Visas · Careers · Life in Japan

Why take the JLPT?

Your Japanese, on paper.

Japan is writing Japanese into its immigration rules. Since October 2025, the Business Manager visa has required B2 Japanese, such as JLPT N2, from the founder or a full-time employee. From the October 2026 intake, language-school applicants must prove A1 with a test certificate or an interview. This guide matches each visa and licensed career to the Japanese level it asks for, and cites the rule behind every entry.

Create an account and choose my level See the visa requirements

Based on 46 official and published sources · Updated September 23, 2026

What each level opens

N1
15 points toward a Highly Skilled Professional visa
Also required, for applicants educated outside Japan, to sit Japan’s national medical exams, and for Designated Activities No. 46.1 2 3
N2
One proof of B2 for the Business Manager visa
Also 10 Highly Skilled points (unless you already score for N1 or a Japanese degree), B2 proof for some language-based jobs, and immigration’s benchmark for study taught in Japanese.4 5 6
N3
Specified Skilled Worker (ii) in food service and fisheries
From April 2027, new status (ii) entrants will need a B1-level test, such as N3.7 8 9
N4
The language bar for Specified Skilled Worker (i)
N4 or JFT-Basic, plus a skills test. It is also the level needed to move from the new Employment for Skill Development system to this status.10 11
N5
Proof of A1 for Japanese language schools
From the October 2026 intake, study hours alone no longer count: a test certificate or an interview is required.12

JLPT applicants worldwide in 2025, the most ever recorded13: 1.94M
foreign residents in Japan at the end of 2025, above 4 million for the first time14: 4.13M
foreign workers in Japan in October 2025, up 11.7% in one year15: 2.57M
of 1,027 Specified Skilled Worker (i) job postings held by member firms of a Japanese business federation asked for N3 or higher; most were in nursing care16: 86%

Why a certificate

Why a proven level outweighs “I get by in Japanese”

Immigration officers, licensing boards and recruiters cannot test everyone in depth. A standardized level gives them a shared, verifiable yardstick, and the rules are now written that way.

Immigration rules name a level
From Specified Skilled Worker to Business Manager, Japanese requirements are now written as levels of a national framework modeled on CEFR, from A1 to B2, with the JLPT among the accepted proofs. Since December 2025, JLPT score reports even print the matching CEFR level.11 17
Employers recruit in Japanese
In a December 2025 survey of 487 Japanese companies hiring international graduates, most with fewer than 300 employees, 87.7% held every interview in Japanese. Their most common problem in hiring foreign staff: finding candidates whose Japanese was good enough for the job (48.4%).18
Points turn into years
In the Highly Skilled Professional system, N1 is worth 15 points and N2 is worth 10, though N2 points don’t stack with points for a Japanese degree. At 70 points you can apply for permanent residence after 3 years, and at 80 points after just 1 year, instead of the usual 10.1 19

Visa guide

Which visas ask for Japanese, and at what level

The statuses below are sorted by how much the JLPT counts, from required to irrelevant, and were checked against the Immigration Services Agency and the Ministry of Justice in September 2026. Where a rule is written as A1 to B2, the chip shows the JLPT level immigration pairs with it.

Required
Required in some cases
Earns points
Not required

Required

A Japanese test result, or a listed equivalent, is part of the conditions.

Specified Skilled Worker (i)
特定技能1号
N4
JLPT N4 or JFT-Basic, plus a skills test
Skilled work in 19 fields, from nursing care and construction to food service. Nursing care adds a care Japanese test, and taxi and bus drivers are held to B1 as the standard. Workers who completed Technical Intern Training (ii) in good standing are exempt from the language test.10 20 21 22
Specified Skilled Worker (ii)
特定技能2号
N3
JLPT N3 in food service and fisheries
The higher, renewable tier of the system. Food service and fisheries already require N3, and from April 2027 new entrants will need a B1-level test, such as N3.7 8 9
Employment for Skill Development
育成就労
N5N4N3
A1 to start · A2 for SSW (i) · B1 for SSW (ii)
Replaces Technical Intern Training on April 1, 2027, and ties every step to Japanese: A1 to start work (an N5-level test, or 100+ hours of certified classes), a set level to change employers, the N4 band to move to Specified Skilled Worker (i) and the N3 band for (ii).11 23
Business Manager
経営・管理
N2
B2, such as JLPT N2 or BJT 400+, held by you or a full-time employee
Since October 16, 2025, founders also need ¥30 million in capital, at least one full-time employee, and a relevant graduate degree or 3 years of management experience. Long residence or schooling in Japan can also prove B2. Renewals filed before October 16, 2028, are judged with some flexibility; after that, the new standards apply in full.4
Designated Activities No. 46
特定活動46号
N1
JLPT N1 or BJT 480+, plus a Japanese degree
For graduates of Japanese universities and certified vocational programs. It allows jobs where Japanese runs in both directions, such as running a restaurant or shop, working a hotel front desk, or relaying instructions to foreign staff on a factory line, which the Engineer/Humanities visa does not cover.3
Student
留学
N5N2
A1 (N5) for language schools · N2 benchmark for universities
Language-school applicants must prove A1, and from the October 2026 intake 150 hours of study no longer count: a test certificate or an interview is mandatory. For university study taught in Japanese, immigration’s benchmark is JLPT N2 or EJU Japanese 200+; programs taught in other languages fall outside it.12 6

