Nursing care (介護) visa in Japan: route and requirements

The nursing care visa Japan offers is the status of residence Nursing Care (介護), and you need to be a registered certified care worker (介護福祉士) to get it. It lets you do care work or care instruction under a contract with a care organization in Japan. The period of stay is 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months. This is the position as of October 2026, from the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁, ISA).

What is the nursing care visa in Japan?

ISA describes 介護 as work under a contract with a public or private organization in Japan, doing care or care instruction as a certified care worker. Your work is limited to that activity. ISA says a status can be revoked if you do not carry out the activity it covers.

The status was created by an amended law of November 28, 2016, in force from September 1, 2017. It is a professional status, not an entry-level care job visa. If you are still at entry level, see Specified Skilled Worker, which also covers nursing care.

How do you qualify for the 介護 status?

The key is the national qualification. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), there are four ways to become a certified care worker, and you must register afterward. Three matter for most foreign residents:

A fourth route is for candidates under the EPA agreements with Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. They need 3 or more years of work experience, then the exam.

Since April 1, 2020, ISA allows 介護 whichever route you used. Before that it was limited to training-school graduates. The exam is held once a year, usually in late January. At the 37th exam (FY2024), 58,992 of 75,387 takers passed (78.3%).

What is the transitional measure for care school graduates?

Training-school graduates also need to pass the exam. MHLW material of September 17, 2025 describes a transitional measure for graduates up to FY2026. For 5 years after graduating, you can hold the qualification without taking the exam. From year 6, you keep it if you worked in care continuously for those 5 years.

We could not confirm whether this will be extended to later graduates. Ask your school or MHLW.

How do you apply for the nursing care visa?

ISA lists these documents for a certificate of eligibility: the application, a photo, a return envelope, a copy of your 介護福祉士 registration certificate, a document showing your working conditions, and material on the organization. Changes of status need nearly the same documents, plus your passport and residence card (在留カード).

For an extension, ISA asks for the application, a photo, your passport and residence card, a statement about the employer’s representative, and your resident tax (課税 or 非課税) certificate and tax payment certificate. After you change jobs, your first extension also needs a working-conditions notice and employer material.

Applications from April 15, 2026 need an extra statement about the organization’s representative. Certificates issued in Japan must be within 3 months of issue, and foreign-language documents need a Japanese translation. Fees are in Visa fees in Japan. The general process is in Change of status of residence and Visa renewal.

What if the registration certificate comes after April 1?

The certificate is issued on or after April 1 of the year after the exam, so some people are not approved for 介護 by then. This affects work-experience and welfare-high-school students. ISA’s special measure lets them work in care facilities under Designated Activities (特定活動) until the certificate arrives.

You apply for a change of status at your regional immigration bureau. ISA lists a copy of the exam admission ticket (the pass notice is sent later) and an employment contract with pay equal to or higher than Japanese workers doing the same work. Your spouse or child can also change to 特定活動. Without approval by April 1, you cannot do care work from that date.

Can your family come, and does it count toward permanent residency?

Your spouse or child can apply for Dependent (家族滞在) with a Nursing Care holder as sponsor, with a period of stay of up to 5 years. See Dependent visa.

For permanent residency, ISA’s guideline asks in general for 10 years in Japan, including 5 or more consecutive years on a work or residence status. Technical Intern Training, Ikusei Shuro, Specified Skilled Worker (i), Intra-company Transferee and some Designated Activities do not count. The guideline does not name 介護 among them, so it appears to count as a work status, but confirm with ISA. The revised guideline applies from April 1, 2027. See Permanent residency requirements.

What is not confirmed?

ISA’s 介護 page does not state a fee or mention family. We did not find any 2027 change specific to this status. Check the page before you apply.

More guides: Specified Skilled Worker, Employment for Skill Development, Visa renewal.