idea how comprehensive this system is, how many countries are involved, or how far along the process is. That appears to be the end goal of all of this though.

[Greji]

The Japanese don't make me give up my Dutch license and I have been able to renew my Dutch license without having to give up the Japanese license (they don't ask whether you hold another driver's license). Why wouldn't you be able to hold driver's licenses of multiple countries?

This has been posted before but essentially, if your country has a nationally issued drivers license and as most do, have an agreement with Japan, your valid drivers license satisfies most requirements. The J-government can easily compare the one national standard to the J-procedures and as mentioned, you take the eye test and thats it. It's about the same as renewing your J-license.
Countries such as the US which have licenses issued by 50 different states, poses too much of an admin problem to insure that each state has an equivalence to J-licensing, so you must take the entire licensing examination.