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Which JLPT level do you need for a visa, a job or permanent residence?
The JLPT (日本語能力試験, Japanese-Language Proficiency Test) is named in the rules for some visas, schools and points systems, and each names a different level. This page lists each route, what its rule says and the date we read it. Several rules change on April 1, 2027.
On this page
We are not a law office, and we do not file applications. Every rule below was read on October 5, 2026, and several of them change on April 1, 2027. Before you book a test or file, check your own case with the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) or with an administrative scrivener (行政書士, gyoseishoshi) who handles immigration filings.
- ISA's Q&A for work-status applications points questions to its information center for foreigners (外国人在留総合インフォメーションセンター, general residency information center for foreigners): 0570-013904, or 03-5796-7112 from abroad or by IP phone.
- Your employer, school or immigration bureau decides your case. A test result, a certificate or a score that meets the rule on this page is not a promise of approval.
Which JLPT level each visa and route asks for
The middle column is what the rule says. Where a rule names a test besides the JLPT, it is in the last column. Details and dates for each row are in the sections below.
| Visa or route | What the rule says | Other accepted proof |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese language school (Student) | A1-level Japanese, checked by a test or an interview. JLPT N5 or higher is one of the two tests ISA lists outright | JFT-Basic A1 or higher. Other tests are accepted for the time being |
| University taught in Japanese (Student) | B2-level Japanese is expected from FY2027 entrants. For entrants through FY2029, JLPT N2 or higher counts as a guide | EJU Japanese 200 or more, BJT 400, JPT 525, or 600 class hours |
| Specified Skilled Worker (i), most fields | JLPT N4 or higher | JFT-Basic. As of December 1, 2025, no other test is recognized |
| Specified Skilled Worker (i): taxi, bus and railway station staff | N3 under the current field policy. B1-equivalent for certificate applications from April 1, 2027 | None named |
| Specified Skilled Worker (ii) | B1 or higher for new certificate applications from April 1, 2027. The date for status changes and renewals is not announced | Field-specific tests |
| Specified Skilled Worker (i): nursing care | N4 or higher or the JFT-Basic, plus the Care Japanese Evaluation Test | Graduates of certified care-worker schools and EPA care candidates who completed the 4-year stay are treated as meeting the standards |
| Employment for Skill Development (starts April 2027) | An A1-level test or an A1 course before work. A2.1 to change employer, A2.2 at the end or for SSW (i) | JFT-Basic, or an A1 course |
| Business Manager | B2-level Japanese for the applicant or one full-time employee: JLPT N2 or higher | BJT 400 or more, 20 or more years of residence, a Japanese degree or Japanese schooling |
| Designated Activities for graduates of Japanese universities | JLPT N1 | BJT 480 or more, or a Japanese major abroad |
| Highly Skilled Professional points | N1 adds 15 points and N2 adds 10 | BJT 480 or more (15) or 400 or more (10) |
| Work statuses in general | No level is named. A Japanese ability certificate is needed when the main duties use language ability | Not stated |
| Permanent residence | B1-level Japanese is a consideration factor for applications from April 1, 2027. No JLPT level is named | Not stated |
| Naturalization | Japanese sufficient for daily life, speaking and reading and writing. No JLPT level is named | Not stated |
Sources: Immigration Services Agency (1), Immigration Services Agency (2), Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (1), Immigration Services Agency: Specified Skilled Worker Q&A, Immigration Services Agency (3), Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (2), Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (3), Immigration Services Agency (4), Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (4), Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (5), Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (6), Immigration Services Agency (5), Ministry of Justice
Is JLPT N3 the same as B1?
Not always, and this is where people get caught. B1 is a level on the CEFR scale, which ISA writes as a level on the reference framework. A JLPT result shows a CEFR level only for the people who pass.
- Not every N3 passer is B1; 95 to 103 is shown as A2. For B1 the official advice is N3 (104 or more) or N2 (up to 111).
- CEFR is shown only to people who pass; failing candidates see an asterisk. CEFR is given for the total score only, not per section.
- The CEFR level is shown on score reports from the December 2025 JLPT, for reference only. Score reports and certificates from July 2025 and earlier stay valid without a CEFR level. Duplicates of certificates for tests in or before July 2025 show an asterisk, not a CEFR level.
