Foreign Qualification Recognition in Japan

Foreign qualification recognition in Japan runs on two separate tracks: whether your degree or experience qualifies you for a work-based status of residence, and whether you may practise a regulated profession such as medicine, nursing, law, or statutory audit.¹² For the regulated professions, no foreign licence converts automatically, so the route, the deciding authority, and the language bar all depend on your profession.³⁴⁵

Confirm current details with official sources

Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Immigration Services Agency site and with the licensing authority for your profession (the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), the Ministry of Justice and the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Financial Services Agency, or your prefectural board of education). This article is general information, not legal or immigration advice; for your specific case, consult a licensed gyoseishoshi or immigration lawyer for a visa filing based on a degree or work experience, and confirm exam or licence eligibility directly with the licensing authority for your profession.

Overview

This article covers people who hold a foreign degree or a foreign professional qualification, whether foreign nationals or Japanese nationals trained abroad. It maps each major profession to the authority that decides, the route that authority offers, and the documents it expects.²⁶⁷⁸⁴

The national licensing routes described here apply the same way across Japan, and the statutes cited set no nationality condition. The exceptions are flagged where they occur: the EPA nurse and care-worker programs (three nationalities only), the special teaching licence (one prefecture only), and some architect and assistant-nurse licences (prefectural, not national).⁹⁵⁴⁶

Two separate questions: visa eligibility and the right to practice

The Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services status (技術・人文知識・国際業務, gijutsu, jinbun chishiki, kokusai gyōmu) is granted on the basis of a degree, a Japanese vocational-school diploma, or work experience, plus pay at least equal to a Japanese employee's.¹ Getting that status does not license you to do anything.

Some work is reserved by statute to Japanese licence holders. The Medical Practitioners Act states it directly: "医師でなければ、医業をなしてはならない" ("no one other than a physician may practise medicine").² Dentistry and nursing are reserved in the same way under their own acts.¹⁰⁶

For those professions the order runs the other way. The Medical Services status of residence (医療, iryō) covers work that the law reserves to physicians, dentists, and other qualified medical professionals, and the application requires proof that you already hold the Japanese qualification.¹¹ The Japanese licence is the precondition for that visa, not a result of it.

The professions listed under Medical Services include pharmacist, public health nurse, midwife, nurse, assistant nurse, dental hygienist, radiological technologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, orthoptist, clinical engineer, and prosthetist/orthotist.¹¹

The diagram below shows how the two questions separate depending on the work you plan to do.

Regulated professions versus unregulated work

The following provisions reserve specific work to holders of a Japanese licence. They are statutory and change only by amendment of the act.

Profession	What is reserved	Reserving provision
Physician	Practice of medicine	Medical Practitioners Act (医師法) Art. 172
Dentist	Practice of dentistry	Dental Practitioners Act (歯科医師法) Art. 1710
Nurse	Nursing work	Act on Public Health Nurses, Midwives and Nurses (保健師助産師看護師法) Art. 316
Lawyer	Litigation and other legal business for reward	Attorneys Act (弁護士法) Art. 7212
Certified public accountant	Statutory audit for reward	Certified Public Accountants Act (公認会計士法) Art. 47-28
Architect	Design and construction supervision of listed buildings	Architects Act (建築士法) Art. 34
Electrician	Electrical work on private-use electrical installations (first-class electrician only)	Electricians Act (電気工事士法) Art. 313
School teacher	Teaching posts at schools defined in School Education Act Art. 1	Education Personnel Certification Act (教育職員免許法) Art. 35

The teaching row covers kindergartens, elementary, junior high, compulsory-education, high, secondary, and special-needs schools, the so-called Article-1 schools.⁵

None of the provisions above covers most general engineering, IT, business, or translation roles. For those roles the gate is the status of residence, not a licence; still check whether a specific task you will perform, such as building design or electrical work, falls into one of the reserved categories above.⁴¹³

Engineering credentials illustrate the difference. The international APEC Engineer credential, for example, is described as a benchmark of the qualities expected of international engineers; exempting each other's licensing review takes a separate government-to-government agreement.¹⁴

Who regulates what: a profession-by-authority table

The table below summarizes each route. Language bars and coursework criteria are set by ministry notice rather than statute, so they can change (as of 2026-10-10; confirm current figures with the licensing authority named in each row).

