# Gasshuku menkyo for foreigners: how a Japanese driving camp works, and how much English you get

URL: https://japanhow.com/driving/schools/gasshuku-menkyo-foreigners/
Author: japanhow editors
Updated: Oct 20, 2026

## Summary

A driving camp (合宿免許, gasshuku menkyo) is a stay-in course at a designated driving school. An AT license takes about 14 days, and the price includes lessons, tests, lodging, meals and most travel. As of October 2026, camps don't teach lectures in English: booking agents use JLPT N3 Japanese as a guideline, though some schools offer English textbooks, English provisional tests or English-speaking instructors. After graduating you take the final written test at your home prefecture's license center, in English in many prefectures.

## Key facts

- Length (AT): About 14 days
- Included: Lessons, tests, lodging, meals, most travel
- Japanese needed: About JLPT N3 (guideline)
- Final test: Your prefecture's license center

A driving camp (合宿免許, gasshuku menkyo) is a stay-in course at a designated driving school: you live there and finish an AT car license in **about 14 days**, with lessons, tests, lodging, meals and most travel in one price. Gasshuku menkyo fully in English is rare. Lectures are in Japanese, and booking agents use **JLPT N3** as a guideline, though some schools add English textbooks, English provisional tests or English-speaking instructors. Details are as of October 2026.

## How does gasshuku menkyo work?

You book through an agent or the school, travel to the school, and stay in its dorm or a partner hotel until you graduate. i-drive says all required lessons of the official curriculum are scheduled back to back so you can finish quickly. Booking agent Mucho says a commuting school usually takes **2 to 3 months** for an AT license; a camp takes about **2 weeks**.

The course has two stages. Koyama Driving School gives the minimum for an AT license: 26 lectures and 31 hours of driving, each lesson 50 minutes per i-drive.

Graduating does **not** give you a license. Both Mucho and i-drive say you go home and take the final written test at the license center of the prefecture where your 住民票 (residence record) is registered.

## How long does it take: AT vs MT?

- **AT:** about **14 days** at the shortest, per Mucho and i-drive.
- **MT:** longer than AT. Ibaraki Kennan, for example, lists 14 days for AT and 15 for MT.

Since April 2025, MT students train in AT cars through the graduation test, then take an MT lesson of at least 4 hours in the school grounds, JAF Mate reports. Those are minimums. If you fail a test, you stay longer. Mucho warns that the graduation date can move with test dates and your progress, so leave a few spare days before work or school.

## What is included in the price?

Mucho and i-drive both describe a package price:

| Usually included | Usually extra |
|---|---|
| Admission, lectures, driving lessons, mock tests, driving tests | Provisional test fee: ¥1,800 per attempt (Mucho) |
| Lodging (dorm or hotel) | Provisional permit: ¥1,100 (Mucho) |
| Meals (some plans have none) | English textbooks (i-drive, Mucho) |
| Travel, up to a cap that depends on where you leave from | Extra nights if you fall behind (Ai-menkyo) |

Many plans also include a guarantee: extra driving lessons and retests are free until you graduate, within limits that vary by school and age. At Ibaraki Kennan, the guarantee does **not** cover the provisional written test, and after 3 fails you may be sent home to take it at your local license center at your own cost.

**Season matters.** i-drive says February, March, August and September are high season, about ¥100,000 more on average, and recommends April to July or October to January. For example, Ibaraki Kennan's AT price in a dorm single room was ¥231,000 for a November 5, 2026 start and ¥297,000 for December 24, 2026, tax included.

## How much Japanese do I need?

More than most foreigners expect:

- Ai-menkyo uses **JLPT N3 or higher** as a guideline and says all lessons are in Japanese, with no foreign-language course.
- i-drive says every camp it sells operates in Japanese and does a simple **Japanese level check by phone** before confirming.
- Mucho says daily-conversation Japanese is basically expected, but some schools have foreign-language textbooks and tests, and some have instructors who speak English or Chinese.

"English support" usually means some of these, school by school:

- an **English textbook** (often extra cost)
- the **provisional written test (仮免学科) in English**
- English **mock tests**
- **English-speaking staff or instructors** on some days

Ai-menkyo lists schools with an English provisional test across Japan, including Nasu and Ashikaga in Tochigi, Komatsu in Ishikawa, Hokuban in Hyogo and Shizuoka Kikukawa. It also warns that foreign-language staff may be absent on some days. Mucho says Ibaraki Kennan has English-speaking instructors. Compare these camps with commuting schools that do teach in English in our [English driving schools comparison](/driving/schools/english-driving-schools-japan/).

**Expect driving lessons in Japanese:** Ai-menkyo says driving instructors at the schools it lists speak Japanese only. Even with an English textbook, learn the basic driving words and directions in Japanese before you go.

