JLPT 2026 in Japan: dates, registration and why your level matters for your visa

The JLPT (Japanese-Language Proficiency Test, 日本語能力試験) runs twice a year in Japan: July 5 and December 6 in 2026. You apply online through MyJLPT only, and the fee is ¥7,500, as of October 2026. Registration for December ran from August 24 to September 7, 2026, but every level filled before it ended, so the next chance is the July 2027 test. In Japan you need a residence card (在留カード) to apply.

In Japan, the test is run by Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (日本国際教育支援協会, JEES). Outside Japan it is run by the Japan Foundation and local partners, with different fees and dates. You can’t apply in Japan and sit the test abroad, or the other way around.

When is the JLPT in Japan in 2026?

On test day, N1 and N2 are in the morning: the room opens at 8:30 and the test starts at 9:10. N3, N4 and N5 are in the afternoon, starting at 15:10. If you arrive after the start, you can’t sit the first section. You may sit the later sections, but they aren’t scored and you can’t pass.

Your December test voucher (受験票) arrives by mail by November 20, 2026. You can see it in MyJLPT from November 17. It shows your test site: JEES doesn’t give site details by phone.

Is JLPT registration for December 2026 still open?

No. N1 and N2 closed at 12:00 on August 31, 2026, a week before the official deadline, and won’t reopen. N3 briefly reopened in Tokyo and Osaka on September 2, then closed again. JEES itself only announced the N1, N2 and N3 closures; the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) later said all levels, N1 to N5, closed before the window ended because so many people applied.

The 2027 dates and windows aren’t published yet. In 2026, the July window opened in mid-March and the December window in late August. Watch the JEES notices page.

Who can take the JLPT in Japan?

There is no age or nationality limit, but in 2026 the test in Japan is in principle for non-native speakers who are mid-to-long-term residents (中長期在留者) or special permanent residents (特別永住者). In practice:

• You must enter your residence card number and expiry date when you apply.
• Tourists and other short-term visitors without a residence card can’t take it.
• If you hold a residence card but are abroad for a while, you can still apply, with an address in Japan.
• A naturalized Japanese citizen who isn’t a native speaker can take it and declares Japanese nationality.
• You can take only one level per test.

In September 2026, JEES emailed some December applicants asking them to upload a photo proving eligibility. Anyone who doesn’t upload it by the deadline, or whose photo doesn’t confirm eligibility, can’t sit the test, and the fee isn’t refunded.

How do you register for the JLPT online (MyJLPT)?

Paper applications ended in 2020. Everything goes through MyJLPT on the JEES site, and you can use a smartphone or tablet.

You can change your level or area only during the window, and not even then if the sites are full. JEES doesn’t refund the fee once you apply, even if you can’t attend. A July application can’t move to December.

Two timing tips from the JEES FAQ. July results appear on MyJLPT at the end of August, before the December deadline in early September, so you can check your result first. But if you apply for December before seeing it and then find you passed, you don’t get the fee back.

What do N1 to N5 mean, and what score do you need?

N5 is the easiest and N1 the hardest. Every level is scored out of 180, and you must reach the overall pass mark and a minimum in each section.

For N1 to N3, each of the three sections needs at least 19 of 60. For N4 and N5, language knowledge and reading together need 38 of 120, and listening needs 19 of 60. Fail one section and you fail the level, whatever your total.

Which visas and residency routes use a JLPT level?

Highly Skilled Professional. On ISA’s points table, N1 (or a foreign degree majoring in Japanese) adds 15 bonus points and N2 adds 10, but not if you already get points for N1 or for a degree from a Japanese university. BJT scores of 480+ and 400+ count as equivalents. See the Highly Skilled Professional visa guide for the full table.

Specified Skilled Worker. Type (i) needs a skills test for your field plus a Japanese test: the JFT-Basic (国際交流基金日本語基礎テスト) or JLPT N4 or higher. After December 2026 filled, ISA recommended the JFT-Basic to people planning to take N4 or N5 for this purpose. It runs several times a month at 11 locations in Japan. Details: Specified Skilled Worker guide.

Designated Activities No. 46. This status lets graduates of Japanese universities and graduate schools, and some junior college and certified vocational school graduates, do work that uses Japanese. ISA asks for a JLPT N1 or BJT 480+ certificate. Graduates of a foreign university who majored in Japanese submit that diploma instead.

Engineer/Humanities language jobs. For applications from April 15, 2026, if you will mainly do person-facing work using a language, such as interpreting or translation, you need CEFR B2 in that language. Employers in categories 3 and 4 must submit the proof with the application; categories 1 and 2 may be asked for it. For Japanese, JLPT N2 or higher is one accepted proof; BJT 400+ is another. See the Engineer/Humanities visa guide.

Permanent residency. ISA’s guideline revised on October 1, 2026 makes B1-level Japanese on Japan’s reference framework (日本語教育の参照枠) a factor for applications from April 1, 2027. It doesn’t name the JLPT or any test. Highly skilled applicants and their families, and people with 6+ years of school in Japan, are among the exceptions. More in permanent residency requirements.

Naturalization. The Ministry of Justice requires Japanese good enough for daily life, in conversation, reading and writing. It names no JLPT level, but lists Japanese test results among the certificates you can submit. See the naturalization process.

These are information only. For your own case, ask the immigration bureau or a licensed immigration specialist (行政書士).

More guides: Japanese language school costs, visa renewal in Japan, Engineer/Humanities visa, permanent residency vs naturalization.