For Virginia residents intending to exchange their Japanese driver’s license for a Virginia driver’s license
令和7年7月9日
Starting from February 6, 2020, if you are 18 years old (or older) AND hold a valid driver’s license (NOT a commercial driver’s license) issued by the Government of Japan, then you may not be required to take the knowledge exam and the road skills test to obtain a Virginia driver’s license. Application fees will not be waived. To obtain a Virginia driver’s license without taking these tests, please follow the instructions below.
(Please note that you can still obtain a Virginia driver’s license by following all of the conventional application procedures. In such cases you will not need to submit the documents detailed below to the Embassy of Japan, and you will still need to take the above mentioned exams/tests. Please refer to the DMV’s guidelines for more details on the application process that includes the knowledge exam and road skills test.)
(Please note that you can still obtain a Virginia driver’s license by following all of the conventional application procedures. In such cases you will not need to submit the documents detailed below to the Embassy of Japan, and you will still need to take the above mentioned exams/tests. Please refer to the DMV’s guidelines for more details on the application process that includes the knowledge exam and road skills test.)
Application Procedures for Exchanging a Japanese License for a Virginia License
STEP 1: Submit the 1 st Application Form at the DMV
*Please submit the first application form within 60 days of moving to Virginia
*Please submit the first application form within 60 days of moving to Virginia
- Submit an application form (DL7: EXCHANGING A DRIVER’S LICENSE FROM A FOREIGN COUNTRY) and a valid Japanese driver’s license to the DMV.
- Obtain a “Certification of Driver’s License History” at the Japan Safe Driving Center in Japan.
- To obtain the certification, you must have a proxy to act on your behalf in Japan (You may need to submit an authorization letter to obtain a proxy).
- Your proxy should mention that you have applied for a Virginia driver’s license.
- The Issue Date of the certification MUST be later than the date that the 1 st application was submitted at the DMV.
- Obtain the original certification by mail from your proxy.
- Submit (1) the original certification and (2) the consent form to the Embassy of Japan.
- You can mail the certification and the consent form to the Embassy instead of submitting it in person. However, the Embassy of Japan will not bear any responsibility whatsoever for any loss, damage, non-delivery or misdelivery of the certification.
- After the Embassy of Japan confirms the validity and authenticity of your Japanese driver’s license with the DMV, the Embassy will send you an email notification of the confirmation. Following the notification, the DMV will mail you a letter to waive the knowledge test and the road skills test.
[Mailing Address] Consular Section (Driver’s License), The Embassy of Japan 2520 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
- Submit the driver’s license reciprocity approval letter from the Virginia DMV, an application form “(DL1P: DRIVER’S LICENSE AND IDENTIFICATION CARD APPLICATION)” and the other required documents for a Virginia driver’s license to the DMV.
- You will also need to have your photo taken and take a vision screening test at the DMV.
- You will need to pay the driver’s license fee.
- You will be given a temporary driver’s permit at the DMV, and your driver’s license will be mailed to your address within 7-10 days.