A private course modeled on Japan's national drone license curriculum, taught in English by Oshin Drone School — a school that runs national-license courses in Japanese, registered with Japan's transport ministry (MLIT). You finish with our Certificate of Completion: a private certificate, not a national license.
Japan's national drone pilot license has three parts. Foreign nationals are eligible, but the written exam is currently offered only in Japanese — and there is no way around it.
Waived if you complete a national-license course at an MLIT-registered school and pass its final assessment. Our registered courses are taught in Japanese, and the exam body's own practical exam is Japanese-only too. Our English course is a private course and does not give this waiver.
A check of eyesight, color vision, hearing and general fitness to fly. It can be completed with a Japanese driver's license, a doctor's certificate or an in-person exam.
A computer-based exam run by ClassNK, the government-designated exam body, at test centers in Japan. It is currently offered only in Japanese, so in practice, pilots who can't read Japanese well can't obtain the national license.
Please note: our Certificate of Completion is a private certificate issued by Oshin Drone School. It is not Japan's national drone license and is not issued or endorsed by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). It does not exempt you from the national practical exam, and it does not by itself authorize any flight that requires MLIT permission.
Japan's national drone pilot license (無人航空機操縦者技能証明) was introduced in December 2022. Here is how it works.
| Item | Class 2 (二等) | Class 1 (一等) |
|---|---|---|
| What it's for | Category II flights — such as over densely inhabited districts (DIDs), at night or beyond visual line of sight, with no one underneath. With a certified aircraft, some of these flights need no individual MLIT permission. | Everything in Class 2, plus Category III: flights over people with no access control, including Level 4 (BVLOS over populated areas). These also need a Type 1 certified aircraft and MLIT permission for each flight. |
| Written exam | 50 questions · 30 min · pass mark about 80% | 70 questions · 75 min · pass mark about 90% |
| Exam language | Japanese only — computer-based, at test centers in Japan | |
| Practical exam | Waived if you complete a registered school's course and pass its final assessment (the waiver lasts 1 year). The exam body's own practical exam is Japanese-only. | |
| Physical exam | Eyesight, color vision, hearing and general fitness to fly | |
| Valid for | 3 years, then renewable | |
| Who can apply | Anyone aged 16 or over, of any nationality | |
Create an account in MLIT's online drone system (available in English) and get your applicant number.
Complete a registered national-license course (ours are taught in Japanese) and pass its final assessment. This waives the practical exam for one year.
Held in Japanese only.
By document or in person.
Apply in DIPS 2.0 and receive your license card.
Licenses are issued with limitations. The basic license covers daytime flights within visual line of sight with aircraft under 25 kg. Night and beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) limitations are removed by completing the matching course at a registered school or passing the exam body's limitation-change exam. Our English courses include night and BVLOS flight training, but as private courses they don't remove limitations on any license.
A national license isn't needed for every flight. Without one, you can still apply to MLIT for permission for most flights that need it (Category II). Flights over people (Category III, including Level 4) and Level 3.5 flights require the national license.
Do you understand written Japanese well (around JLPT N2 or above)? Then the national license itself may be within reach — ask us about our national-license course (taught in Japanese). If you don't live in Japan, ask us first about DIPS identity checks and how the license card is delivered.
Information as of October 2026, based on MLIT and ClassNK. Rules and exam arrangements can change — check MLIT's license page and ClassNK for the latest.
All English courses are held at our Tokyo campus on Izu Oshima. Prices are in Japanese yen and include consumption tax, accommodation and lunch.
3 days / 2 nightsDaytime + night + BVLOS
For beginners — no drone experience needed.
4 days / 3 nightsDaytime + night + BVLOS
For experienced pilots — for example, holders of Japan's Class 2 license or another drone training certificate.
6 days / 5 nightsDaytime + night + BVLOS
Training modeled on the Class 1 curriculum, starting from zero.
All English courses are private courses. They are not MLIT-registered courses and do not lead to Japan's national drone license.
As a rough estimate, budget about ¥30,000 on the 3-day course: about ¥19,000 for the round-trip jet ship from Tokyo (fares vary by season) plus breakfasts and dinners. Bring some cash — a few island shops don't take cards.
A sample day plan for the Standard Course, traveling from Takeshiba Pier in Tokyo. We adjust start times to your arrival, and plans can shift with the weather.
Izu Oshima is part of Tokyo, yet a world away from the city: an active volcano, black-sand coastlines and wide-open skies. It's an ideal place to focus on flying — and to explore once training is done.
| Takeshiba Pier, Tokyo | Jet ship, approx. 1 h 45 min |
| Atami Port, Shizuoka | Jet ship, approx. 45 min |
| Chofu Airport, Tokyo | Flight, approx. 25 min |
You book and pay for your own jet ship, ferry or flight; once your course is confirmed, we'll help you plan the trip. Jet ships are canceled more often between November and March, when seas are rough.
Our course covers these rules in detail. Here's a quick overview.
Drones of 100 g or more must be registered in Japan — even if they're registered at home — and broadcast Remote ID. You can register online in English.
