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Work visa · 医療

Working as a doctor or nurse in Japan: the Medical Services visa (医療)

The work status for doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other medical professionals with a Japanese license. A foreign degree does not give the right to treat patients: you pass the Japanese national exam first. How foreigners qualify for it, the documents and the EPA route.

Forms and documents

The Japanese license

Checked against the Immigration Services Agency of Japan on 28 September 2026 · Nursing Care visa · Researcher visa

Professions14, all with a Japanese license

Japanese for exam eligibilityJLPT N1

Period of stay5 y · 3 y · 1 y · 3 months

FamilyYes — Dependent visa

Who it fits

Medical professionals with a Japanese license

Under the Immigration Act, Medical Services (医療) covers work that in Japan only licensed doctors, dentists and other medical professionals may do. The landing standards (上陸基準省令) list 14 professions and require pay at least equal to a Japanese employee’s.

ISA Category 1

Doctors and dentists

  • A doctor (医師) or dentist (歯科医師) with a Japanese license
  • A doctor who will treat patients completes at least 2 years of clinical residency (臨床研修) in Japan after the license (Medical Practitioners’ Act, Article 16-2)
  • The shortest document set: mainly a copy of the license

ISA Category 2

Other medical professions

  • Pharmacist (薬剤師), nurse (看護師), midwife (助産師), public health nurse (保健師)
  • Dental hygienist, radiological technologist, physical and occupational therapist, orthoptist, clinical engineer, prosthetist
  • Pharmacists and the professions in the line above must be invited by a Japanese hospital, clinic or pharmacy
  • Assistant nurse (准看護師) — only training within 4 years of the Japanese license

No Japanese license, no Medical Services status. Medical research without treating patients is Researcher (研究) or Professor (教授). Elderly care is Nursing Care (介護) or Specified Skilled Worker.

The main condition

How a foreigner gets a Japanese license

A Japanese license is issued only after the Japanese national exam. First the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働省, MHLW) must recognize that you are eligible to sit it (受験資格認定).

Doctors

  • Education: medical school of at least 6 years (or 5 years and at least 5,500 hours), with at least 4,500 hours of core subjects in modern Western medicine. A degree only in traditional medicine does not qualify
  • No more than 10 years since graduating (years in medical teaching or practice are not counted); at least 18 years of schooling in total; the school is, as a rule, in the WHO World Directory of Medical Schools
  • A medical license in the country where you studied — for direct admission to the main exam
  • Japanese: every doctor applicant takes the test of Japanese in clinical practice (日本語診療能力調査): at least 60 out of 100 and no zero score. JLPT N1 is also required unless you finished junior high and high school in Japan
  • Result: admission to the main exam (医師国家試験) or only to the preliminary exam (予備試験), followed by at least a year of practical training in Japan and then the main exam

Nurses

  • Nursing education of at least 3 years (at least 102 credits) and at least 15 years of schooling in total
  • A nursing license from the country where you studied — required in principle
  • JLPT N1 unless you finished junior high and high school in Japan, then the national nursing exam (看護師国家試験) in Japanese

Dentists and the other professions have their own recognition procedures at MHLW. Applications have yearly deadlines — check the MHLW website. In practice the longest part is Japanese to N1: many people study it at a language school in Japan on a Student visa.

The exception without a Japanese license. A foreign doctor or nurse may treat patients in Japan during clinical training (臨床修練) or clinical teaching (臨床教授等) — only with MHLW permission, at a designated hospital and under supervision. That is a separate law and other statuses, not Medical Services.

Compare

Medical Services, Nursing Care or the EPA route

Nationals of Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam have one more way in: the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA).

Medical Services (医療) Nursing Care (介護) EPA (特定活動)
Who Doctors, nurses and 12 other professions Care workers for the elderly Nurses and care workers from Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam
What you need A Japanese license in the profession The Japanese care worker qualification (介護福祉士) Selection under the EPA, then the Japanese exam
Period 5, 3 or 1 year or 3 months, renewable without limit The same As a candidate, limited (nurses 3 years, care workers 4; Indonesia 5 for both from August 2026); after the license, renewable
Open to Any nationality Any nationality Only those three countries

EPA nurses and care workers come as candidates, work and train at a Japanese facility and sit the national exam. They stay on Designated Activities (特定活動), not Medical Services, also after passing. The only placement channel is JICWELS — see MHLW’s EPA page.

Forms and documents

Official forms and the documents you need

The forms are the same as for other work statuses. Doctors and dentists have a shorter document list than the other professions.

Two ways to get the status. With a Japanese license and a job offer, the clinic applies for a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) and you get the visa at a Japanese embassy. Passed the exam while living in Japan on another status — you apply for a change of status; you may work under the license only after approval.

