Miyagi Prefectural Driver's License Centre

Address	65 Takakura, Ichinazaka, Izumi-ku, Sendai, Miyagi
Access	About 7 min by Miyagi Kotsu bus from Izumi-Chuo Station (subway, bay 5-2) or about 8 min from Yaotome Station (bay 3); get off at the centre stop or Kashima Shopping Town. About 40 min by bus from JR Sendai Station (bay 6).
Booking	Phone reservation is required before the document review: 022-373-3601, extension 275. Cancellations must also be phoned in. The knowledge and skills checks are booked afterwards.
Days and times	Weekdays only (not weekends, public holidays or the year-end/New Year break). Arrive at the time given when booking; waits can run to about 5 p.m. and the licence may not be issued the same day.
Written check languages	en, es, fa, ko, zh, pt, ru, th, tl, vi, ne, id, km, mn, my, si, hi, ur, ar, uk
Driving test course	No course map is published online. Ask at the centre.

Documents

Valid foreign licence (and any old licence)
Proof of the foreign licence issue date, or a driving record certificate, if the date is unclear
Japanese translation of the foreign licence from the embassy/consulate, JAF, ZIPLUS or the Japan Driver Support Association for Visitors
Residence certificate (jumin-hyo) issued within 6 months, without My Number; shows nationality or registered domicile as applicable
Passport (including old passports)
Flight ticket or similar showing entry/exit if the passport lacks stamps from the issuing country
One photo, 3 cm x 2.4 cm, taken within 6 months
Japanese licence if held (valid or expired)

From 1 Oct 2025 the knowledge check is 50 questions in 30 minutes, in 20 languages; bring a pencil and eraser.
Short-term visitors cannot use the foreign licence conversion procedure.
Applicants must have stayed at least 3 months in the issuing country after getting the licence.
Applicants who cannot converse in Japanese must bring an interpreter.
Document review is at the 1st-floor Examination Section office (room 16).
Exempt countries/regions listed on the page include Iceland, Ireland, UK, Italy, Australia, Austria, Netherlands, Canada, South Korea, Greece, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Slovenia, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Hungary, Finland, France, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Monaco, Luxembourg, Taiwan, and several US states (knowledge and skills exempt in VA, HI, MD, WA, OH, OR, CO; skills only in IN).
Ishinomaki, Furukawa and Sennan centres are not named on the official foreign-licence page as handling this procedure; only the main centre is.
Fee amounts for the conversion are not published on the foreign-licence page.

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