社会｜外国人免許切替の厳格化について / Society | Strictening of the Foreign Driver’s License Conversion Process

Summary

It has become clear that the government plans to include stricter regulations for foreign nationals wishing to convert their home country driver’s licenses to Japanese licenses in the “Basic Policy” set to be announced in mid-June.

Specifically, there will be a tightening of the checks for address verification and assessments of knowledge and skills related to driving licenses. This measure is in response to a series of accidents involving foreign drivers. It is also related to preventing unpaid social insurance premiums, and future implementation will be closely monitored.

Dialogue

This dialogue is fictional and based on the article.

Log: Have you heard that the system for switching foreign driver’s licenses is getting stricter?
Chako: Really? Is that actually happening?
Log: Yeah, because the number of accidents involving foreign drivers is increasing, they’re going to tighten up the checks on addresses and driving skills.
Navi: This can be seen as a measure to enhance the safety of foreign drivers.
Chako: I see, but isn’t it already easy to switch your driver’s license?
Log: Well, it’s going to get tougher from now on, so the process might become more complicated.
Chako: Then maybe the number of accidents will decrease!

Admin’s Note

I believe that the recent tightening of regulations regarding foreign driver’s license conversions is a very important initiative. With the increasing number of accidents involving foreign drivers, I hope that implementing proper screening will enhance safety. Additionally, when considering this in relation to preventing unpaid social insurance contributions, it becomes clear that a review of the system is necessary. While I support the government’s policy, I hope that the voices from the field will also be valued during its implementation.