Test centres › Hokkaido
Sapporo Driver's Licence Test Centre
| Address | 1-1 Akebono 5-jo 4-chome, Teine-ku, Sapporo |
|---|---|
| Access | About 20 min on foot from JR Hakodate Line Inaho Station, or JR Hokkaido Bus to the licence test centre stop (right at the stop). |
| Booking | Phone booking is mandatory: 011-695-5515, weekdays 8:45-17:00 (closed weekends, holidays, 29 Dec-3 Jan). Booking is only possible once all documents are ready; until then you get a confirmation number to quote when you call back. Review can take several months. |
| Days and times | Non-exempt countries: visit 1 document review (~3 h), visit 2 knowledge check (~2 h), visit 3 skills check (~3 h; allow ~half a day if you pass, for issue). Exempt countries: document review then issue. Specific weekdays/time slots are not published. |
| Driving test course | No course map is published online. Ask at the centre. |
| Fees | Ordinary licence test fee (example given on page; confirm with centre): ¥2,500 Licence issue fee (example given on page; confirm with centre): ¥2,350 |
Documents
- Valid foreign licence (bring older licences too if you have them)
- Application photo 3.0 cm x 2.4 cm, taken within 6 months
- Residence certificate (jumin-hyo) showing nationality/domicile, residence status and period of stay (people outside the resident register: see the centre page)
- Japanese translation of the foreign licence by JAF, ZIPLUS (some countries only), ALADDIN, or the issuing authority/consulate
- Passport(s) including old ones, to show 3+ months stay in the issuing country after the licence was issued
- Any past Japanese licence, including expired ones
Things to know
- You must apply at the test centre covering your home address; Class 2 (passenger) conversion is not accepted.
- Booking by phone is mandatory and the call line is Japanese only; documents must be complete before a slot is given.
- Conversion normally needs two or more visits; same-day issue is not guaranteed.
- Post-2025-10-01 rules (national, per Nagano Police overview PDF, not a Hokkaido page): 50-question knowledge test, 90% pass mark, stricter skills marking.
- The page says to contact Sapporo centre for the skills course used from 2025-10-01.
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