- The CEFR level plays no part in pass or fail. Whether a school or employer accepts the CEFR indication is for them to say; ask the institution.
- The CEFR level covers linguistic and reception skills; speaking and writing (production and interaction) are not included.
- ISA's July 2026 overview of Employment for Skill Development gives JLPT N3 as an example of a B1-or-higher test. The JLPT's own reference shows B1 for an N3 pass only at 104 or more, and an older ISA overview marks its N-level mapping as provisional. When a rule says "B1", ask the office that applies it which score it accepts.
Sources: jlpt.jp: FAQ, jlpt.jp: CEFR level on score reports, Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (1), Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (2)
CEFR level shown on a JLPT result, by total score
Only passers see a level. The level plays no part in pass or fail.
| JLPT level | Total score | CEFR level shown |
|---|---|---|
| N1 | 100 to 141 | B2 |
| N1 | 142 or more | C1 |
| N2 | 90 to 111 | B1 |
| N2 | 112 or more | B2 |
| N3 | 95 to 103 | A2 |
| N3 | 104 or more | B1 |
| N4 | 90 or more | A2 |
| N5 | 80 or more | A1 |
There is no C2 indication; the JLPT linking reached C1 at most. Pass marks and score sections: JLPT results and passing scores.
Specified Skilled Worker: which JLPT level?
Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) has two types, (i) and (ii).
- For most SSW (i) fields the Japanese requirement is JFT-Basic or JLPT N4 or higher. ISA's July 17, 2026 English document says the same.
- As of December 1, 2025, ISA says no Japanese test other than the JFT-Basic and the JLPT has been recognized as A2 or B1 equivalent for SSW (i). The FAQ names only those two, so we read tests such as J.TEST, NAT-TEST, JPT, BJT and TOPJ as not counting. A test owner can apply to be added, and the ministry in charge of the field decides. See other Japanese tests.
- The Cabinet's Basic Policy says SSW (i) workers are basically expected to have A2 or above, plus any higher level a field sets.
- Taxi and bus drivers (automobile transport) and railway operations staff moved from JLPT N3 to B1-equivalent. B1 is checked for certificate applications from April 1, 2027.
- Some fields need more than the general standard, so read the field's own policy.
- For SSW (ii), ISA says B1 or higher is required for new certificate applications from April 1, 2027. The date for status changes and renewals is not announced. The Basic Policy says field-specific tests confirm it.
- People who completed Technical Intern Training (ii) satisfactorily are normally exempt from the Japanese test (N4 level), except nursing care's separate exam and N3-level fields.
- Employers often ask for more than the rule. A Cabinet Office working-group paper dated April 7, 2026 shows data from the New Economy Association, a business group, so it is industry data and not a government statistic: 86.0% of 1,027 SSW (i) job ads required N1 to N3, and 90.8% of care ads, mostly N3.
Sources: Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (1), Immigration Services Agency: Specified Skilled Worker Q&A, Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (2), Immigration Services Agency, Japan Foundation: JFT-Basic FAQ, Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (3), Cabinet Office
All five levels of the 6 December 2026 test closed before the deadline. An ISA notice posted on October 5, 2026 says applicants for SSW (i) or Employment for Skill Development who planned to use JLPT N4 or N5 can pass the JFT-Basic at A2.2 or A1 instead, and that the JFT-Basic also counts as A1 proof for the Student status. The JFT-Basic is held as a rule every month and shows the score when the test ends. See other Japanese tests.
Language school and university (Student status): which level?
- For entry to a Japanese language school on a Student visa, ISA requires A1-equivalent Japanese, checked by test or interview. Listed tests include JFT-Basic A1+ and JLPT N5+, plus BJT 300, J.TEST F and several other tests.
- ISA ended the old option of proving A1 with 150 or more hours of study history. A test certificate or an interview is now mandatory. This applies to new Certificate of Eligibility applications for students entering from October 2026, and to extension and change applications from July 1, 2026. Certain foreign university graduates from listed countries are exempt.
- ISA tells language-school applicants that going on to a university or vocational college needs B2 or higher Japanese, so they should pick a course accordingly. A language school stay is normally 2 years at most.
