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Japan Forward
23-05-2025
- Japan Forward
Japan Reviews 'Too Easy' Foreign Driver's License Conversion After Crashes
Japan's National Police Agency is reviewing how it handles the conversion of foreign driver's licenses, a system known as gaimen kirikae . This was announced by Commissioner General Kusunoki Koshinobu at a press conference on May 22. The gaimen kirikae system allows foreign nationals to convert a driver's license from their home country into a Japanese one. Currently, applicants can do so using just a passport and a certificate of temporary stay, without needing to be officially registered as a resident. However, in response to a recent string of serious traffic accidents involving foreign nationals, the agency now plans to tighten the requirements. As a general rule, applicants will need to submit a copy of their juminhyo (resident record) to be eligible. Commissioner General Yoshinobu Kusunoki of the National Police Agency outlined plans to revise the foreign driver's license conversion system at a press conference on May 22, Chiyoda, Tokyo. (©Sankei by Misaki Owatari) "To confirm the address of each applicant, regardless of nationality, we will in principle require a copy of the juminhyo ," said Commissioner Kusunoki. "License conversions will not be allowed for those staying in Japan for tourism." Exceptions will be made for Japanese citizens temporarily living abroad and for diplomats, who will be allowed to verify their addresses using alternative documents. The agency also plans to make the knowledge and driving skill tests for foreigners more rigorous. Kusunoki said the new approach will help ensure that applicants fully understand Japanese traffic laws. National attention focused on one May 18 case that happened on the Shin-Meishin Expressway in Kameyama City, Mie Prefecture. A 34-year-old Peruvian man, Elias John Rossi Cruz, was driving the wrong way in the outbound lane when he collided with two oncoming vehicles. He fled the scene without notifying the police. However, he was later arrested on suspicion of violating the Road Traffic Act for failing to report the accident Cruz, a company employee living in Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture, had obtained his Japanese license by converting his Peruvian one under the current system. This incident followed a similar case in May involving Deng Hongpeng, a 42-year-old Chinese man. He was arrested in Misato City, Saitama Prefecture, for a hit-and-run that injured four elementary school children. Deng had also acquired his Japanese license through the foreign license conversion process. Police officers examine the scene of the crash in Misato City, Saitama Prefecture, on the afternoon of May 14. (©Sankei by Kazuya Kamogawa) Drivers from countries not party to the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, such as Vietnam, China, and Nepal, cannot use international driving permits in Japan. As a result, many citizens of these countries rely on the conversion system. Even drivers from countries that are signatories to the convention sometimes prefer to convert their licenses, depending on the validity period and conditions of their permits. According to the National Police Agency, about 60,000 people obtained a Japanese driver's license through the conversion system in 2023. The largest group came from Vietnam, with 15,807 conversions, followed by China with 11,247. While the process generally requires taking a skills and knowledge test, applicants from certain countries are exempt from parts of the process. Surprisingly, applicants without a residence card were still able to take the test if they showed proof of accommodation. Some reports suggest that even tourists have been able to apply. Currently, the written knowledge test is available in up to 24 languages and consists of 10 true-or-false questions. A passing score of 7 is required. In comparison, the standard Japanese driver's test has 95 multiple-choice questions scored out of 100, with a passing requirement of 90 points. This stark difference has added to criticisms that the conversion process is too lenient, but that is now changing. ( Read the related article in Japanese . ) Author: The Sankei Shimbun
New Straits Times
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
Move to end foreign licence conversion gains praise over fraud concerns
KUALA LUMPUR: The government's decision to discontinue the conversion of foreign driving licences to Malaysian licences has been welcomed as a positive step to strengthen the process and help prevent potential issues, including alleged fraud cases. Ch'ng Toh Ghee, managing director of Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) agency Alter Domus, said the policy shift is understandable as Malaysia seeks to tighten compliance and improve road safety standards involving foreigners. He said while MM2H participants are exempted from the ruling, the move is still timely and necessary to ensure uniformity and prevent abuse. "This policy is a good move as it helps strengthen the process and enables authorities to prevent potential issues, such as document fraud during the conversion of foreign licences," he told the New Straits Times. He added that the decision likely stems from previous cases of possible fraud, prompting the authorities to act. "Some countries do not follow Malaysia's standards when issuing driving licences. "By standardising the process, the government is ensuring that all drivers, regardless of nationality, meet local safety and competency standards," he said. Ch'ng also acknowledged that, although the announcement came at the last minute, it demonstrates the government's urgency in addressing the matter. "Although the announcement was only made on May 17, with implementation set for May 19, we understand the urgency. It shows the government is serious about curbing issues related to licence fraud. "While last-minute, it is a necessary and commendable move that deserves support." The Road Transport Department (RTD) on Saturday had announced that all applications to convert foreign driving licences to Malaysian driving licences (LMM) will be discontinued effective May 19. Its director-general, Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli, said that foreigners requiring an LMM will now have to follow the existing procedures to obtain the licence, just like Malaysian citizens. However, several categories of applicants will not be affected by the new ruling, including members of the diplomatic corps and participants in the MM2H programme. Meanwhile, foreigners residing in Malaysia temporarily for less than 12 months are subject to specific conditions. Citizens from countries that are signatories to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic and the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic are allowed to drive using an International Driving Permit issued by the relevant authorities of their respective countries. As for Asean nationals, they only need to use their domestic driving licences, in accordance with the 1985 Asean Agreement on the Recognition of Domestic Driving Licences.
