Japan Caregiver Visa for Indians: SSW Requirements & Process

One point confuses many candidates. A visa and a status of residence are not the same thing. A visa is issued by a Japanese embassy in your country and lets you travel to Japan and request entry. A status of residence is granted by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan on arrival, and decides what you may do there.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan — SSW overview

Government requirements

Sources: MOFA Japan · Immigration Services Agency — Nursing Care field

Employer-specific requirements

Set by the hiring company or programme, not by immigration law. Some caregiver recruitment programmes or employers may prefer candidates with ANM, GNM, BSc Nursing, healthcare or caregiving backgrounds. Others may set an age range, fitness expectations for shift work, or their own interview standards. You can see the kind of nursing care roles we recruit for in Japan to understand what employers typically look for. So a candidate who meets every government rule can still be rejected by one employer and chosen by another.

The skills test covers basic care work — helping someone bathe, eat, move and communicate. The care Japanese test covers the Japanese used inside a facility, and a higher JLPT score does not replace it. Both run in India through Prometric for Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and dates change through the year. Test availability verified Sep 2026.

One exemption: those who satisfactorily completed Technical Intern Training (ii) may be exempt from some tests.

Source: Immigration Services Agency — Nursing Care field

Language is where most candidates lose time. For the exact level and study period, see our language guide.

Who applies? The application goes to a Regional Immigration Services Bureau in Japan, and an employee of the company hiring you may submit it for you.

Why is it needed? The COE confirms that Japan's immigration authorities have reviewed your planned status of residence before your visa application. It is normally used when applying for a long-term work visa such as SSW.

What next? The COE reaches you through your employer or recruiter, and you use it to apply for your visa in India.

Sources: ISA — Steps to working in Japan · ISA — Application and documents

Sources: ISA — Steps to working in Japan · Embassy of Japan in India

Source: Immigration Services Agency — Application and documents

That status is "Nursing Care" (Kaigo). Pass Japan's national Certified Care Worker examination while working as an SSW and you can apply to change to it, renewable without a total limit on your stay. Five years is the first stage, not the end of the road, and our complete guide to caregiver jobs in Japan covers what that longer career path looks like in practice.

Sources: ISA — SSW status overview · ISA — SSW FAQ

This can change later. If you obtain the Certified Care Worker qualification and move to the "Nursing Care" status, family accompaniment may become possible where requirements are met. It is not automatic — confirm your case with the Immigration Services Agency of Japan before making family plans.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan — SSW overview

After the COE is issued, visa processing generally takes at least five working days once the application is accepted, though some applications take longer. The Embassy of Japan in India also notes that processing times can vary significantly and cannot be rushed, so apply well in advance.

Sources: ISA — Steps to working in Japan · MOFA — Visa processing period · Embassy of Japan in India

The rest of the timeline depends on your language study, test dates in India, how quickly an employer selects you, and your document readiness. For candidates starting from zero Japanese, language is the longest part.

Source: Embassy of Japan in India — Visa information and fees

Ask for a written breakdown of anything you are asked to pay.

Verify independently: check the employer, the recruiter, and the rules on the Immigration Services Agency of Japan website. The Embassy of Japan in India also warns applicants about visa-related fraud.

Source: Embassy of Japan in India

For the visa application itself, the Embassy lists the applicable visa fee plus the VFS service fee. Recruitment, training, examinations, medical checks and travel may involve separate costs depending on your situation — so ask for each one in writing.

NAVIS HR works with Indian candidates building a nursing-care career in Japan. Our support covers the stages where candidates most often get stuck:

Every outcome depends on your own test results, employer selection and immigration approval. What we commit to is honest guidance and structured preparation.

Nursing Care Careers in Japan

The Japan caregiver visa for Indians follows a clear order: eligibility → Japanese → skill tests → employer → COE → visa → travel to Japan. Nothing here is instant, and nobody can guarantee the outcome — but it is a legal, government-defined pathway many workers have already used.

Start with the language, because that is the longest step. For salary, job roles, qualifications and daily life, see what caregiver work in Japan actually pays and involves.