Required in some cases

Depends on the job or the employer, or set as an expectation or a draft rule.

Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services
技術・人文知識・国際業務
N2
B2 in the working language for some roles
The most widely held work visa has no general Japanese rule. Since April 15, 2026, one group must prove B2 in its working language: people hired mainly for language-based customer work, such as interpreting or a hotel front desk, by Category 3 and 4 employers (generally smaller firms). For Japanese, JLPT N2 counts.5 14
Permanent residence
永住者
No JLPT level set
Draft: B1 Japanese from April 2027
Current guidelines have no language rule. A draft published on August 4, 2026, would raise income thresholds from October 2026, including for some pending applications, and add B1 Japanese as a factor from April 1, 2027, with exemptions such as the Highly Skilled fast track. Public comment closed September 4; no final version had been published as of September 23, 2026. Spouses of Japanese nationals and permanent residents are not among the exemptions the draft names, and their own fast track would require 5 years of marriage and 3 in Japan instead of 3 and 1.24 25 19
Naturalization
帰化
No JLPT level set
Japanese for daily life, spoken and written
The law sets no test, but the Ministry of Justice states that applicants need Japanese sufficient for daily life. Since April 1, 2026, screening also expects, in principle, 10 or more years of residence.26 27

Earns points

Optional, but it can shorten the road to permanent residence.

Highly Skilled Professional
高度専門職
N2N1
N1 = 15 points · N2 = 10 points
Points-based status for researchers, engineers and executives, with a 70-point threshold. BJT scores of 480 and 400 count the same way as N1 and N2, and N2 points don’t stack with points for a Japanese degree. At 70 points, permanent residence opens after 3 years; at 80 points, after 1 year.1 19

Not required

No language condition to get the visa. Japanese still matters for work and daily life.

Future Creation Individual (J-Find)
特定活動51号（J-Find）
No Japanese requirement
For graduates of top-ranked universities, within 5 years of graduating, to look for work or prepare a business for up to 2 years.28
Special Highly Skilled Professional (J-Skip)
高度専門職（J-Skip）
No Japanese requirement
For professionals earning ¥20 million a year or more with a master’s degree or 10 years of experience, with higher thresholds for executives. Permanent residence is possible after 1 year.29
Digital nomad
特定活動53号
No Japanese requirement
Up to 6 months of remote work for nationals of listed countries earning ¥10 million a year or more.30
Spouse or Child of Japanese National
日本人の配偶者等
No Japanese requirement
No language condition to obtain it, though a later permanent residence application could face the proposed B1 factor.31 24

Licensed careers

Some careers start with a level, not a job offer

In regulated professions and public programs, the level is written into the eligibility rules, often above what any visa requires.

N1
Doctors and 18 other licensed professions
Applicants who did not graduate from junior high and high school in Japan must hold JLPT N1 to apply to sit the national exams for doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists and other licensed professions. Doctors then face a clinical Japanese screening scored out of 100.2 32 33
N3
EPA nurses and care workers
The national exams are in Japanese, and the gap is stark: in March 2026, 8.5% of EPA nurse candidates passed, against 88.3% of all examinees. Under Japan’s economic partnership agreements, Vietnamese candidates must reach N3 before being matched with an employer; those with N2 or higher skip pre-work language training.34 33 35
N2
JET Programme coordinators
Coordinators for International Relations need Japanese equivalent to N2 or N1. Assistant Language Teachers, by contrast, can apply without any Japanese.36 37
N2
University admission
For study taught in Japanese, immigration’s benchmark is N2 or EJU Japanese 200+, and each program can set its own level: Nihon University’s Graduate School of Art, for example, asks for N2 from master’s applicants and N1 from doctoral applicants.6 38

What changed

2025–2026: the language bar keeps rising

Decisions in force or scheduled that make a proven level worth more, plus one proposal still under review.