- For students entering a university taught in Japanese, graduate school included, ISA expects B2 or above from FY2027. For entrants through the end of FY2029 it accepts a guide: JLPT N2 or higher, EJU Japanese total 200 or more, BJT 400 or more, JPT 525 or more, or 600 class hours.
- The JLPT organizers state N2 or higher is a benchmark for admission to higher education in Japan (organizer page citing ISA). JASSO runs the EJU to assess the Japanese ability and basic academic skills Japanese universities require of international undergraduate applicants. Many universities use EJU instead of, or alongside, JLPT.
- Each university sets its own rule on top. Tohoku University's page for privately financed international undergraduates asks for the EJU and names no JLPT level. Kyoto University's international-student guide, a PDF dated about 2022, names no JLPT level either. MEXT 2027 undergraduate guideline: the main requirement is willingness to study in Japanese; most grantees start with a 1-year Japanese prep course. Direct placement applicants may be asked for a language test score such as JLPT by the host university.
- For vocational and miscellaneous schools, a student qualifies by 1+ year of Japanese language education, a test, or 1+ year at a Japanese school. If not clearly at B2 level on Japan's Reference Framework for Japanese Language Education, applications may be refused at screening.
Sources: Immigration Services Agency (1), Immigration Services Agency (2), Immigration Services Agency (3), jlpt.jp: what the JLPT is used for, JASSO: EJU, Tohoku University admissions, Kyoto University guide (PDF), Study in Japan (MEXT scholarship guide)
Work visas: Business Manager, graduates and jobs that use Japanese
- Business Manager: for the applicant or one full-time employee, B2-level Japanese is proved by JLPT N2 or higher, BJT 400 or more, 20 or more years of residence, a Japanese higher-education degree, or Japanese compulsory plus high school schooling.
- The Designated Activities (Notification 46) status for graduates of Japanese universities, which allows wider work such as customer-facing jobs in restaurants, requires JLPT N1 or BJT 480+ (or a Japanese major abroad).
- ISA's July 2026 Q&A for work-status applications says a Japanese ability certificate must be submitted when the applicant's main duties use language ability, such as translation or interpreting, or customer service such as a hotel front desk. In other cases ISA may still ask for one depending on the application. Someone already in Japan whose job changes so that the main duties use language ability must submit the Japanese ability certificate when applying to extend their stay.
- We found no language-test requirement for the Engineer, Specialist in Humanities and International Services status on the ISA pages we read. The JLPT organizers' notice lists the BJT for that status, and we did not find it on an ISA page.
BJT, JPT and the other tests: other Japanese tests.
Sources: Immigration Services Agency, Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (1), Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (2), jlpt.jp: announcement
Highly Skilled Professional points for the JLPT
Japanese ability is one item in the Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) points table. The pass mark for HSP status is 70 points. ISA's points table was last modified on June 13, 2026.
| What earns points | Points | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| JLPT N1, or BJT 480 or more, or a degree from a foreign university with a Japanese major | 15 | Passing N1, or an equivalent test such as BJT 480 or more |
| JLPT N2, or BJT 400 or more | 10 | Not added on top of the Japanese-degree points or the N1 points |
| A degree from a Japanese higher-education institution | 10 | No JLPT needed |
N2 plus a Japanese degree is 10 points, not 20. For N1 plus a Japanese degree, the ISA table lists the two items separately and excludes only the N2 item, but we did not find ISA stating the combined total, so confirm 25 with ISA before you count on it. We found no announced change to the Japanese points for 2026 or 2027.
Sources: Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (1), Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (2), Immigration Services Agency
Permanent residence: what JLPT level counts from April 2027?
- The Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence, revised on October 1, 2026, make Japanese at B1 or higher on the reference framework a consideration factor in screening. It is a consideration factor, not an automatic pass or fail line, and the guideline text we read names no JLPT level.
- The revision applies to applications from April 1, 2027. Some other parts apply earlier.
- B1 is not considered for: HSP and HSP family (per guideline sections 6-8), people with 6+ cumulative years of Japanese primary or secondary schooling, and Japan-born children of PR holders whose parent has B1.
- The standard residence requirement is about 10 years, with at least 5 on a work or residence-type status. Highly Skilled Professionals keep their shortcut: 70 or more points with 3 years of continuous residence, or 80 or more points with 1 year.