## What documents do foreigners need?

Mucho's list for foreign students:

- **Residence card** (在留カード) valid for about **1 month after your planned graduation**. If it expires soon or is being renewed, ask before booking. Ai-menkyo warns you could be expelled if it expires during the course.
- **Passport**
- **住民票** issued within 3 months, showing nationality, residence category, status of residence (在留資格), period of stay with its expiry date and residence card number. Ai-menkyo adds: no My Number (個人番号).
- A **seal** (印鑑) that uses red ink paste; Shachihata and rubber stamps are not accepted
- Your Japanese license, if you have one

If your period of stay ends soon, deal with that first: see our [visa renewal guide](/visa/visas/visa-renewal-japan/).

## How does the final test at the license center work?

After graduation, you take your diploma to the license center of your 住民票 prefecture. Koyama says the diploma is valid for **one year** and the test has **95 true-or-false questions**; you need more than 90 of 100 points.

Language depends on the prefecture. Saitama has offered the written tests for full and provisional licenses in **20 languages**, including English, Vietnamese, Nepali, Tagalog, Indonesian, Hindi and Urdu, since August 30, 2024. Ai-menkyo notes some prefectures don't offer all languages.

Osaka, as an example of fees and paperwork, books the test online only. Foreign nationals bring a 住民票 with all foreign-resident items issued within 6 months, the graduation certificate, provisional permit and a photo. The regular-car test fee is **¥1,900** and issuance **¥2,350**.

## Which booking agents help in English?

| Agent | English help | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| i-drive (ZIPLUS) | English phone line 050-1752-7445; also Vietnamese, Chinese, Nepali | Lowest-price refund if another site is cheaper; loans for foreigners need a full-time job and a term within your period of stay |
| 合宿免許ムーチョ！ (Mucho) | Call through someone who speaks Japanese, or use the web form | Only channel for Ibaraki Kennan and Tsuchiura Kita Inter; free cancellation up to 21 days before entry |
| 合宿免許アイランド (Ai-menkyo) | Japanese-language site with an English version | Publishes a table of schools with foreign-language provisional tests |

We don't take commissions from any of them. Pick the one you can talk to, and compare the total for the same school and entry date.

## Should I do a camp or convert my license?

If you hold a license from home and stayed 3 months in that country after it was issued, [converting it (外免切替)](/driving/license/convert-foreign-license-japan/) is usually cheaper. Since October 2025 the conversion knowledge test has 50 questions with a 90% pass mark, which is harder than before. If you only need to drive for a few months, check whether you can use an [international driving permit](/driving/license/international-driving-permit-japan/).

More guides: [buying a car in Japan as a foreigner](/driving/cars/buying-a-car-in-japan-foreigner/).

## Questions people ask

### Is there a driving camp in Japan taught in English?

Not fully. Booking agents Mucho and Ai-menkyo say lectures are in Japanese. Some schools offer English textbooks and an English provisional test, and Ibaraki Kennan's operator says it has English-speaking instructors.

### How long is gasshuku menkyo?

About 14 days for an AT license if you pass every test first time. MT takes a little longer; Ibaraki Kennan lists 15 days. Failing a test adds days.

### How much Japanese do I need for a driving camp?

Booking agent Ai-menkyo gives JLPT N3 or higher as a guideline. i-drive checks your Japanese by phone before confirming a booking.

### What is the cheapest time for a driving camp in Japan?

i-drive says February, March, August and September are high season, with prices about ¥100,000 higher on average, and recommends April to July or October to January.

### Can I take the final driving license test in English?

The final written test is at your prefecture's license center. Saitama, for example, has offered it in 20 languages including English since August 2024. Check your own prefecture's police page.

## Sources

- [日本で運転免許を取得したい外国籍の方へ](https://menkyo-mucho.jp/multilingual/), 合宿免許ムーチョ！ (Inter Art Committees) (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [合宿免許の期間・日数とスケジュール例](https://menkyo-mucho.jp/info/schedule.html), 合宿免許ムーチョ！ (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [茨城けんなん自動車学校](https://menkyo-mucho.jp/school/04018/), 合宿免許ムーチョ！ (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [外国籍の方の合宿免許](https://www.ai-menkyo.jp/nationality/), 合宿免許アイランド (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [Driving Camp in Japan](https://i-drive.jp/en.html), i-drive (ZIPLUS) (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [外国語による学科試験](https://www.police.pref.saitama.lg.jp/f0130/menkyo/gaikokugo.html), Saitama Prefectural Police (埼玉県警察) (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [教習所を卒業した方](https://www.police.pref.osaka.lg.jp/tetsuduki/untenmenkyo/juken/3702.html), Osaka Prefectural Police (大阪府警察) (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [By entering a driving school](https://www.koyama.co.jp/english/01/), Koyama Driving School (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [外免切替手続の見直し](https://www.cas.go.jp/jp/seisaku/symbiotic_society/pdf/Initiatives_egarding_foreign_license_conversion.pdf), National Police Agency (警察庁), via Cabinet Secretariat (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [MT免許が最短4時間の限定解除教習で取得可能に](https://jafmate.jp/car/traffic_topics_20250225_1197102.html), JAF Mate (accessed Oct 20, 2026)