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IT jobs in Japan: visa, language and pay

IT is one of the few fields where Japan hires foreigners without fluent Japanese — and even without a degree in the field, because an IT exam on the immigration list can replace it. Who gets hired, which language you need, how the Engineer/Specialist visa and the Highly Skilled Professional points work, and what developers earn on average according to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

A visa without a degree

All professions

Checked against the websites of the Immigration Services Agency, IPA and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on October 7, 2026 · Engineer/Specialist visa · Highly Skilled Professional

Average base pay of software developers a month, 2025¥356,800

Japanese IT exams that replace a degreeFE, AP, SG

Years of experience that also replace a degree10

Points for Highly Skilled Professional status70

In short

IT jobs in Japan in five lines

  • The visa is Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services (技術・人文知識・国際業務): you need a degree in a related field from a university or a Japanese vocational school, 10 years of experience, or an IT exam or qualification on the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) list.
  • IT exams instead of a degree: FE, AP, SG and the other IPA exams, the English-language ITPEC exams held in six Asian countries, and listed national IT exams of China, Korea, India and Singapore. The entry-level IT Passport does not count.
  • The visa needs no Japanese if the job is not language work. But Japanese companies usually expect JLPT N2; in English-speaking teams English is often enough.
  • Pay: the average base pay of software developers is ¥356,800 a month before deductions (MHLW, 2025), plus bonuses.
  • Remote work for a foreign company without an office in Japan does not give you a work visa.

Who is hired

Who gets IT jobs in Japan

ISA and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry published typical examples of IT specialists who received the Engineer/Specialist status (2015, revised 2020). Pay in them is monthly, under a contract with a Japanese company, and is about ten years old.

Education Job Pay in the example
University abroad, economics Systems engineer: building a sales-management system ¥250,000
Japanese university, computer science Programmer at a software company ¥300,000
High school abroad, plus an IT exam on the list Systems engineer: maintenance and upgrades ¥200,000
University abroad, engineering Software engineer at a software company ¥350,000
  • Your degree can be in a related field. Immigration checks whether what you studied is linked to the job; in one of ISA’s examples an economics graduate works as a systems engineer.
  • Experience. Companies hiring from abroad usually want people with commercial development experience — it is easier to check than potential. Japanese companies more often take graduates without experience through shūkatsu, the yearly graduate recruitment.
  • Technology. Which stack you need is a question for job ads: the law and the visa do not require any particular programming language.
  • Not only development: ISA’s examples include system support, operations and managing an IT department — if the job needs knowledge from your field of study.

Language

English or Japanese?

Language requirements come from the employer, not the visa. Here is how it usually works.

English-speaking team

International companies and startups

  • The working language is English; Japanese is usually a plus, not a condition.
  • There are usually fewer openings and more competition: IT specialists from all over the world apply.
  • You still need everyday Japanese: the city office, a bank, a doctor, renting an apartment.

Japanese company

A Japanese employer

  • Usually expects JLPT N2 or higher: meetings, documentation and email are in Japanese.
  • There are usually more openings, including for people with less experience.
  • N2 and N1 give 10 and 15 points toward Highly Skilled Professional status.

The CEFR B2 language rule for the Engineer/Specialist status (from April 15, 2026) is about jobs where language is the main tool — translation, customer service. A developer whose main work is development does not need to prove a language level for the visa. Which level you need for which job: Japanese for work.

Visa

The Engineer/Specialist visa for IT

The status 技術・人文知識・国際業務 is granted for a contract with an organization in Japan. For IT work you meet one of the education conditions plus the conditions about the contract.

One of these four

  • A degree in a related field from a university, abroad or in Japan.
  • A diploma from a Japanese vocational school (専門学校, senmon gakkō) in a related field, with the title 専門士 or 高度専門士.
  • 10 years of experience in the field; years of study in the field count.
  • An IT exam or qualification on the ISA list (the IT notice, IT告示) — Japanese IPA exams, ITPEC exams and listed national exams of some other Asian countries — for IT work only.

