To get an ESL teaching job in Japan you need a bachelor's degree in any subject, native-level English and an employer willing to sponsor you. A 120-hour TEFL certificate helps but is not a legal requirement, and you do not need to speak Japanese. You apply to the JET Programme, a dispatch company that places Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) in public schools, or a private conversation school (eikaiwa). The employer then applies for your Certificate of Eligibility, which takes one to three months, and you collect the visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate at home.
This guide covers the three routes, the visa rule that decides who can apply, what the work actually pays, and the renewal fee change that takes effect on 1 October 2026.
The Three Routes Into English Teaching in Japan
Which route you choose decides your employer, your hours, your visa and, above all, your pay.
| Route | Where you teach | Usual visa status | Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| JET Programme | Public schools, as an ALT | Instructor | 4.02 million yen in year one (published) |
| Dispatch or direct-hire ALT | Public schools, placed by a company or board of education | Instructor for school teaching | Set by each contract |
| Eikaiwa | Private conversation schools, small classes | Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services | Set by each contract |
| International schools | Full subject teaching for international curricula | Depends on the school type | Highest, for licensed teachers |
ALT roles put you in a public elementary, junior high or high school, co-teaching with a Japanese teacher of English. The JET Programme is the government-run version; dispatch companies and some boards of education hire ALTs directly as well. This is the most common first job.
Eikaiwa are private conversation schools teaching children and adults in small groups. Expect afternoon, evening and weekend shifts, because that is when students are free.
International schools teach full curricula in English and generally want a home-country teaching licence and classroom experience. They are a strong second or third job, not usually a first one.
The Visa Rule That Decides Whether You Can Apply
You cannot simply arrive and teach. Each route sits under a specific status of residence, and the Immigration Services Agency of Japan sets the criteria for each.
Instructor: teaching inside Japanese schools
The Instructor status covers teaching at elementary, junior high, high and special-needs schools, which is why JET participants and most ALTs hold it. For a language teacher, the criteria ask for:
- A university degree or equivalent — or a qualifying Japanese vocational course, or a teaching licence
- Twelve or more years of education in the language you teach — which a native English speaker educated in English meets automatically
- Pay at least equal to what a Japanese national would receive for the same work
Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services: private language schools
The draft most guides copy calls this the "Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa". Its full name is Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, and the agency lists language teachers at private companies under it — which covers eikaiwa.
For language teaching, the rule is three years of relevant experience, waived for university graduates. That is why a degree matters so much: with one, you qualify on day one; without one, you need three years of documented language-teaching experience. The ten-year experience route that is often quoted belongs to the humanities-knowledge part of this status, not to language teaching. The same equal-pay rule applies.
In practice, almost every employer asks for a degree regardless, because it makes the visa application straightforward. If you do not have one, the Working Holiday visa is the other route: it is open to citizens of partner countries, generally aged 18 to 30 at the time of application, and allows work only as something incidental to a holiday, so it suits a year of part-time teaching rather than a career.
The Visa Process, Step by Step
- Get hired. Through JET, a dispatch company, an eikaiwa or a school. The job offer comes first.
- Your employer applies for a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE). The application is filed in Japan, usually by staff of the hiring organisation, and proves you meet the criteria for your status.
- Wait one to three months. That is the agency's official standard processing period, not the four to eight weeks many guides quote. Since 17 March 2023 the CoE can be sent by email.
- Apply for the visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate in your country, with your passport and the CoE. The CoE is valid for three months, so you must enter Japan within that window.
- Receive your residence card on landing. It is issued on the spot at New Chitose, Sendai, Narita, Haneda, Chubu, Kansai, Kobe, Hiroshima, Fukuoka and Naha airports, and is valid from issue. At other ports it is posted to you later.
- Register your address at the municipal office within 14 days of settling. This is a separate legal duty — it does not "activate" the card, as some guides say.
Plan for about two to four months from job offer to arrival. Japanese schools start their year in April, not September, and JET participants usually arrive in late July or early August.
The fee change from 1 October 2026
Your first renewal will cost more than it used to. From 1 October 2026, the fee to extend or change a status of residence moves from a flat 6,000 yen to a scale by the length of stay granted. A one-year grant costs 33,000 yen at the counter, or 27,000 yen online; a three-to-five-year grant costs 64,000 yen at the counter. Applications received by 30 September 2026 pay the old fee.
What English Teachers in Japan Earn
Only one of the three routes publishes its pay. The JET Programme sets a national scale:
| JET appointment year | Annual pay | Approx. monthly |
|---|---|---|
| First | 4.02 million yen | 335,000 yen |
| Second | 4.14 million yen | 345,000 yen |
| Third | 4.26 million yen | 355,000 yen |
| Fourth and fifth | 4.32 million yen | 360,000 yen |
JET Programme published remuneration, before tax and deductions.
Dispatch ALT and eikaiwa contracts are set company by company, and there is no official survey of them. Job advertisements for full-time eikaiwa roles commonly show about 250,000 to 280,000 yen a month, and dispatch ALT pay varies by company and by how the school holidays are paid. International schools advertise considerably more, but only to licensed, experienced teachers. Treat all of these as advertised figures, not measured earnings.
We have dropped the dollar conversions many guides add: the yen has moved sharply in recent years, and a fixed dollar figure goes out of date within months. Compare offers in yen, and compare what is left after rent.