October 2025
In force
Business Manager: B2 Japanese becomes a condition
Along with ¥30 million in capital and a full-time employee, the applicant or an employee must now prove B2, for example with JLPT N2 or BJT 400+.4
December 2025
In force
JLPT score reports show a CEFR level
Passers now see a reference level from A1 to C1 based on their score: N2 from 112 points shows B2, and N1 from 142 points shows C1. The same session drew more than 1 million applicants, a record.17 39
January 2026
In force
Specified Skilled Worker grows to 19 fields
The cabinet added linen supply, logistics warehousing and resource recycling, and capped admissions at 1,231,900 workers across Specified Skilled Worker (i) and Employment for Skill Development through March 2029.21 40
April 2026
In force
B2 proof for language-based roles
On the Engineer/Humanities visa, applicants hired by Category 3 and 4 employers mainly for language-based customer work must now prove B2 in that language.5
April 2026
In force
Naturalization: 10 years in principle
Screening now expects, in principle, 10 or more years of residence, alongside Japanese sufficient for daily life.27 26
September 2026
News
JLPT seats run out before the deadline
In Japan, N3 registration for the July 2026 test closed 10 days after opening, and registration for the December 2026 test ended on September 3, four days before its announced deadline. A government reform panel has put more sessions and a computer-based JLPT under review.16 41 9
October 2026
Under review
Permanent residence: higher income bar, B1 Japanese proposed
A draft guideline would raise income thresholds from October 2026, including for some applications already pending, and from April 1, 2027, add B1 Japanese and children’s schooling as factors. The final text has not been published.24 25
April 2027
Scheduled
Employment for Skill Development begins
Technical Intern Training gives way to a system where Japanese is a condition at each step, and new Specified Skilled Worker (ii) entrants will need B1.11 9

The other tests

JLPT, JFT-Basic or BJT: which proves what

Japanese immigration rules name three tests. The JLPT covers the most statuses; the other two serve a specific purpose.

What each test proves in the rules cited on this page
Test	Scale	Accepted for	Sessions
JLPTJapan Foundation and JEES	5 levels, N5 to N1 · score out of 180	N4: Specified Skilled Worker (i) · N3: Specified Skilled Worker (ii) in food service and fisheries · N2: Business Manager, benchmark for study taught in Japanese · N1: Designated Activities No. 46, health professions · 15 or 10 Highly Skilled Professional points42 10 4 3 1	On paper, twice a year (July and December)
JFT-BasicJapan Foundation	Single level, A2 · score out of 250	Alternative to JLPT N4 for Specified Skilled Worker (i)45 10 11	Computer-based, several times a year, in Japan and partner countries
BJTJapan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation	Score from 0 to 800, business Japanese	400 and above: Business Manager (B2) and 10 Highly Skilled Professional points · 480 and above: Designated Activities No. 46 and 15 points46 1 4 3	Computer-based, year-round, in Japan and several cities abroad

JFT-Basic and BJT do not replace the JLPT for regulated professions, nor for statuses where only the JLPT is named.

The JLPT at a glance

Five levels, one 180-point scale

The JLPT is a paper test, entirely in Japanese, with no speaking or writing section. Every level combines language knowledge (vocabulary, grammar), reading and listening; passing depends on the total score and on a minimum in each section.

Official format per level · total score out of 180
Level	Papers	Scored sections	Total time	Pass mark	Section minimum
N5	3 papers: vocabulary, grammar and reading, then listening	2 sections: language and reading out of 120, listening out of 60	90 min	80 / 180	38 points in language and reading · 19 points in listening43 44
N4	3 papers: vocabulary, grammar and reading, then listening	2 sections: language and reading out of 120, listening out of 60	115 min	90 / 180	38 points in language and reading · 19 points in listening43 44
N3	3 papers: vocabulary, grammar and reading, then listening	3 sections out of 60: language, reading, listening	140 min	95 / 180	19 points in each of the 3 sections43 44
N2	2 papers: language and reading, then listening	3 sections out of 60: language, reading, listening	155 min	90 / 180	19 points in each of the 3 sections43 44
N1	2 papers: language and reading, then listening	3 sections out of 60: language, reading, listening	165 min	100 / 180	19 points in each of the 3 sections43 44

Since December 2025, the score report also shows a CEFR reference level based on the score: an N2 from 112 points is labeled B2, an N1 from 142 points is labeled C1. At N1 to N3, a narrow pass always shows the level below, so aim well above the threshold.17

Two sessions a year, in July and December (only one in some cities outside Japan). In Japan, registration closed before the deadline in 2026: register as soon as it opens.42 41

Aaronsan includes a timed mock exam for every level, scored on this scale. Create a free account

The certificate gets you through the door. The vocabulary of your trade is what lets you do the job on the other side.

