The National Police Agency on Thursday revealed a draft of new, tougher rules for foreign nationals who wish to convert their drivers license into a Japanese one, following a series of high-profile car accidents by such drivers.

Under the revised rules, a certificate of residence must be submitted when applying for a license conversion. The current system does not have such a requirement for applicants who are visitors, allowing foreign tourists to apply using temporary addresses such as hotels. Diplomats, professional car racers and U.S. military personnel stationed in Japan, among other special cases, will be able to obtain Japanese licenses with documents provided by the organizations they work for.

When renewing a converted driver¡¯s license, applicants will need to submit a copy of their certificate of residence, foreign residence card or special permanent residency permit.

To drive in Japan, either a Japanese driver¡¯s license or an international driver¡¯s license is required. The latter is issued for nations that have signed the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic.

For nationals of countries that are not part of the international treaty, such as China, Vietnam and Brazil, converting their license into a Japanese one gives them an opportunity to obtain an international drivers license as well.

The revision also includes making tests on Japan¡¯s traffic rules harder. Currently, the written test consists of 10 yes-or-no questions on traffic rules ¡ª such as whether drivers in Japan drive on the right side of the road ¡ª and applicants must answer seven questions correctly to pass.

After the revision, the test would include 50 questions, and applicants would need a score of at least 90% to pass. The driving test will also toughen checks on whether drivers know the rules for pedestrian crosswalks and railway crossings.

The revision is slated to take effect on Oct. 1 after the government seeks public comments through August.

According to the NPA, there were 75,905 foreign license conversions in 2024, up from 48,885 in 2019.

Meanwhile, NPA data shows that 7,286 car accidents were caused by foreign drivers in 2024, up from the 6,485 recorded in 2019. By nationality, Chinese drivers were at the top, followed by South Koreans, North Koreans and Brazilians.

Calls to toughen the rules for foreign license conversions grew after a series of car accidents caused by foreign nationals made headlines.

In one case, a Chinese man was arrested in May over an alleged hit-and-run that injured four elementary school boys in Saitama Prefecture. In another, a Peruvian man was arrested for allegedly driving on the wrong side of the Shin-Meishin Expressway in Mie Prefecture, crashing into multiple vehicles and fleeing the scene.