How to say I want to make an appointment?

Question

This is something I've been wondering about for a very long time now. jisho.org lists quite many different words for "appointment" like e.g. 任命、待ち合わせ、予約 and a few more.

But it's not clear to me which to use when. So my question today is how do I say

I'd like to make an appointment. (when for example calling up a doctor's practice)

and how to say

I'd like to make an appointment to change my foreign driver's license into a Japanese one. (when calling up the prefectural police)

I'm sure I had other situations where I really really needed this word but didn't know it but right now I can't remember.

Answer 1

I would say

予{よ}約{やく}をお願{ねが}いしたいのですが

for "I'd like to make an appointment. (when for example calling up a doctor's practice)"

and

外{がい}国{こく}の運{うん}転{てん}免{めん}許{きょ}を日{に}本{ほん}のものに切{き}り替{か}えたいのですが、予{よ}約{やく}をお願{ねが}いします

for "I'd like to make an appointment to change my foreign driver's license into a Japanese one. (when calling up the prefectural police)"

For the record, Japanese version -> https://www.police.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/guide/menkyo/gai_menkyo-kirikae.html uses the word 予約.

For the record (again,) 任命 corresponds to "an act of assigning a job or position to someone," and 待ち合わせ corresponds to "an arrangement to meet someone at a particular time and place"

Answer 2

In general, 予約 is the word you would want to use in this situation. It can be an appointment or a reservation.

Regarding the other words you listed, 待ち合わせ is usually used to refer to waiting for someone at a particular place and time, like meeting your friend at the subway station's north exit at 2pm. That would be your 待ち合わせ場所 and 待ち合わせ時間. This also correlates with the waiting room at a hospital being a 待合室.

任命 is an appointment, but in the sense of someone being appointed to a position as in: The company announced Mr. Tanaka's appointment as the new general manager.

In everyday speech アポ from the English word "appointment" is often used with the verb 取る.