Foreign License Conversion in Aichi: Which Languages Are Tested on Which Days
· GaimenGo Team
If you are converting an overseas driving license in Aichi Prefecture, the knowledge test is only offered in your language on specific days. Here is the full schedule and what changed in October 2025.
What Is the Foreign License Conversion Knowledge Test?
Converting a foreign driving license in Japan — known as 外国免許切替 (gaimen kirikae) — is not just a paperwork process. Most applicants need to pass a knowledge confirmation test (知識確認) and a practical skills check (実技確認) before a Japanese license is issued.
The knowledge test is offered in multiple languages at the Aichi Driver's License Test Center, but not every language is available every day. If you show up on the wrong day expecting a test in your language, you will be turned away.
What Changed in October 2025
From October 1, 2025 (Reiwa 7), new rules took effect for the foreign license conversion process. Applicants who had previously passed 10 knowledge confirmations under the old system and held that status before September 30, 2025, could continue under the old rules. Everyone else — including new applicants — must go through the revised process.
The revised system reorganized which languages are tested on which days, and the schedule posted at the Aichi center (dated R7.9.17) reflects the current setup.
The Full Language Schedule
Here is exactly which languages are available on each day of the week at the Aichi Driver's License Test Center:
| Day | Languages Available |
|---|---|
| Monday | English, Vietnamese |
| Tuesday | English, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Sinhalese, Indonesian, Urdu |
| Wednesday | English, Vietnamese, Chinese, Mongolian |
| Thursday | English, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Indonesian, Ukrainian, Korean, Thai, Nepalese |
| Friday | English, Chinese, Urdu, Khmer, Sinhalese, Tagalog, Hindi, Persian, Myanmarese |
Note that Japanese is also available on all days as an option for applicants who prefer to take the test in Japanese.
Practical Tips Before You Go
Check your language day first. This is the most important step. If you speak Vietnamese, you can go Monday or Wednesday. If you speak Sinhala, you need Tuesday or Friday. Going on the wrong day means a wasted trip.
Bring an interpreter if needed. Signs posted at the center make it clear: if you cannot understand Japanese procedures at the counter, you are expected to bring your own interpreter. The center does not provide live interpretation services for administrative questions.
Arrive early. The knowledge confirmation window runs from around 10:00 AM to 11:45 AM on weekdays for walk-in applicants under the new system. Arriving at the last minute risks being turned away.
Documents to bring: Your foreign driving license, passport, residence card (在留カード), a photo taken within the last six months (3cm x 2.4cm, plain background, no hat), and proof of address. If you already hold a Japanese license, bring that too.
A Note on Sunday Operations
From April 1, 2026, the Aichi Driver's License Test Center added Sunday services for foreign license issuance and license reissuance. However, the multilingual knowledge test is currently a weekday-only service. Sunday operations cover different administrative tasks, so do not assume Sunday is an option for the conversion test itself.
Which Communities Does This Serve in Aichi?
Aichi Prefecture has one of Japan's largest concentrations of foreign residents, particularly from Brazil, Vietnam, China, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka — many working in the automotive manufacturing supply chain around Toyota City, Ama, and Kariya.
The breadth of the language schedule reflects this. Thursday alone covers 10 languages, which gives you a sense of how diverse the applicant pool at this center actually is.
Bottom Line
Finding out your language day before you go is the single most important thing you can do to make your foreign license conversion go smoothly in Aichi. The process itself is manageable — the scheduling is what catches most people off guard.