- We found no ISA or Ministry of Justice statement of how B1 will be proved for a permanent residence application. If you plan to use a JLPT result, remember that an N3 pass shows B1 only at 104 or more, and that a certificate from before the December 2025 test shows no CEFR level.
Sources: Immigration Services Agency (1), Immigration Services Agency (2), jlpt.jp: CEFR level on score reports, jlpt.jp: FAQ
Nursing and care: EPA, JICWELS and care workers
JICWELS is the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's designated body for the EPA nurse and care-worker program.
- The ministry requires Vietnamese nurse and care-worker candidates to hold JLPT N3 at entry, unlike Indonesia and the Philippines.
- The JICWELS briefing for the 2027 intake gives Vietnam as N3 or higher and Indonesia as about N4 or higher at entry, then about N3 at the start of work after 6 months of pre-arrival training. It marks the Philippines as "under adjustment".
- The JLPT organizers' page gives about N5 or higher for the Philippines, about N4 for Indonesia and N3 for Vietnam. The two sources differ for the Philippines, so we give no single figure: check the current JICWELS or ministry guideline.
- JICWELS says a care-worker candidate who has passed JLPT N1 or N2 can be counted as staff in the facility staffing standard.
- Caregiving SSW(i) needs JFT-Basic or JLPT N4+ (or recognized A2) PLUS passing the Kaigo Nihongo Hyoka Shiken (care Japanese evaluation test). Graduates of a certified care-worker training school, and EPA care candidates who completed the 4-year stay, are treated as meeting the care skill and Japanese standards.
- Under Technical Intern Training, the ministry's rule for the care occupation asks for N4 or equivalent in year 1 and N3 or equivalent in year 2. That document was last modified on October 3, 2022.
- The JLPT organizers' page, citing the ministry, says N1 is required for medical practitioners licensed overseas to sit Japan's national exams, and the same for nurses, pharmacists and others listed. We did not read this on the ministry's own page.
Sources: JICWELS: 2027 EPA intake (PDF), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (1), jlpt.jp: what the JLPT is used for, Immigration Services Agency: Specified Skilled Worker Q&A, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (2)
Employment for Skill Development and Technical Intern Training
- Employment for Skill Development (ikusei shuro) starts on April 1, 2027 and replaces technical intern training.
- Before starting work: pass an A1-or-higher Japanese test (e.g. JFT-Basic, JLPT N5) OR take an equivalent Japanese course. The Basic Policy adds that anyone who has not passed by the start must pass within 1 year of starting. Field policies can set higher levels. N5 is therefore an example, not the only route, and it is not strictly required if the A1 course is taken.
- To move to SSW(i): trade skill test grade 3 or SSW(i) evaluation test plus A2.2-or-higher Japanese test (JFT-Basic, JLPT N4, etc.). For voluntary employer change, JFT-Basic A2.1 is shown, set per field between A1 and the SSW(i) level, plus a basic-grade skills test.
- ISA says employers must pay for and provide an A1-level course before work if the test is not passed, and an A2-target course over the 3 years.
Sources: Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (1), Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (2), Immigration Services Agency
Naturalization: is there a JLPT level?
No level is named. The Legal Affairs Bureau guidance asks for Japanese sufficient for daily life, speaking and reading and writing.
Sources: Ministry of Justice
Does a JLPT result expire, and what do you submit?
- The JLPT certificate never expires, though employers and schools can set their own time limits. Osaka University's International Undergraduate Program in Science (2024 enrollment guideline, dated 2022): applicants must send a JLPT N3+ certificate no more than two years old, or a teacher's equivalence statement. This is an example of an institution setting its own certificate-age rule.
- The Certificate of Result and Scores is the official document for schools and employers and can be requested any time, as often as you like, for a fee. Issuance fee: 1,000 yen per copy; express +500 yen; sending overseas +1,000 yen (EMS).
- Copies take about 1 to 2 weeks in Japan after payment is confirmed, longer right after results and overseas. Issuance is slowest late January to March and late August to October.
How to order a copy: JLPT results and certificates.
