「資格を取る」vs.「免許を取る」: What’s the Difference? A JLPT N3–N2 Guide

「資格を取る」and「免許を取る」—What’s the Difference?

Consider these two sentences:

日本で働くために資格を取りたいです。
I want to get a qualification so I can work in Japan.

大学生のときに車の免許を取りました。
I got my driver’s license when I was a university student.

Both 「資格を取る」 and 「免許を取る」 involve getting something officially recognized, often after studying, taking an exam, or completing certain requirements.

That is why many Japanese learners find them confusing.

But there is an important difference.

The simplest way to remember it is this:

「資格」(shikaku / qualification) shows that you have certain knowledge, skills, or eligibility.

「免許」(menkyo / license) gives you official permission to do something that is legally or formally restricted.

Once you understand this distinction, questions involving these words become much easier to handle in JLPT vocabulary and reading sections.

What Does 「資格を取る」 Mean?

「資格」(shikaku / qualification) refers to proof that someone has the knowledge, skills, or conditions required for a particular job or activity.

Therefore,

資格を取る
to get / obtain a qualification

usually means passing an exam or meeting certain requirements and officially proving that you have a particular level of knowledge or ability.

For example:

就職のために資格を取る。
I’ll get a qualification to help me find a job.

働きながら簿記の資格を取った。
I obtained a bookkeeping qualification while working.

将来のために専門的な資格を取りたい。
I want to obtain a professional qualification for my future.

転職する前に資格を取っておこうと思っている。
I’m thinking of getting a qualification before changing jobs.

The key idea behind 「資格」 is:

“proof of knowledge, ability, or eligibility.”

What Does 「免許を取る」 Mean?

「免許」(menkyo / license) has a slightly different meaning.

It refers to official permission to perform an activity that people are not normally allowed to do freely without authorization.

The easiest example is:

「運転免許」(unten menkyo / driver’s license)

Not everyone is legally allowed to drive a car on public roads.

You first have to meet certain requirements and pass the necessary tests.

That is why Japanese speakers say:

車の免許を取る。
To get a driver’s license.

Other common examples include:

運転免許を取る。
To get a driver’s license.

教員免許を取る。
To obtain a teaching license.

調理師免許を取る。
To obtain a cook’s license.

The central image behind 「免許」 is:

“official permission to do something.”

An Easy Way to Remember 「資格」and「免許」

If you are unsure which word to use, remember these two ideas.

「資格」(shikaku)

Think:

“You have the required knowledge, skill, or eligibility.”

In other words, it is mainly about certification or proof.

「免許」(menkyo)

Think:

“You are officially allowed to do this.”

In other words, it is mainly about permission.

This simple distinction will help you choose the right word much more quickly.

Can 「資格を取る」and「免許を取る」Be Used Interchangeably?

Not usually.

For example:

車の資格を取る。
Get a “car qualification.”

This sounds unnatural in ordinary Japanese.

The natural expression is:

車の免許を取る。
Get a driver’s license.

On the other hand:

簿記の免許を取る。
Get a “bookkeeping license.”

This is also unnatural in normal usage.

Instead, Japanese speakers say:

簿記の資格を取る。
Get a bookkeeping qualification.

This is an important point for Japanese learners.

Whether something is called a 「資格」 or a 「免許」 is often determined by the system itself.

So you should not learn only the dictionary meaning.

Learn the natural word combinations as well.

For the JLPT, Pay Attention to Word Combinations

At JLPT N3 and especially N2 level, simply knowing the meaning of individual words is often not enough.

Take the verb:

「取る」(toru / to take, get, obtain)

You may already know what 「取る」 means.

But Japanese uses it in many common combinations:

• 資格を取る — obtain a qualification
• 免許を取る — get a license
• 点数を取る — get a score
• 休みを取る — take time off
• 責任を取る — take responsibility
• 連絡を取る — get in touch / maintain contact

The meaning of 「取る」 changes depending on the noun that comes before it.

This is one reason learners sometimes understand every individual word in a JLPT passage but still hesitate between the answer choices.

“I Know Every Word, but I Still Get the Reading Question Wrong”

Consider this sentence:

山田さんは将来海外で働くため、大学在学中に専門的な資格を取ることにした。
Yamada decided to obtain a professional qualification while at university so that he could work overseas in the future.

You may already understand all of these words:

「大学」 — university

「海外」 — overseas

「働く」 — to work

「専門的」 — specialized / professional

「資格」 — qualification

「取る」 — to obtain

Yet some learners still struggle when this type of sentence appears in a reading question.

Why?

One reason is that they process the sentence as a collection of individual words.

A stronger reader recognizes:

専門的な資格を取る
to obtain a professional qualification

as one meaningful unit.

Japanese becomes much easier to process when you recognize these natural combinations instead of translating every word separately.

Three Tips to Avoid Getting Trapped in JLPT Reading Questions

1. Don’t Memorize Nouns by Themselves

Instead of learning only:

「資格」 = qualification

「免許」 = license

learn the complete expressions:

「資格を取る」(shikaku o toru / to obtain a qualification)

「免許を取る」(menkyo o toru / to obtain a license)

This helps you process Japanese more naturally and quickly.

2. Ask Whether It Is “Proof” or “Permission”

Even when an unfamiliar certification or system appears in a reading passage, ask yourself:

Does this prove someone’s knowledge, ability, or eligibility?

Or does it give someone official permission to perform an activity?

That clue can often help you infer the meaning from context.

3. Look for the Purpose in the Surrounding Text

In JLPT reading questions, do not make your decision based on a single word.

Look at the reason or purpose around it.

For example:

就職に有利になるように
in order to improve one’s chances of getting a job

This type of context may suggest 「資格」.

On the other hand:

車を運転するために
in order to drive a car

This strongly points to 「免許」.

Train yourself to ask:

“Why is this person getting it?”

The answer often gives you the clue you need.

Don’t Forget 「取得する」

At N2 level, you will also encounter a more formal expression:

「取得する」(shutoku suru / to obtain, acquire)

For example:

資格を取得する。
To obtain a qualification.

運転免許を取得する。
To obtain a driver’s license.

「取得する」 is more formal than 「取る」.

It often appears in written materials such as official notices, news articles, company documents, and explanatory texts.

In everyday conversation, you might say:

来年、資格を取りたいです。
I want to get a qualification next year.

In more formal writing, you may see:

資格の取得を目指しています。
I am aiming to obtain a qualification.

At JLPT N2 level, recognizing this kind of relationship between conversational and formal expressions is extremely useful.

Conclusion: Think “Proof” or “Permission”

Both 「資格を取る」 and 「免許を取る」 involve obtaining something officially recognized.

But their basic meanings are different.

• 「資格を取る」: obtaining proof of knowledge, skills, or eligibility
• 「免許を取る」: obtaining official permission to perform an activity

More importantly, for the JLPT, do not memorize Japanese one word at a time.

Learn natural combinations such as:

「資格を取る」

「免許を取る」

As you move from N3 to N2, you may increasingly experience this frustrating situation:

“I understand all the words, but I still choose the wrong answer.”

When that happens, simply memorizing more vocabulary is not always the solution.

You need practice recognizing how words naturally connect and how those combinations create meaning inside a sentence.

RJT (Rapid Japanese Training) helps you practice exactly that skill through JLPT-style questions.

Turn “I think I understand it” into “I can actually choose the correct answer.”

You know the vocabulary. Now train yourself to make the right choice.

Practice JLPT questions with RJT (Rapid Japanese Training)