Test centres › Hiroshima
Hiroshima Prefectural Driver's License Centre
| Address | 3-1-1 Ishiuchi-minami, Saeki-ku, Hiroshima City 731-5198 |
|---|---|
| Access | Bus to the Menkyo Center bus stop, then about 2 minutes on foot (no station listed). By car about 10 minutes from Gokaichi IC or about 15 minutes from Numata IC; parking for about 700 cars. |
| Booking | Phone booking only, weekdays 14:00-16:00 (not public holidays or 29 Dec-3 Jan). Tell the operator you want Hiroshima (this centre) or Eastern. |
| Days and times | Issuance applications are accepted Mon-Fri 8:30-9:00 and 13:00-13:30 (not public holidays etc.); about 1.5 hours after reception closes to issuance. The page says the licence is issued from the next day onward if you pass. Dates for the knowledge and skills checks themselves are not stated. |
| Written check languages | en, zh, vi, pt, ko, ru, th, fa, tl, es, id, km, ne, my, mn, uk, si, ur, ar, hi |
| Driving test course | No course map is published online. Ask at the centre. |
Documents
- Foreign licence (international permit not accepted)
- Japanese translation from the issuing country's embassy/consulate, JAF, ZIPLUS, or the Visiting Drivers Support Association
- Passport or other proof of entry/exit showing 3+ months stay after getting the licence
- One residence record (juminhyo) original, showing nationality, status, period of stay etc.; copies not accepted
- Japanese licence if ever held (expired is fine)
- One photo 3.0 cm x 2.4 cm within 6 months
- Fee
- Country-specific: China ID card and basic information, Philippines official receipt, Brazil CPF
Things to know
- Two centres in Hiroshima accept 外免切替: this one and the Eastern centre in Fukuyama (see hiroshima-toubu.json). Miyoshi test centre is listed on the access page but not as an application centre.
- Knowledge check is 50 true/false questions, offered in the listed languages.
- Applicants outside the special-treatment countries take knowledge and skills checks; passing exempts the normal written and driving tests before the aptitude test.
- Application must be made in person; no proxy. Applicants not covered by the Basic Resident Register generally cannot apply.
- From 2026-10-01 cash plus card and code payments are accepted for fees (driving schools excluded). Fee amounts are not on the page.
Driving test: where people lose points
- Not checking the blind spot (turn your head) before moving off, changing lanes and turning.
- Left turns: not moving close to the left edge first, then turning slowly along the edge of the intersection.
- Right turns: not moving close to the centre line beforehand, or not turning just inside the centre of the intersection (wait there for oncoming traffic).
- At a stop sign (止まれ): not stopping completely at the stop line, then stopping again where you can see.
- Signalling late: signal 30 m before a turn, 3 seconds before a lane change.
- Crossings: not slowing down or not stopping for a pedestrian who may cross.
- Railway crossings: not stopping before the crossing and checking left and right with the window open.
Always check the official page before you go: times and rules change. Official page · Checked 2026-11-09