The idea behind Aaronsan’s professional tracks

Aaronsan specialized tracks

Learn the Japanese of the job you’re aiming for

Aaronsan covers the full JLPT path from N5 to N1. On top of it, nine professional tracks teach the vocabulary and phrases of a field at the level that field usually asks for, with spaced repetition, listening and speaking practice.

Care and nursing
N3
886 words · 140 phrases
Specified Skilled Worker in nursing care, EPA care workers
Hospitality and restaurants
N3
863 words · 139 phrases
Specified Skilled Worker in accommodation and food service, Designated Activities No. 46
Manufacturing and construction
N3
768 words · 119 phrases
Specified Skilled Worker in manufacturing, construction, shipbuilding and automobile maintenance
Agriculture and food industry
N3
757 words · 119 phrases
Specified Skilled Worker in agriculture and food and beverage manufacturing
Administration and everyday life
N3
718 words · 116 phrases
City hall, bank, housing and paperwork: useful on every visa
Business Japanese
N2
1,044 words · 180 phrases
Engineer/Humanities, Business Manager, Highly Skilled Professional
Medical and nursing
N2
784 words · 119 phrases
Hospital and clinic Japanese on the way to N1, required for national licensing exams
IT and engineering
N2
731 words · 119 phrases
Engineer/Humanities, Highly Skilled Professional
Academic Japanese
N1
886 words · 140 phrases
University study, then Designated Activities No. 46 after graduating

Start at N5 for free Compare plans

All tracks, from N5 to N1, are included in Premium. Aaronsan helps you memorize and review; it complements a Japanese course rather than replacing it.

Questions

Before you pick a level

Short answers, each with the source behind it.

Is the JLPT the only test Japan accepts?

No. JFT-Basic is accepted for Specified Skilled Worker (i), and BJT scores count for Highly Skilled points and the Business Manager visa. The JLPT is the most widely taken, with a record 1.94 million applicants in 2025.10 1 4 13

Which level should I aim for?

It depends on your path: N4 for Specified Skilled Worker (i), N3 for SSW (ii) in food service and for many nursing-care job postings, N2 for the Business Manager visa and university study taught in Japanese, N1 for Designated Activities No. 46 and, if you were educated outside Japan, the national health licensing exams.10 7 16 4 6 3 2

Does a JLPT certificate expire?

No. The JLPT states that its certificate never expires, but companies and schools sometimes set their own time limit on results.42

When can I take it?

Twice a year, in July and December, though some cities outside Japan hold only one session. In Japan, recent sessions filled up before their deadlines, and in 2026 the test there is in principle limited to mid- to long-term residents, so register as soon as applications open.42 41

How do JLPT levels relate to A1–B2?

Immigration rules now use a Japanese framework modeled on CEFR. Since December 2025, JLPT score reports show a reference level based on the score, so a pass does not always carry the level a rule names: a low N3 pass shows A2, not B1. Aim well above the pass mark.17 11

Can Aaronsan guarantee I pass?

No app can guarantee a result. Aaronsan helps you memorize and review the kanji, vocabulary, grammar and field-specific phrases of each level, alongside a course and real practice.

Sources

Links checked on September 23, 2026. Most documents are in Japanese.