Which IT exams replace a degree

Exam Replaces a degree Where and how
FE — Fundamental IT Engineer Examination (基本情報技術者, kihon jōhō gijutsusha) Yes In Japan, on a computer all year round by booking, in Japanese only; ¥7,500. Two parts: 60 questions in 90 minutes and 20 questions (algorithms, security) in 100 minutes
AP — Applied IT Engineer Examination (応用情報技術者) Yes In Japan, in Japanese; a level above FE
SG — Information Security Management Examination (情報セキュリティマネジメント) Yes In Japan, on a computer all year round by booking, in Japanese
Advanced IPA exams (networks, databases, architecture, project management and others) Yes In Japan, in Japanese
ITPEC exams — FE and AP in English Yes In the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Mongolia and Bangladesh; exam rounds in April and October — check which levels each round offers
National IT exams of China, Korea, India and Singapore listed in the IT notice (and Taiwan certificates obtained by the end of 2012) Yes In those countries
IT Passport (ITパスポート) No Entry level; not on the ISA list

ITPEC is a council of IT exam bodies in Asia that holds a common exam recognized by Japan’s IPA. IPA states that people who pass these mutually recognized exams do not need to meet the usual education or experience requirement for the Engineer/Specialist status. If you live in one of the six countries, it is the only way to sit FE in English.

And always

  • Pay at least what a Japanese employee would get for the same work.
  • A contract with an organization in Japan — employment or an independent contractor agreement, but ongoing and with a specific company. A foreign company without an office in Japan cannot sponsor you.
  • Company documents depend on the employer’s category: large companies (categories 1–2) submit almost nothing; others submit the terms of the contract, your CV with employers and dates, and your diploma or work certificates — for IT, an exam certificate instead of a diploma.

More on the status: Engineer/Specialist visa; how the company applies for your Certificate of Eligibility (CoE).

Highly Skilled Professional · 高度専門職

HSP points for IT specialists

The Highly Skilled Professional (HSP, 高度専門職) status brings simpler rules and a fast track to permanent residency. You need 70 points on the ISA table. The main items for engineers and IT:

Item Points
Education master’s 20, bachelor’s 10, doctorate 30
Experience in the field 3 years 5, 5 years 10, 7 years 15, 10 years 20
Annual income ¥4M 10 (under 30 only), ¥5M 15 (under 35), ¥6M 20 and ¥7M 25 (under 40), ¥8M 30, ¥9M 35, ¥10M 40; below ¥3M the status is not available
Age under 30: 15, under 35: 10, under 40: 5
Japanese N1 or BJT 480+: 15; N2 or BJT 400+: 10 (not together with the points for a Japanese university)
IT exams on the list and related Japanese qualifications 5 each, 10 at most
Degree from a Japanese university 10

Two examples

  • ISA’s published example (2015, revised 2020): two IT exams on the list (10) + N2 (10) + 10 years of experience (20) + age 36 (5) + income of ¥7 million a year (25) = 70 points. No degree needed.
  • A master’s graduate: age 28 (15), master’s (20), 3 years of experience (5), income ¥5 million (15), N2 (10) = 65 points. Passing FE adds 5 — 70.

For permanent residency you do not have to switch to the HSP status: scoring 70 points for 3 years or 80 points for 1 year is enough. Count your points: Highly Skilled Professional visa.

Pay

What IT jobs pay: MHLW statistics

Average base pay a month before deductions, without overtime and bonuses (所定内給与額), June 2025, full-time employees, Japanese and foreign together. Bonuses are the average for the year.

Job All companies 1,000+ staff 100–999 10–99 Bonuses a year Average age
Software developers (ソフトウェア作成者) ¥356,800 ¥370,400 ¥350,700 ¥344,800 ¥1.10M 37.1
Systems consultants and designers ¥506,800 ¥548,000 ¥532,500 ¥357,300 ¥2.39M 38.3
Other IT and telecom specialists ¥379,100 ¥369,500 ¥399,700 ¥345,600 ¥1.11M 42.2

The average base pay of all foreign specialists (Engineer/Specialist and other statuses, except Specified Skilled Worker) is ¥313,200. In ISA’s published examples above (2015–2020), IT specialists earn ¥200,000 to ¥350,000 a month. What is left after taxes and premiums: the take-home pay calculator; what is on a payslip: reading a payslip.

Remote work

Working from Japan for a foreign company

The Engineer/Specialist status is granted for a contract with an organization in Japan. A foreign company without an office in Japan is not such an organization.

