Once you have a Japanese driving license, you need to renew it before it expires. Japanese driving license center will send you notice for renewal by postal mail which delivers to your registered address. One you receive the notice or just notice without it, you shall schedule one day renewal procedure at closest driving license center. Japanese driving license is valid until one month after of your third birthday counted from when you obtained driving license. You can check the date on your driving license, and you can renew it from one month before of your third birthday until the last valid day.

There are required documents for renewal procedure.

1, Japanese driving license- Please make sure your driving license is valid. In case it is expired, then you need to re-apply for new one.

2, Resident card

3, One copy of Resident Certificate- This is only needed when you change your address. In case your still live in the address on driving license, not needed. If you need one, you need to obtain it at a local ward office where-ever you live in. It is called “Jyumin-Hyo” in Japanese and you can get it at Resident Service window.

4, Notice post card- This is not mandatory. You can renew your driving license without it though since it proves you are still living in the address registered on your driving license, bring it if you have.

If you have all required documents, you start the renewal process.- To Part 2