The JET Programme: Who Can Apply
JET is the best-paid and most structured entry route, and it has rules that dispatch companies and eikaiwa do not:
- A bachelor's degree or higher, or one obtained by the designated arrival date
- Citizenship of the country where you apply — permanent residence is not enough
- One-year appointments, renewable to three years, or five for participants judged exceptional
- Arrival in late July or early August, and early April for a few countries
Recruitment runs through the Japanese embassy or consulate in each participating country, and deadlines vary by country. Check your local JET page roughly a year before you want to start.
Why Schools Keep Hiring English Teachers
Japan's English proficiency has been falling in international comparisons. In EF EPI 2024 it ranked 92nd of 116 countries. In the latest EF EPI 2025 it slipped to 96th of 123, in the "very low proficiency" band. That gap is part of why public schools, boards of education and private schools continue to recruit native English speakers across cities and rural prefectures alike.
Before You Sign a Contract
- Check the monthly figure against the hours. A higher salary with split shifts and Saturday classes can pay less per hour than a lower one.
- Ask how summer and winter breaks are paid. On a dispatch ALT contract, find out in writing whether your monthly pay continues in the months schools are closed.
- Ask whether you will be enrolled in employee health insurance and pension, or left to join National Health Insurance yourself.
- Ask who pays the flights, the apartment deposit and the renewal fee. From October 2026 that fee is no longer a small cost.
- Get the visa status in writing. Your contract should match the status your employer applied for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to speak Japanese to teach English in Japan?
No. ALT, eikaiwa and most international school roles hire for English ability, and JET does not require Japanese. Some private-sector roles that involve Japanese-language duties ask for it, but standard English-teaching jobs do not.
What is the difference between ALT and eikaiwa jobs?
An ALT co-teaches in a public elementary, junior high or high school, through JET, a dispatch company or a board of education, and usually holds the Instructor status. An eikaiwa is a private conversation school with small classes, evening and weekend shifts, and the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services status.
How long does it take to get a work visa to teach in Japan?
The Certificate of Eligibility takes one to three months, the agency's official standard processing period, not four to eight weeks. Add the embassy visa step and travel, and plan for about two to four months from job offer to arrival.
Can I teach English in Japan without a degree?
It is hard. The Instructor status needs a degree or equivalent, and language teaching under International Services needs three years of relevant experience unless you are a graduate. The ten-year experience route does not apply to language teaching. A Working Holiday visa is the realistic alternative for eligible nationalities.
How much does the JET Programme pay?
4.02 million yen in the first year, 4.14 million in the second, 4.26 million in the third and 4.32 million in the fourth and fifth, before tax and deductions.
Is a TEFL certificate required?
Not by immigration law. Many employers prefer a 120-hour TEFL certificate, and it strengthens an application with no teaching experience, but the visa turns on your degree, not your TEFL.
When do teaching jobs in Japan start?
The Japanese school year starts in April, so dispatch and school hiring peaks ahead of it. JET participants arrive in late July or early August. Eikaiwa hire year-round.
How much does it cost to renew a Japanese work visa?
From 1 October 2026 the fee depends on the length of stay granted: 33,000 yen at the counter or 27,000 yen online for one year, up from a flat 6,000 yen. Applications received by 30 September 2026 pay the old fee.
People Also Search For
JET Programme salary
4.02 million yen in the first year, rising to 4.32 million in the fourth and fifth.
Instructor visa Japan requirements
A degree or equivalent, twelve years of education in the language taught, and pay equal to a Japanese national's.
Eikaiwa jobs for foreigners
Private conversation school roles, usually on the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services status.
Certificate of Eligibility processing time
One to three months, the Immigration Services Agency's standard processing period.
Teach English in Japan without a degree
Difficult on a work visa; the Working Holiday visa is the main alternative for eligible nationalities aged roughly 18 to 30.
ALT jobs Japan
Assistant Language Teacher roles in public schools, through JET, dispatch companies or boards of education.
Japan English proficiency ranking
96th of 123 countries in EF EPI 2025, in the very low proficiency band.
Japan visa renewal fee 2026
From 1 October 2026, 33,000 yen at the counter or 27,000 yen online for a one-year grant.
More Job Guides
Weighing Japan against other teaching routes? These cover the neighbouring options:
- How to Become an Adjunct Lecturer in the UK — the UK university route, and the salary floor that decides who can be sponsored.
- Adjunct Professor Jobs in the UK — the honorary title, conferred by nomination and unpaid.
- Online Teacher Jobs Worldwide — teaching English from home, what the platforms really pay, and the nationality rules.
- Teaching Jobs in UK — the UK pay scale and how overseas teachers get QTS recognised.
- Teacher Jobs in USA — state licensure and the J-1 route for teachers trained abroad.
- Teacher Jobs in Pakistan — government and private school pay, and the qualifications each expects.
- Tutor Jobs in USA — what tutors earn, what Wyzant, Varsity Tutors, Sylvan, Huntington and Kumon require, and the fees and tax to expect.
- How to Apply for Toyota Factory Jobs in Japan — free dormitories, forfeitable bonuses, and the residence status it quietly requires.
This article is for general informational purposes and is not immigration advice. Visa criteria, processing times and fees are set by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan and change over time. Confirm the current position with your employer, the JET Programme and the agency's website before applying.
