# Teaching English in Japan: which visa, what you need and what pay data exists

URL: https://japanhow.com/work/jobs/teaching-english-japan-visa-pay/
Author: JapanHow editors
Updated: Oct 28, 2026

## Summary

Teaching English in Japan usually needs one of three work statuses. Instructor (教育) covers schools; Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services covers language teaching at private companies such as language schools; Professor covers universities. A university degree is the common route, and Instructor also needs 12 or more years of education in the language taught. Pay must be equal to or above a Japanese teacher's. Immigration lists about ¥250,000 a month for a language school case, as of October 2026.

## Key facts

- School teaching: Instructor (教育) status
- Language school: Engineer/Specialist status
- Language rule (Instructor): 12+ years educated in the language
- Pay rule: Equal to a Japanese teacher

**Teaching English in Japan** needs a work status that matches your employer. Schools use **Instructor** (教育), language schools and other private companies use **Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services** (技術・人文知識・国際業務), and universities use **Professor** (教授). A university degree is the usual route, and your pay must be **equal to or above a Japanese teacher's**. All as of October 2026.

We could not confirm official pay for ALT (assistant language teacher) or eikaiwa (英会話, English conversation school) jobs, so this guide covers the visa rules and the pay rule, not salary ranges.

## Which visa fits which teaching job?

| Where you teach | Status | Source of the match |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary, junior high, senior high, secondary, special-needs, vocational (専修学校) or miscellaneous schools (各種学校), or equivalent | Instructor (教育) | Immigration lists language and other teaching at these schools |
| Language teacher at a private company, such as a language school | Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services | Immigration lists "language teachers at private companies" as an example |
| University or 高等専門学校 | Professor (教授) | Research, research guidance or teaching at these institutions |

All three allow stays of 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months. Which status a particular eikaiwa or dispatch company uses is up to the employer's setup, and we could not verify it, so ask for the status in your offer. For the full Instructor rules see the [Instructor visa guide](/visa/visas/instructor-visa-japan/).

## What do I need for the Instructor visa?

For teaching at a miscellaneous school or equivalent, the landing criteria need **both**:

1. **Education:** a university degree or equivalent, **or** a vocational-school course in the subject, **or** a teaching license for the subject.
2. **Language:** to teach a foreign language, **12 or more years of education in that language** (documents). Other subjects need 5 or more years of teaching experience.

Immigration sorts documents by category. Full-time staff at public elementary through special-needs schools are Category 1, and generally don't need many extra documents. Other institutions are Category 2, and part-time work is Category 3. Immigration doesn't say "native speaker". It asks for proof of 12 years in the language.

## What do I need for the Engineer/Specialist visa?

For language instruction, the rule is simple: a **university graduate** doing translation, interpreting or language instruction doesn't need work experience. Without a degree, the foreign-culture route needs 3 or more years of related experience. Check the [Engineer/Specialist visa guide](/visa/visas/engineer-humanities-visa-japan/) for details on the degree and the 10-year route.

## Does the pay rule protect me?

Yes, in both Instructor and Engineer/Specialist, the criteria say you must receive pay **equal to or more than a Japanese person doing the same work**. Immigration's examples include a university graduate employed by a Japanese language school at about **¥250,000 a month** as a language teacher. That's an example of a granted case, not a minimum.

For context, Japan's 2025 wage survey, for June 2025, shows:

- Regular employees in education and learning support: **¥396,700** a month in scheduled pay, all nationalities and jobs.
- Foreign workers in professional and technical statuses, which include Instructor and Engineer/Specialist: **¥313,200**, a category average.

Neither number is an English-teacher salary. For how to use pay data in a negotiation, see [salary negotiation in Japan](/work/jobs/salary-negotiation-japan/), and for your rights on pay and hours, the [labor rights guide](/work/rights/labor-rights-foreign-workers-japan/).

## What about the JET Programme?

The JET Programme (Japan Exchange and Teaching) is run with CLAIR, the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations. It places assistant language teachers (ALTs), and other roles such as Coordinators for International Relations. Its website lists support such as a grant covering the ¥7,500 JLPT fee. We could not confirm current pay, eligibility or contract length from official pages, so check the application guidelines for your country before relying on any figure you find.

## What if I'm already in Japan on another visa?

If you hold a status that doesn't allow the teaching you want, you generally need a change of status first. See [changing your status of residence](/visa/visas/change-of-status-of-residence-japan/). Students should read the [student visa work permit guide](/visa/visas/student-visa-work-permit-japan/) before taking any teaching hours.

**Not individual advice:** Rules differ by employer category and school type. Ask the immigration bureau or an immigration specialist (行政書士) whether your own case fits.

## Questions people ask

### What visa do I need to teach English in Japan?

It depends on the employer. Instructor (教育) covers language teaching at schools such as junior and senior high schools. Language teachers at private companies are listed under Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services. University teaching falls under Professor (教授).

### Do I need a degree to teach English in Japan?

For Instructor at a miscellaneous school, the criteria need a university degree or equivalent, a vocational-school course in the subject or a teaching license. For Engineer/Specialist, university graduates doing language instruction need no work experience.

### Do I need to be a native English speaker?

Immigration doesn't use that wording. For Instructor it asks for 12 or more years of education in the language you teach, shown by documents, or a degree or qualification document.

### How much do English teachers earn in Japan?

We could not confirm official pay for ALTs or eikaiwa jobs. Immigration's example for a language teacher at a Japanese language school is about ¥250,000 a month, and the visa rule requires pay at least equal to a Japanese teacher's.

### Is the JET Programme a different visa route?

JET is a government-linked program run with CLAIR that places ALTs and other staff. We could not confirm its current pay or terms from official pages, so check the application guidelines in your country.

## Sources

- [在留資格「教育」](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/instructor.html), Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) (accessed Oct 28, 2026)
- [在留資格「教育」 活動・上陸許可基準 (PDF)](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001367639.pdf), Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) (accessed Oct 28, 2026)
- [在留資格「技術・人文知識・国際業務」](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/gijinkoku.html), Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) (accessed Oct 28, 2026)
- [「技術・人文知識・国際業務」の在留資格の明確化等について（最終改定令和8年4月）](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001460430.pdf), Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) (accessed Oct 28, 2026)
- [在留資格「教授」](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/professor.html), Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) (accessed Oct 28, 2026)
- [JET Programme](https://jetprogramme.org/en/about-jet/), JET Programme (run with CLAIR) (accessed Oct 28, 2026)
- [令和７（2025）年賃金構造基本統計調査の概況](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/itiran/roudou/chingin/kouzou/z2025/dl/14.pdf), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働省) (accessed Oct 28, 2026)