Your profession:

doctor or dentist: Doctor (医師) or dentist (歯科医師) with a Japanese license. ISA Category 1.

other professions: Pharmacist, nurse, assistant nurse, midwife, public health nurse, dental hygienist, radiological technologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, orthoptist, clinical engineer, prosthetist — with a Japanese license. ISA Category 2.

Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) — you are abroad, the clinic is in Japan

A staff member of the Japanese hospital, clinic or pharmacy you signed the contract with files (or an administrative scrivener (行政書士)). With the CoE you apply for the visa at a Japanese embassy and enter Japan. You must already hold the Japanese license.

Application formPDF · moj.go.jpApplication formExcel · moj.go.jpFilled-in examplePDF · moj.go.jpDocument checklistPDF · moj.go.jp

Files open from the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). Forms are in Japanese and English; links checked 6 Oct 2026.

Documents

  1. Application for a Certificate of Eligibility 在留資格認定証明書交付申請書Part of the form is filled in by the employer.
  2. Photo 4 × 3 cm 写真
  3. Return envelope with your address and stamps for registered mail 返信用封筒For paper applications.
  4. Copy of your Japanese doctor’s or dentist’s license (or a certificate of it) 医師又は歯科医師の日本の資格を証明する文書（免状又は証明書等の写し）doctor or dentistISA lists no other documents for doctors and dentists.
  5. Copy of the Japanese license for your profession (or a certificate of it) 日本の資格を証明する文書（免状又は証明書等の写し）other professionsPharmacist, nurse, assistant nurse, midwife, public health nurse, dental hygienist, radiological technologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, orthoptist, clinical engineer or prosthetist.
  6. Description of the institution where you will work 勤務する機関の概要を明らかにする資料other professionsIf the institution needs a permit to open (hospital, clinic), the description must show the date of the permit.

Immigration may ask for other documents too. Full list: the ISA checklist above and the status page.

Where to apply
Regional immigration services bureau for the workplace (when the employer files). Not accepted by mail.
Fee
Free
Standard processing period
1–3 months
Online
Possible
Documents for my caseYour list for your category and family — with checkboxes and a PDF

Change of status — you already live in Japan, for example after your studies

You file yourself before your current status expires — or a staff member of the organization approved by immigration (申請等取次者) or an administrative scrivener (行政書士) files for you. You may work under your license only after approval.

Application formPDF · moj.go.jpApplication formExcel · moj.go.jpFilled-in examplePDF · moj.go.jpDocument checklistPDF · moj.go.jp

Files open from the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). Forms are in Japanese and English; links checked 6 Oct 2026.

Documents

  1. Application for change of status of residence 在留資格変更許可申請書
  2. Photo 4 × 3 cm 写真
  3. Passport and residence card — to show パスポート及び在留カード（提示）
  4. Copy of your Japanese doctor’s or dentist’s license (or a certificate of it) 医師又は歯科医師の日本の資格を証明する文書（免状又は証明書等の写し）doctor or dentist
  5. Copy of the Japanese license for your profession (or a certificate of it) 日本の資格を証明する文書（免状又は証明書等の写し）other professions
  6. Description of the institution where you will work 勤務する機関の概要を明らかにする資料other professionsFor hospitals, clinics and other institutions that need a permit — with the date of the permit.

Immigration may ask for other documents too. Full list: the ISA checklist above and the status page.

Where to apply
Regional immigration services bureau for your address
Fee
Paid only after approval. Applications received by 30 September 2026: ¥6,000 (online ¥5,500), even if the decision comes later. Received from 1 October 2026: the fee depends on the period granted — from ¥10,000 (up to 3 months) to ¥75,000 (5 years or more); online is cheaper except for periods up to 3 months. It can be higher if a specified residence card (特定在留カード) is issued with the permission. Full fee table
Standard processing period
1–2 months
Online
Possible
Documents for my caseYour list for your category and family — with checkboxes and a PDF

Extension of the Medical Services status

You file yourself — or a staff member of the organization approved by immigration (申請等取次者) or an administrative scrivener (行政書士) files for you. With a period of stay of 6 months or more, apply no earlier than 3 months before it ends; with a shorter period, any time before it ends. Doctors and dentists usually need nothing beyond the form, a photo and the tax certificates. If you changed workplace, file the notification first (14 days).

Application formPDF · moj.go.jpApplication formExcel · moj.go.jpFilled-in examplePDF · moj.go.jpDocument checklistPDF · moj.go.jp

Files open from the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). Forms are in Japanese and English; links checked 6 Oct 2026.

