Steps and requirements to fly in Japan
For license conversions, as long as you have a license issued by a member state of the ICAO, the conversion process is generally the same. However, for some countries (like Philippines and Australia) you may be required to present additional documents.
01
Check flight time requirements
First, we highly recommend that you check if your flight time has met JCAB standards. The flight time depends on the type of license. For more information, you can visit the official JCAB website. If you are unsure about your flight time, you may also contact JCAB directly.
Minimum Age
17 years or older
Total Flight Time
40 hours or more
Solo Flight Time
10 hours or more of solo flight
Cross Country Flight Time
5 hours or more of solo cross-country flight with at least one cross-country flight of 270 km (145 NM) or more with intermediate landings at 2 or more airports
Night Flight Time
3 hours or more of night flight with 5 or more takeoffs and landings
02
Pass the JCAB medical exam
Airmen Medical Exam
The airmen medical exam, also known as the kouku-jyujisha academic exam, is an exam that is usually necessary to take in order to fly in Japan. More information about this exam can be located in the officil JCAB website.
JCAB medical exams tend to be stricter than FAA medical exams. While 3rd class isn't super strict, it is always best to take it before you do anything. You can check which institutions offer aviation medical exams on the official website of the Japan Aeromedical Research Center. For how to reserve your medical exam, you may refer to the following guide.
03
Apply and take the airmen academic exam
Now that you know that you are eligible to legally fly, it's time to get to the actual conversion process. Officially known as the 航空従事者技能証明 (Koku Jyujisha Ginou Shomei), this is Japan's official pilot license issued by the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB). It certifies that a person is qualified to operate aircraft and has met all training, medical, and flight experience requirements according to Japanese aviation regulations. You must apply for said certificate's academic exam. Follow the below steps:
Apply for the CBT
Create an account, and apply through the official CBT website
Purchase and send the 19-go yoshiki
Purchase the 19-go yoshiki from Hobun Books.
04
Apply for your physical JCAB pilot license
After you pass your academic exam, you must've received a confirmation letter saying that you have passed the exam. DO NOT THROW THIS AWAY.
Purchase the 19-go yo-2-shiki from this page from Houbun books. This is an application for the license itself, and because the format is similar to Form No.19 mentioned in step 3, it's very easy to get confused, so be aware.
The product, likewise with the No.19, comes with an instruction on how to fill out the form as well as how to send it, so when in doubt contact the aviation bureau and most likely they can help you out with the form if you are unsure.
05
Apply and take the Aeronautical Service (or Special) Radio Operator Exam
Refer to the guide below for a detailed guide on this topic.
06
Join a Flight Club
Once you pass all the exams and your medical looks fine, now what you need to do is you need to join a flight club. Japan isn't exactly very big on flight schools. Instead, we have flight clubs or aero clubs like what they have in Europe. However, it's a bit difficult to find flight clubs in Japan due to the lack of transparency and information. You can visit our following page on flight clubs here.
More detailed guide on how to join flight clubs can be found in our guide below.
07
Go out and fly!
Now that you have passed all the exams and you have joined a flight club, you can finally go out and fly!