  • Your Japanese employer lets you work from home — that is ordinary work in your status.
  • Your company has an office or subsidiary in Japan — it can hire you, or transfer you on the Intra-company Transferee status after a year with the company abroad.
  • A Japanese employer-of-record company formally employs staff for foreign firms. The Japanese company is your employer and visa sponsor; immigration looks at the real work, so check in advance whether your case fits.
  • Side work for a foreign client next to your main job — only with permission to engage in an activity other than that permitted (資格外活動許可, shikakugai katsudō kyoka).
  • Remote work only, no Japanese employer? Nationals of the listed countries with an income of ¥10,000,000 a year or more can stay 6 months on the Digital Nomad status. Otherwise, working for a foreign company on a tourist stay or outside your status of residence is illegal.

All the options, taxes and insurance: remote work from Japan; your own business: freelancing in Japan.

Deadlines

Deadlines, and what happens if you miss them

What When If you miss it
FE and SG exams in Japan all year round, booking on the IPA website you can retake
ITPEC exams April and October the next round, half a year later
Entering Japan with a Certificate of Eligibility within 3 months of issue the certificate expires — a new one is needed
Tell immigration about a new contract or leaving a job within 14 days a fine of up to ¥200,000
Extending your period of stay from 3 months before it ends not filed before expiry — your stay becomes illegal

Linked to your visa

Changing jobs, side work, family

Linked to your visa.

  • Changing jobs. The Engineer/Specialist status is tied to a type of work, not to a company: moving to another IT company needs no new status. Tell immigration within 14 days after you leave and after you sign the new contract.
  • 3 months or more without work and without a good reason is grounds for revoking your status. Look for the next job before you quit.
  • Freelance work and paid side projects next to your main job — only with permission.
  • Family. Your spouse and children get the Dependent status (家族滞在) and may work up to 28 hours a week with permission.

Engineer/Specialist visa · Highly Skilled Professional · Changing jobs · Dependent visa

Free help in English. Questions about your status of residence: the Foreign Residents Support Center (FRESC) help desk, 0570-011000 (03-5363-3013 from IP phones and abroad), weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Problems at work — unpaid overtime, a contract that does not match the job: the Labour Standards Advice Hotline in English, 0120-531-401 (free; weekdays 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., weekends and holidays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.). All the places to ask: your rights at work.

FAQ

Questions about IT jobs in Japan

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Can I get an IT job in Japan without a degree?

Yes, if you pass an IT exam on the immigration list, such as FE, AP or SG, an ITPEC exam or a listed national IT exam of China, Korea, India or Singapore, or have 10 years of experience. The exam replaces the degree for the Engineer/Specialist visa, but only for IT work. You still need a job offer from a company in Japan and pay at least equal to a Japanese employee. IT Passport does not count.

Not in Japan: the IPA exams in Japan are in Japanese only. An English version of FE is held through ITPEC in the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Mongolia and Bangladesh, with exam rounds in April and October; ITPEC also offers AP. IPA states that passing these exams counts for the Japanese visa in the same way.

The visa does not require it if your job is not language work. Employers decide: Japanese companies usually expect JLPT N2 or higher, while international companies and startups with English-speaking teams often do not. N2 and N1 also give points toward Highly Skilled Professional status.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the average base pay of software developers was ¥356,800 a month in June 2025, before deductions and without overtime, plus about ¥1.1 million in bonuses a year. Systems consultants and designers averaged ¥506,800. These are averages for Japanese and foreign employees together.

Not on a work visa sponsored by that company if it has no office in Japan: the Engineer/Specialist status needs a contract with an organization in Japan. Options are a Japanese employer that allows remote work, a Japanese office or subsidiary of your company, an employer-of-record company in Japan, or, for nationals of listed countries with a high income, the 6-month Digital Nomad status.

It depends on education, experience, income, age and Japanese. A master’s degree gives 20, 10 years of experience 20, an income of ¥7 million 25 if you are under 40, N2 10, and IT exams on the list 5 each up to 10. You need 70 points; with 80 points you can apply for permanent residency after 1 year.

No, if the new job is also IT or engineering work: the Engineer/Specialist status is tied to the type of work, not the company. File the 14-day notifications with immigration after leaving and after signing the new contract. 3 months or more without work and without a good reason puts your status at risk.

Sources

Where this information comes from

Rates, limits and deadlines on this page were checked against the official websites of the Immigration Services Agency, IPA and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on October 7, 2026. Amounts are in Japanese yen. When a rule changes we update the page and the date above.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Immigration decides each visa application, the employer decides whom it hires. Average pay is official statistics, not a promise of a particular salary.

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