Caregiver Jobs in Japan for Indians: Salary, Visa, Qualifications & Daily Life

Yes. Indian nationals can work as caregivers in Japan through the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) Nursing Care field. Japan's Immigration Services Agency created this status of residence to fill the country's caregiver shortage as its population ages.

The Agency has set an acceptance ceiling of up to 135,000 workers for this field between April 2024 and March 2029. Candidates who pass the required skills and language tests can join a registered Japanese care facility and work under SSW status for up to five years.

A second, more advanced pathway exists for foreign nationals who earn Japan's national Certified Care Worker (Kaigo Fukushishi) qualification, leading to the "Nursing Care" (介護) status of residence. Here is how the two compare:

Most Indian candidates start with the SSW route because it is faster to prepare for. Some later move to the "Nursing Care" status once they gain experience and qualifications in Japan.

To qualify for the SSW Nursing Care status of residence, you need to pass three exams set by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan: the Nursing Care Skills Evaluation Test, a Japanese-language test (JFT-Basic or JLPT N4 or higher), and the Nursing Care Japanese Language Evaluation Test.

You do not need a prior Japanese caregiving certification to sit these exams.

There is a difference between the government's legal requirements and what individual employers additionally prefer:

Do not assume a specific Indian degree or diploma is mandatory for the SSW route unless an employer states it as a condition of their job offer — the government framework itself does not mandate a particular academic qualification for this category.

If you're coming from a nursing background specifically, NAVIS HR's Nursing Jobs in Japan for Indian Nurses article covers how that experience maps onto caregiving and nursing pathways in Japan.

Caregiver roles in Japan need strong Japanese skills. You will talk with elderly residents every day and coordinate closely with Japanese care staff, so most candidates study Japanese for months before sitting the required exams.

For SSW Nursing Care, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan requires JFT-Basic or JLPT N4 or higher, plus the Nursing Care Japanese Language Evaluation Test. This second test checks vocabulary and communication specific to care settings.

JFT-Basic (the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese) and the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) are two separate exams. You only need to pass one, not both.

The Nursing Care Japanese Language Evaluation Test is different — it is a sector-specific test that other SSW fields do not require. Many employers prefer candidates who keep learning Japanese beyond the minimum level, since day-to-day care work depends on clear communication with residents and colleagues.

Two separate things are involved here, and it helps to keep them apart. A visa is the entry permission stamped by a Japanese embassy or consulate in India. A status of residence is the legal category that lets you live and work in Japan long-term, issued by Japan's Immigration Services Agency.

Caregivers on this pathway get the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) Nursing Care status of residence. To get there:

This is a simplified overview, not a complete immigration manual — exact document requirements can change, so candidates should confirm current details directly on the Immigration Services Agency's Specified Skilled Worker support site or with an authorised recruitment partner before applying.

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare publishes two relevant wage surveys:

Neither figure is a guaranteed starting salary for an Indian SSW caregiver. Your actual salary will be stated in the employment offer from the Japanese care facility. Treat both figures above as industry benchmarks, not a promise — your real pay depends on your employer and region.

Several factors affect what a specific candidate is actually offered:

No single figure should be treated as a guaranteed salary. Always verify the exact monthly wage, allowances, and deductions stated in your individual employment contract before accepting a position.

Caregivers working under SSW Nursing Care in Japan mainly support elderly residents with daily living activities in facilities such as care homes and day service centres. Typical duties include:

Before April 2025, facility-based roles were the only option under SSW.

Since April 21, 2025, SSW caregivers can also work in home-visit care services if they meet certain conditions. This generally means at least one year of facility-based experience plus required training, per the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's guidance on foreign care workers in home-visit services.

Daily life for a foreign caregiver in Japan generally follows a structured shift schedule at the care facility, with accommodation often arranged or subsidised by the employer near the workplace. Outside working hours, most caregivers manage daily errands, cooking, and community life using basic-to-intermediate Japanese, alongside colleagues and residents.

The general process for an Indian candidate pursuing an SSW Nursing Care job in Japan follows this sequence, though the exact order and timeline can vary by candidate and recruitment partner:

Explore current openings on NAVIS HR's Nursing Care Careers in Japan page.

NAVIS HR is an India-to-Japan recruitment and candidate-preparation organisation. For the caregiver pathway specifically, support generally covers eight stages, from first language lessons through to settling into work in Japan:

Requirements and exam schedules can change. Candidates working with NAVIS HR should confirm current eligibility and process details directly with the team, rather than relying only on general information online.