Sources: jlpt.jp: FAQ, Osaka University IUPS guideline (PDF), JEES FAQ: results, JEES: certificate issuance
What we could not confirm
These gaps are real. Do not fill them with a guess.
- How B1 will be proved for a permanent residence application.
- The start date of the B1 rule for SSW (ii) status changes and renewals. ISA says it is still being decided.
- The Japanese level for each Employment for Skill Development field, and the exact levels for care. An ISA overview of July 2026 lists care SSW (i) as A2.2 or higher plus a Japanese learning plan, and we could not read the exact levels for each care stage from the PDF table.
- The Japanese requirements of individual universities. We could not read Waseda University's requirements page, and the pages we read for Kyoto and Tohoku name no JLPT level.
- Any JLPT rule for the spouse, dependent and long-term resident statuses. We did not research them. Ask ISA.
Sources: Immigration Services Agency, Immigration Services Agency (PDF)
More JLPT guides
Other Japanese tests
JFT-Basic, EJU, J.TEST, JPT, BJT and more: fees, scores and what each one counts for.
Results and pass marks
When results arrive, how to check them, the pass mark at each level, certificates and what to do if you fail.
Registration
How to register in Japan or abroad, the fee, the residence card rule and what to do now that December has closed.
Study guide
Hours by source, textbooks by level, app prices and lessons, each with its source named.
A teacher for the level your route needs
A rule that names a level is easier to meet with regular lessons.
italki
- One-to-one lessons by video with a teacher you choose
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- Pay per lesson, no subscription needed
- Fits you if your route needs a level you do not have yet and you want lessons toward it.
- Not for you if you already hold the certificate: lessons do not change what the rule asks for, and no lesson guarantees a level.
Find a Japanese teacher for the JLPT on italki
Opens italki's site (Japanese; English version too)
JLPT questions
What JLPT level do I need for a work visa?
There is no one level for work visas. It depends on the status: N4 or the JFT-Basic for Specified Skilled Worker (i), N2 for Business Manager and N1 for graduates in the Designated Activities status. ISA's July 2026 Q&A for work-status applications says a Japanese ability certificate must be submitted when the applicant's main duties use language ability, such as translation or interpreting, or customer service such as a hotel front desk. In other cases ISA may still ask for one depending on the application.
What JLPT level do I need for permanent residence?
No level is named. From April 1, 2027, B1-level Japanese is a consideration factor, not a pass mark. An N3 pass shows B1 only at 104 or more. See the permanent residence section.
Is JLPT N3 enough for B1?
Not every N3 passer is B1; 95 to 103 is shown as A2. For B1 the official advice is N3 (104 or more) or N2 (up to 111).
What JLPT level do I need for Specified Skilled Worker?
For most SSW (i) fields the Japanese requirement is JFT-Basic or JLPT N4 or higher. ISA's July 17, 2026 English document says the same. Taxi and bus drivers and railway staff are an exception: they moved from JLPT N3 to B1-equivalent, checked for certificate applications from April 1, 2027.
How many Highly Skilled Professional points does the JLPT give?
N1 gives 15 points and N2 gives 10. The N2 points cannot be added together with the Japanese-degree points or the N1 points. The pass mark for HSP status is 70 points.
What JLPT level do I need for a Japanese language school?
JFT-Basic A1 or higher and JLPT N5 or higher are the two tests ISA lists outright as proof of A1 for a Japanese language institution; the other tests are accepted only "for the time being". A test certificate or an interview is now mandatory.
Which JLPT level do I need for a Japanese university?
ISA expects B2 or above from FY2027 entrants. For entrants through the end of FY2029, JLPT N2 or higher, EJU Japanese total 200 or more, BJT 400 or more, JPT 525 or more, or 600 class hours count as a guide. Each university sets its own rule on top.
Do I need the JLPT to naturalize?
No level is named. The Legal Affairs Bureau guidance asks for Japanese sufficient for daily life, speaking and reading and writing.
How we checked
We read the Immigration Services Agency, the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs Bureau, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, JICWELS, university admission pages and the JLPT organizers on October 5, 2026. Each fact links to the page it came from, and our data keeps the quote. Where two sources disagree, such as the Philippine EPA level, we say so and do not pick one. We do not run the JLPT, we do not file applications, and we are not a law office.
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