Documents

  1. Application for extension of period of stay 在留期間更新許可申請書
  2. Photo 4 × 3 cm 写真Not needed for an extension of up to 3 months.
  3. Passport and residence card — to show パスポート及び在留カード（提示）
  4. Resident tax certificates for the year: taxation and payment (住民税) 住民税の課税（又は非課税）証明書及び納税証明書From the city office of your address on 1 January. One certificate is enough if it shows both income and payment.
  5. Certificate from your employer: your duties and salary 従事する職務の内容及び報酬を証明する在職証明書other professions
  6. First extension after a job change: description of the new institution 勤務する機関の概要を明らかにする資料other professionsFor hospitals, clinics and other institutions that need a permit — with the date of the permit.

Immigration may ask for other documents too. Full list: the ISA checklist above and the status page.

Where to apply
Regional immigration services bureau for your address
Fee
Paid only after approval. Applications received by 30 September 2026: ¥6,000 (online ¥5,500), even if the decision comes later. Received from 1 October 2026: the fee depends on the period granted — from ¥10,000 (up to 3 months) to ¥75,000 (5 years or more); online is cheaper except for periods up to 3 months. It can be higher if a specified residence card (特定在留カード) is issued with the permission. Full fee table
Standard processing period
2 weeks – 1 month
Online
Possible
Documents for my caseYour list for your category and family — with checkboxes and a PDF

What comes next

Family, job changes and permanent residency

Family

Your spouse and children whom you support can join you on the Dependent visa (家族滞在) and work up to 28 hours a week with permission.

Changing workplace

Within 14 days of leaving or joining a hospital, clinic or pharmacy, file the notification of the affiliated organization (活動機関に関する届出) — see notifications. More than 3 months without work under the license, without a good reason, is grounds to cancel the status.

Trips abroad

With a valid passport and residence card you can leave for up to 1 year (not beyond the end of your status) without a separate permit. Longer trips need a re-entry permit.

Common refusals

No Japanese license yet (exam passed but license not issued); pay below Japanese staff; an assistant nurse outside training or more than 4 years after the license; a pharmacist not invited by a Japanese institution; incomplete documents.

HSP points

With a good salary you may reach 70 Highly Skilled Professional points — a Japanese license for your work earns points.

Permanent residency

Extensions have no limit. The standard path is 10 years in Japan, at least 5 of them on a work status. From 1 April 2027 a revised PR guideline applies: Japanese at B1 becomes a factor taken into account, not a strict requirement (HSP holders and their family and people with 6+ years of Japanese primary or secondary schooling are exempt), plus income and pension checks.

FAQ

Medical Services visa questions

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Ask us a question

Can I work as a doctor in Japan with a foreign medical degree?

Only with a Japanese license. A degree and license from another country do not by themselves give the right to treat patients in Japan. First the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働省, MHLW) recognizes your eligibility to sit the Japanese exam (受験資格認定); then you pass the exam in Japanese and get the license. After that a clinic can apply for the Medical Services status for you. The exception is clinical training (臨床修練) or clinical teaching (臨床教授等) with MHLW permission: a foreign doctor can then treat patients without a Japanese license, but on other statuses, not Medical Services.

For MHLW to recognize exam eligibility, doctors and nurses need JLPT N1, unless they finished junior high and high school in Japan. Every doctor applicant also takes a test of Japanese in clinical practice (日本語診療能力調査): at least 60 out of 100 and no zero score from either examiner. The exam itself is in Japanese.

Yes, after getting the Japanese nursing license (看護師). MHLW recognizes exam eligibility if your nursing education lasted at least 3 years (at least 102 credits), your schooling totals at least 15 years, you in principle hold a license from the country where you studied, and you have JLPT N1 — not required if you finished junior high and high school in Japan. After the exam and license — the Medical Services status. Nurses from Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam can also come through the EPA program.

Nursing Care (介護) is for elderly care with the Japanese care worker qualification 介護福祉士. Medical Services (医療) is for 14 medical professions with a Japanese license: doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses and others. Care work without a medical license is Nursing Care or Specified Skilled Worker (特定技能).

The landing standards (上陸基準省令) require pay at least equal to a Japanese employee’s for the same work. The law sets no fixed amount.

Yes. Your spouse and children whom you support get the Dependent status (家族滞在). They can work up to 28 hours a week with part-time work permission.

Yes, if you work under the same license there. Within 14 days, file the notification of the affiliated organization (活動機関に関する届出) — online, in person or by mail. At the first extension after the move, ISA asks for a description of the new institution.

On the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). The buttons on this page open the ISA files directly: the form, a filled-in example and the document checklist.

Work in Japan

Jobs, pay, taxes and insurance on this visa

All topics: Work in Japan — the full guide

Sources

Where this information comes from

Facts and document lists were checked against the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA) on 28 September 2026. Form links come from a register of ISA files that our server refreshes every week: when ISA publishes a new version of a form, the button opens the new file.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Immigration decides each application and may ask for more documents. Where a rule is known only from practice, we say so.

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