Converting driving license

I went to driving school in my country, 2003 and have my certificate. My current license is just a month old when I enter japan. I don't have my old licenses as I misplaced wnen I away from home. But when I came back home I could get new license using my old certificate with drive test. I got validation letter from my country, can this certificate, new license and validation letter from my country be enough. I am worried as I will be going there next week.anyone with similar experiences.

Need more info than just 'my country.'

Japan allows some countries license holder to convert automaticly. Thinking right hand drive countries.

The list is available online as i have seen it before. A google search would probably locate the info.

They will require you to prove that you are/stay in the country for at least 90 days after you got your driving licence.

Depending on licence center, some are very strict which require you to proof your 90days residency after obtaining your driving licence.
Passport, bills that show your name and address etc.

you need to state your country and how long you have been in japan before we can answer you properly. some country have good relation with japan.

here are the rules.

�¦ if you enter japan newly under 3years with your lisence and confirmation from your embassy.
they will accept it .
�¦ but if you are a long residence in japan ... you need to spend 3months in your home country �B

I am originally from Nigeria. And I have been here from August 2016 that is a year and six months. The truth is I don't have all my previous licenses but I have a letter I got from Nigeria Road safety ,it just arrived from Nigeria today.. It autheticate my current lisence but nothing about previous licenses and it also stated that their records show clean history without suspensions. I have a certificate I got from driving school 2003 with which I also got this new license in Nigeria.

@ Chike ur name sounds familiar pls kowaram ofuma. I called Nigeria embassy about this and they said if I have authentication letter from Road safety corps from Nigeria direct it's supercedes any letter they can give. Meanwhile, I lives in Hokkaido profacture very far from the embassy.

That converting works is called "Gai-Men Kirikae(ŠO–Æ�Ø‘Ö)" in Japanese, read foreign langs guide(PDF).
Gai is short of Gaikoku(ŠO�‘) = foregin contries,
Men is short of Unten-Mekyo(‰^“]–Æ‹–) = driver's license,
Kirikae is coming fr Kiri-kaeru(�Ø‚è‘Ö‚¦‚é as Verb) = switching/coversion.

This page is written by Metropolitan Police Department(called "Keishi-cho/ŒxŽ‹’¡" in Japanese)
only for people who living in Tokyo as one prefecture of 47,
http://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.jp/menkyo/menkyo/kokugai/kokugai05.ht...
but other all 46 prefectures is mostly same.
https://www.npa.go.jp/link/prefectural.html

This is Kanagawa Prefectural Police Department(Kanagawa-ken keisatsu/�_“Þ�쌧ŒxŽ@)'s one.
https://www.police.pref.kanagawa.jp/mes/mes83046.htm
https://www.police.pref.kanagawa.jp/eng/e_mes/eng83000.htm#exchanging

This is for Kyoto.
http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/fukei/menkyo/s_men1/gaimen/index.html
http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/fukei/foreignlanguage/index.html

This is for Okinawa without foreign lang page/guide.
http://www.police.pref.okinawa.jp/docs/2015030100253/

This is JAF's one. (JAF : Japan Automobile Federation)
http://www.jaf.or.jp/inter/translation/
http://www.jaf.or.jp/e/translation/switch.htm

Anyway, all the procedures of Japanese driver's license relations are managed
by the driver's license department(unten-menkyo-ka/‰^“]–Æ‹–‰Û)
of the ministry of transportation(koutsuu-bu/Œð’Ê•”) ofeach prefectural police depertment(keisatsu/ŒxŽ@).
So, call a "licensing center(unten-menkyo center, or shikenjo/‰^“]–Æ‹–ƒZƒ“ƒ^�[ or ŽŽŒ±�ê)"
of each prefectural police department, or if close, go directly and consult at counter.
If already registered for resident, you should go consult at(or call to) city/ward/town/village hall ASAP.
The staff of the city/ward/town/village hall doesn't know the rules of driver's license well,
but if you tell the important words of "ŠO–Æ�Ø‘Ö" and more(related URLs all), will be able to investigate further.
From the driver's license of Nigeria, it seems that exams of "knowledge(paper exam)"
and "driving skill(driving exam)" but it seems that it will NOT be exempted, but they will also investigate this.

