Japan Tightens Foreigner Policy: Driver's License Applications and Management Visas Both Become Stricter
The Japanese government has tightened its foreigner policy, resulting in a significant drop of about 50 percentage points in the pass rate for foreign driver's license conversion written tests since last October, and a drastic 96% reduction in monthly applications for 'Business/Management' residency visas. These measures aim to prevent illegal stays and inappropriate applications.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 3, 2026 at 19:12
- 🔍 Collected: May 3, 2026 at 19:31 (19 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 3, 2026 at 20:04 (32 min after Collected)
Tokyo, May 3rd (CNA) — The Japanese government finalized its basic policy on foreign nationals in January this year. The Cabinet Secretariat compiled progress reports as of the end of March, showing that the pass rate for the written test in 'Foreign Driver's License Conversion' (外免切替), which became fully strict from October last year, dropped significantly by about 50 percentage points. Meanwhile, the monthly applications for the 'Business/Management Visa' residency status also dramatically decreased by approximately 96%.
The Sankei Shimbun reported that the Cabinet Secretariat's 'Office for Promoting an Orderly Coexistent Society with Foreigners' announced the current status of 102 measures, policy outlines, and implementation details on April 28th, reporting them to the LDP's Headquarters for Foreign National Policy.
'Foreign Driver's License Conversion' primarily allows foreign nationals from countries not part of the 'Geneva Convention' to convert their driver's licenses for use in Japan. After several incidents involving accidents caused by foreign drivers in Japan, the system for foreign driver's license conversion was reviewed and revised. Taiwan and Japan, due to a reciprocal driver's license recognition agreement, do not require 'Foreign Driver's License Conversion'; one only needs to hold a valid Taiwanese driver's license and its Japanese translation.
According to the report, after the National Police Agency strengthened the written test (knowledge test) and road test (skill test) for 'Foreign Driver's License Conversion' from October 2025, the pass rate for the written test for the three-month period until December of the same year was 42.8%, a significant decrease of 49.7 percentage points from 92.5% in 2024; the pass rate for the road test was 13.1%, a decrease of 17.3 percentage points from 30.4% in 2024.
In the 'Foreign Driver's License Conversion' system, there was a loophole where foreign tourists without a resident registration certificate (住民票) used hotels as their address to apply for conversion. From October 2025, the National Police Agency no longer allows foreign nationals holding tourist visas and without a resident registration certificate to apply for conversion, stating that it 'will be thoroughly and strictly implemented.'
Regarding the 'Business/Management' residency status for entrepreneurship, there were past issues of acquiring the status by establishing shell companies with no actual operations. Particularly among Chinese nationals, some used the pretext of operating guesthouses as an easy means to move to Japan, drawing public criticism.
From October 16, 2025, the Japanese government raised the threshold, for example, increasing the required capital from the original 5 million Japanese Yen (approximately 1 million New Taiwan Dollars) to 30 million Japanese Yen. As a result, the average monthly applications, which were about 1,700 cases from May to October 15, 2025, dropped to an average of about 70 cases per month between October 16, 2025, and the end of March 2026, a decrease of approximately 96%.
In terms of combating illegal stays, as many foreign nationals ordered to be compulsorily deported refused to return to their countries on the grounds of applying for refugee status, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan announced the 'Zero Illegal Stays Plan' in May 2025, incorporating measures to expedite refugee screenings.
As a result, the number of unprocessed refugee applications began to decline from a peak of 20,141 cases in May 2025, falling to 15,969 cases by the end of the same year, a reduction of over 4,000 cases in about seven months.
In terms of cracking down on illegal employment, the Immigration Services Agency, in cooperation with the police and other agencies, apprehended 1,837 individuals in 2025, an increase of about 33.3% from 1,378 individuals in 2024.
On the other hand, the JESTA pre-entry screening system, modeled after the US Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), passed the plenary session of the House of Representatives on April 28th.
The JESTA system requires foreign travelers to fill in information such as name, purpose of stay, and accommodation details online before departing for Japan, which is then compared with criminal records and other data. If deemed to pose a risk of illegal stay, they will be prohibited from boarding flights or ships.
There is a high possibility that this amendment will pass the current Diet session, and the government is preparing for its introduction in fiscal year 2028, two years from now. (Editing: Wei Shu)1150503
The Sankei Shimbun reported that the Cabinet Secretariat's 'Office for Promoting an Orderly Coexistent Society with Foreigners' announced the current status of 102 measures, policy outlines, and implementation details on April 28th, reporting them to the LDP's Headquarters for Foreign National Policy.
'Foreign Driver's License Conversion' primarily allows foreign nationals from countries not part of the 'Geneva Convention' to convert their driver's licenses for use in Japan. After several incidents involving accidents caused by foreign drivers in Japan, the system for foreign driver's license conversion was reviewed and revised. Taiwan and Japan, due to a reciprocal driver's license recognition agreement, do not require 'Foreign Driver's License Conversion'; one only needs to hold a valid Taiwanese driver's license and its Japanese translation.
According to the report, after the National Police Agency strengthened the written test (knowledge test) and road test (skill test) for 'Foreign Driver's License Conversion' from October 2025, the pass rate for the written test for the three-month period until December of the same year was 42.8%, a significant decrease of 49.7 percentage points from 92.5% in 2024; the pass rate for the road test was 13.1%, a decrease of 17.3 percentage points from 30.4% in 2024.
In the 'Foreign Driver's License Conversion' system, there was a loophole where foreign tourists without a resident registration certificate (住民票) used hotels as their address to apply for conversion. From October 2025, the National Police Agency no longer allows foreign nationals holding tourist visas and without a resident registration certificate to apply for conversion, stating that it 'will be thoroughly and strictly implemented.'
Regarding the 'Business/Management' residency status for entrepreneurship, there were past issues of acquiring the status by establishing shell companies with no actual operations. Particularly among Chinese nationals, some used the pretext of operating guesthouses as an easy means to move to Japan, drawing public criticism.
From October 16, 2025, the Japanese government raised the threshold, for example, increasing the required capital from the original 5 million Japanese Yen (approximately 1 million New Taiwan Dollars) to 30 million Japanese Yen. As a result, the average monthly applications, which were about 1,700 cases from May to October 15, 2025, dropped to an average of about 70 cases per month between October 16, 2025, and the end of March 2026, a decrease of approximately 96%.
In terms of combating illegal stays, as many foreign nationals ordered to be compulsorily deported refused to return to their countries on the grounds of applying for refugee status, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan announced the 'Zero Illegal Stays Plan' in May 2025, incorporating measures to expedite refugee screenings.
As a result, the number of unprocessed refugee applications began to decline from a peak of 20,141 cases in May 2025, falling to 15,969 cases by the end of the same year, a reduction of over 4,000 cases in about seven months.
In terms of cracking down on illegal employment, the Immigration Services Agency, in cooperation with the police and other agencies, apprehended 1,837 individuals in 2025, an increase of about 33.3% from 1,378 individuals in 2024.
On the other hand, the JESTA pre-entry screening system, modeled after the US Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), passed the plenary session of the House of Representatives on April 28th.
The JESTA system requires foreign travelers to fill in information such as name, purpose of stay, and accommodation details online before departing for Japan, which is then compared with criminal records and other data. If deemed to pose a risk of illegal stay, they will be prohibited from boarding flights or ships.
There is a high possibility that this amendment will pass the current Diet session, and the government is preparing for its introduction in fiscal year 2028, two years from now. (Editing: Wei Shu)1150503