Flying near airports, 150 m or more above the ground, or over densely inhabited districts — which cover most of central Tokyo — needs MLIT permission.
Flying at night, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), within 30 m of people or property, or over events, as well as carrying dangerous goods or dropping objects, all need MLIT approval.
FAA, EASA and other foreign qualifications aren't recognized in Japan. Apply for permission online via DIPS 2.0 (in English) at least 10 business days before you fly.
A drone bought overseas may lack Japan's radio certification (技適 / Giteki). Using it here can break the Radio Act, and the short-stay visitor exemption doesn't cover drones.
Flying over or within about 1,000 m of key facilities such as the Imperial Palace and the National Diet is banned by law, and many parks — including Tokyo's metropolitan parks — ban drones.
General information as of October 2026, not legal advice. Rules change — always check MLIT's drone rules, registration and permission pages before you fly.
Tell us your preferred course and dates.
We confirm availability and send the details, including payment and cancellation terms.
Pay in Japanese yen by credit card or bank transfer.
Book your jet ship or flight; we send you a packing list and pre-arrival information.
Train, pass the assessment and receive your Certificate of Completion.
No. The course is modeled on the national-license curriculum, but it is a private course run by our school. Graduates receive an Oshin Drone School Certificate of Completion — a private certificate, not the national license, and not issued or endorsed by MLIT or any other government body. It also does not exempt you from the national practical exam.
Foreign nationals are eligible for the national license, but ClassNK, the government-designated exam body, currently holds the written exam only in Japanese and only in Japan. ClassNK's practical exam is also held only in Japanese. You can skip the practical exam by completing a registered course (ours are taught in Japanese), but there is no way around the Japanese written exam. In practice, you need strong Japanese reading skills.
Possibly. Our national-license course is taught in Japanese, and you need a DIPS 2.0 applicant number before the course. If you don't live in Japan, contact us first so we can check identity verification and license card delivery for your situation.
It is proof that you completed structured training modeled on Japan's national curriculum and passed our skills assessment. It is not a pilot license in Japan or in any other country.
Since December 18, 2025, MLIT no longer gives private drone certificates any special status in flight permission applications. If you plan a flight that needs MLIT permission or approval, you apply through DIPS 2.0 and confirm that you meet MLIT's pilot criteria, including at least 10 hours of flight experience. Flight time you log on our course can count toward that experience; if your total is below 10 hours, you will need more flying before you apply. MLIT reviews every application, so completing our course does not guarantee permission.
Your foreign license isn't recognized in Japan, but you don't need a pilot license for flights that need no MLIT permission or approval — for example, a registered drone flown in daylight, within sight, at least 30 m from people and property, and away from airports, densely inhabited districts and heights of 150 m or more (see "Flying in Japan" above). For flights that do need permission or approval, apply to MLIT through DIPS 2.0, which is available in English. Holders of Japan's national license flying a certified aircraft can skip permission for some of these flights.
Not for the Standard Course or the Advanced Course from the basics — more than 90% of students at our Tokyo campus start as complete beginners. The 4-day Advanced Course is for experienced pilots, for example holders of Japan's Class 2 license or another drone training certificate. Not sure which fits? Tell us about your flying experience when you inquire.
No. Training drones are included in the course fee. If you damage a training drone during normal training, you won't be charged.
You can retake it free of charge as many times as you need within your scheduled course days. If you haven't passed by then, extra training and assessment can be added for a fee (charged by the half day or full day, plus any extra nights) — we'll quote you before arranging it.
If ships are running, training goes ahead — in our indoor gym if needed — and our normal cancellation policy applies. If the jet ship or flight you booked to Izu Oshima is canceled by the operator, you can move your course to new dates with no change fee; the ferry company or airline refunds your fare under its own rules.
Take a high-speed jet ship from Takeshiba Pier in central Tokyo (approx. 1 h 45 min) or from Atami (approx. 45 min), or fly from Chofu Airport (approx. 25 min). You book your own ticket; once your course is confirmed, we'll help you plan the trip.
Indoor shoes or slippers for the gym, comfortable clothes, something to write with, glasses if you need them, and some cash. Bring warm layers in winter (the gym gets cold) and sun protection in summer.
You pay in Japanese yen by credit card or bank transfer; you pay any bank charges, including overseas transfer fees. You can cancel free of charge within 7 days of booking. After that, cancellation fees apply and rise as the course date gets closer — we send you the full schedule with your plan, before you pay.
Students must be 16 or older. Students under 18 need a parent's or guardian's consent.
Oshin Drone School is run by Oshin Dream Co., Ltd. Our Tokyo campus on Izu Oshima, opened in 2023, is an MLIT-registered training organization for Japan's national drone license (multirotor, Class 1 and Class 2), with courses taught in Japanese. Our idea is simple: drone training camps that feel like a trip — short, focused training in beautiful places, with friendly instructors we call drone guides. We also run campuses in Shizuoka (Hamamatsu), Kanagawa, Saitama and Kochi.
The English course on this page is a separate private course and is not covered by our MLIT registration.
Send us your preferred course and dates, and we'll reply by email.