I lives in Hokkaido prefecture very far from the embassy.
Oops, I was in the process of writing an answer.
There are EN page in Hokkaido Police depertment web, but about "ŠO–Æ�Ø‘Ö" is written in only Japanese.
https://www.police.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/english/english-top.html
https://www.police.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/guide/menkyo/gai_menkyo-kirikae...

(Note)
Getting yr driver's license is NOT a Goal, registering and possessing own car is a different story
(proof of garage, automobile tax, car insurance, automobile inspection, and more),
so, you have to study more knowledge of next stages if you could, pls don't forget it.

Small typo, forgot "n" of reading of Japanese in first part.

Men is short of Unten-Menkyo(‰^“]–Æ‹–) = driver's license,

@ASIMMETRICO you are right but buying car with shaken don`t go all that process.

buying car that have shaken already.
all you have to do is change of ownership and change of plate number. which can be done by yourself if you buy from car auction or friend . which will cost ��3000 to 5000

if you buy from dealer the dealer will handle it .

�—Victor consulting your embassy is good.

�¦ Documents to bring to lisence centre.(all translated to nihongo copy.)
1, international driving lisence
2, international passport
3, autentification documents from your embassy.
4, jumihyou from city office
5, other supporting documents if possible

if approved you are subjected to 10 question exam and driving test.
on the day you pass driving test .. your japanese driving lisence will be issued.

Thank you all for the links and ideas of what I need to bring. I will get this done and come back here for how it all went.

@chike20
I know that well, (ŽÔŒŸ : shaken = vehicle inspection)
however, in that case registration fee is not so cheap, depends on month of registration date.
(oops, forgot to write an explanation about the seal = ŽÀˆó Jistu-in/stam as official.)

But anyway, I just wrote bc he might not know the vehicle inspection
as one of important system of vehicle law for his new car life in Japan.
(don't know how long he will live in Hokkaido, though.)

So I don't say "it is necessary for purchase", I only wanted him to know that means
"(larger engine or motor)vehicles that do not pass the vehicle inspection and
without liability insurance=Ž©”…�Ó: jibaiseki can not run on the public road.".
Knowing the seriousness of the penalty of this crime, he might be surprised,
it will not be in the "death penalty", though, but,.

For car. We have gone through the car purchase and insurance , just that only my wife can drive as she a Japanese. I got your info , just I need to start to drive because in the actual town not( city ) we live the public transport is almost not existence. The taxi is so expensive, the train can't bring you any close to work or where you want to go.

According to this site (below), Nigeria is not a country which can convert their licenses directly. You may need to go and take a full driving exam.

http://japaninfoswap.com/converting-your-foreign-license-to-a-japanese...

I finally went to Sapporo driving license center and after the interview, checking my documents , they finally said I have have 45 days left to complete. That I must get driving licence license from scratch or travel to back to Nigeria and spend at least 45 to 50 days then come back for this short cut.
My company will allow me to leave for such long time by January if I come back by February 2019 my current license will be valid till July leaving me with only 5 months to pass the test. Wondering if it's enough time as I heard they deliberately may want to fail me several times.

Doesn't make sense to give away your job for months, fly half way across the globe just so you can get your license renewed. When you can do it the normal way in 45 days. You have said you can drive, so there should be no issue obtaining it.

No no may be you don't get it. My three months is not complete. Its remaining 45 days. do you know the 3months rule in Japan to convert foreigners license into Japanese license? If you do, then I have only 45 days ok the remaining 45 days I need leave to Nigeria and come back after 45 days . Only then I'm good to get driving test.
If not I have to get Japanese lisence from scratch which means going to the local driving school, besides being expensive and time consuming, there is no English driving school here and I don't understand Japanese much yet how much reading and taking driving lessons. Anyway little complicated.