1
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Points calculation table for Highly Skilled Professionals · in Japanese
2
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare · Eligibility for the National Medical Practitioners Exam for foreign-trained applicants · in Japanese
3
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Guidelines for Designated Activities No. 46 · April 2026 · in Japanese
4
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Revised permission standards for the Business Manager status · October 10, 2025 · in Japanese
5
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services: application requirements · July 13, 2026 · in Japanese
6
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Japanese-language standards for student residence applications · in Japanese
7
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Specified Skilled Worker: food service field · May 30, 2025 · in Japanese
8
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Specified Skilled Worker: fishery field · April 1, 2024 · in Japanese
9
Cabinet Office of Japan · Report of the Regulatory Reform Promotion Council · June 29, 2026 · in Japanese
10
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Specified Skilled Worker: questions and answers · in Japanese
11
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Overview of Specified Skilled Worker and Employment for Skill Development · July 2026 · in Japanese
12
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Proof of Japanese ability for language-school students · May 19, 2026 · in Japanese
13
JLPT (Japan Foundation and JEES) · JLPT statistics
14
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Foreign residents at the end of 2025 · March 2026 · in Japanese
15
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare · Employment of foreign workers as of October 2025 · January 30, 2026 · in Japanese
16
Cabinet Office of Japan · Shin Keizai Renmei submission to the Cabinet Office working group on human resources · April 7, 2026 · in Japanese
17
JLPT (Japan Foundation and JEES) · CEFR reference levels on JLPT score reports · in Japanese
18
Career-tasu Inc. · Company survey on hiring international students and highly skilled foreign talent (December 2025) · January 2026 · in Japanese
19
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Guidelines for permanent residence · February 24, 2026 · in Japanese
20
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Specified Skilled Worker: nursing care field · April 21, 2025 · in Japanese
21
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Specified Skilled Worker: cabinet decisions on fields · January 23, 2026 · in Japanese
22
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Operating policy for the automobile transportation field · January 23, 2026 · in Japanese
23
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Employment for Skill Development: questions and answers · in Japanese
24
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Draft revision of the permanent residence guidelines · August 2026 · in Japanese
25
e-Gov public comment · Public comment on the draft permanent residence guidelines · August 4, 2026 · in Japanese
26
Ministry of Justice of Japan · Nationality questions and answers · in Japanese
27
Ministry of Justice of Japan · Minister of Justice press conference · March 27, 2026 · in Japanese
28
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Future Creation Individual (J-Find) · in Japanese
29
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Special Highly Skilled Professional (J-Skip) · in Japanese
30
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Designated Activities for digital nomads · in Japanese
31
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Spouse or Child of Japanese National · in Japanese
32
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare · Clinical Japanese screening for medical exam eligibility · in Japanese
33
JLPT (Japan Foundation and JEES) · Advantages of the JLPT
34
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare · Japanese-language training for EPA nurse and care worker candidates · July 2026 · in Japanese
35
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare · Results of the 115th National Nursing Examination · March 2026 · in Japanese
36
JET Programme · JET Programme eligibility
37
JET Programme · JET Programme FAQ
38
Nihon University · Admission requirements for international students (2026 entry) · June 2025 · in Japanese
39
JLPT (Japan Foundation and JEES) · December 2025 JLPT applicant figures · in Japanese
40
Immigration Services Agency of Japan · Caps for Specified Skilled Worker and Employment for Skill Development · July 2026 · in Japanese
41
JEES · JEES notices on registration for the December 2026 JLPT · September 3, 2026 · in Japanese
42
JLPT (Japan Foundation and JEES) · JLPT frequently asked questions
43
JLPT (Japan Foundation and JEES) · Test sections and time per level
44
JLPT (Japan Foundation and JEES) · Pass mark and sectional minimum
45
Japan Foundation · About the JFT-Basic
46
Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation · About the BJT (Business Japanese Proficiency Test)

Before you act on this page

This page summarizes public rules for information only. It is not legal or immigration advice. Rules and how they are applied change: confirm your situation with the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, a Japanese embassy or consulate, or a licensed immigration specialist.

Aaronsan is an independent study app. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the Japan Foundation or Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES), which administer the JLPT.

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Your privacy choices

Why take the JLPT?

What each level opens

Immigration rules name a level

Employers recruit in Japanese

Points turn into years

Specified Skilled Worker (i)

Specified Skilled Worker (ii)

Employment for Skill Development

Business Manager

Designated Activities No. 46

Student

Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services

Permanent residence

Naturalization

Highly Skilled Professional

Future Creation Individual (J-Find)

Special Highly Skilled Professional (J-Skip)

Digital nomad

Spouse or Child of Japanese National

Doctors and 18 other licensed professions

EPA nurses and care workers

JET Programme coordinators

University admission

Business Manager: B2 Japanese becomes a condition

JLPT score reports show a CEFR level

Specified Skilled Worker grows to 19 fields

B2 proof for language-based roles

Naturalization: 10 years in principle

JLPT seats run out before the deadline

Permanent residence: higher income bar, B1 Japanese proposed

Employment for Skill Development begins

Care and nursing

Hospitality and restaurants

Manufacturing and construction

Agriculture and food industry

Administration and everyday life

Business Japanese

Medical and nursing

IT and engineering

Academic Japanese

Know your target. Start where you are.