Profession	Licensing authority	Route for foreign-trained holders	Language bar	As of
Physician	MHLW Minister	Document review, Japanese clinical-language survey, then national exam; or preliminary exam plus 1+ year of practical training152	JLPT N1 (unless Japanese junior-high and high-school graduate) plus the 日本語診療能力調査15	2026-10-10 (criteria revised 2024-05-07)
Dentist	MHLW Minister	Same two-route structure as physicians16	JLPT N1 plus the dental 日本語診療能力調査16	2026-10-10
Pharmacist	MHLW Minister	Exam-eligibility certification on document criteria17	"日本語能力試験1級" (pre-2010 name for N1) unless Japanese junior-high and high-school graduate17	2026-10-10 (page undated)
Nurse	MHLW Minister	Exam-eligibility certification, then national nursing exam1819	JLPT N1 unless Japanese junior-high and high-school graduate18	2026-10-10 (criteria revised 2024-05-07)
Registered foreign lawyer (gaiben)	Minister of Justice approval, then JFBA register	3+ years' practice, of which up to 2 may be earned in Japan720	Not stated on MOJ or JFBA pages	2026-10-10
Bengoshi (full Japanese lawyer)	Bar exam (司法試験)	No separate foreign-qualified route in MOJ's description of the system21	Not stated	2026-10-10
Foreign CPA	Prime Minister approval, then JICPA register	Approval by examination or selection (CPA Act Art. 16-2)8	Not stated	2026-10-10
First-class architect	MLIT Minister	Recognition of a foreign licence as equivalent (Architects Act Art. 4(5))4	Not stated	2026-10-10
Second-class or wooden-structure architect	Prefectural governor	Same Art. 4(5) recognition4	Not stated	2026-10-10
Professional Engineer (技術士)	MEXT Minister	Recognition of designated foreign qualifications (Professional Engineer Act Art. 31-2(1))22	Not stated	2026-10-10
School teacher, regular licence	Prefectural board of education	Discretionary teacher-qualification assessment under Art. 185	Not stated	2026-10-10
School teacher, special licence	Prefectural board of education	Employer recommendation plus assessment; valid only in that prefecture235	Not stated	2026-10-10

Assistant nurses (准看護師, junkangoshi) are licensed by the prefectural governor rather than the MHLW Minister.⁶ The route for foreign-trained assistant nurses is outside this article's scope; ask the prefecture where you intend to work.

Agencies and terms used in this article

Term	Reading	Meaning
厚生労働省 (MHLW)	Kōsei Rōdōshō	Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare; certifies exam eligibility for physicians, dentists, pharmacists, and nurses3
出入国在留管理庁 (ISA)	Shutsunyūkoku Zairyū Kanrichō	Immigration Services Agency; decides statuses of residence24
受験資格認定	juken shikaku nintei	Certification of eligibility to sit a national exam, the MHLW procedure for foreign-trained applicants3
日本語診療能力調査	nihongo shinryō nōryoku chōsa	Japanese clinical-language ability survey: whether you can take histories, examine, and write certificates in Japanese15
医師国家試験予備試験	ishi kokka shiken yobi shiken	Preliminary examination for the physician national exam15
実地修練	jicchi shūren	Practical clinical and public-health training after the preliminary exam15
臨床修練	rinshō shūren	Supervised clinical training by foreign-licensed professionals under special legislation25
外国法事務弁護士	gaikokuhō jimu bengoshi ("gaiben")	Registered foreign lawyer26
日本弁護士連合会 (JFBA)	Nihon Bengoshi Rengōkai	Japan Federation of Bar Associations; keeps the gaiben register20
外国公認会計士	gaikoku kōnin kaikeishi	Approved foreign CPA8
建築士	kenchikushi	Architect; 一級 (ikkyū, first-class), 二級 (nikyū, second-class), 木造 (mokuzō, wooden-structure)4
技術士	gijutsushi	Professional Engineer, Japan22
特別免許状	tokubetsu menkyojō	Special teaching licence23
教育職員検定	kyōiku shokuin kentei	Teacher-qualification assessment by a prefectural board of education5
経済連携協定 (EPA)	keizai renkei kyōtei	Economic Partnership Agreement9

MLIT is the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, MEXT is the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and JICPA is the Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants, which keeps the foreign-CPA register.⁴²²⁸

Degree recognition for visa purposes

This section covers the Engineer/Humanities/International Services status only. The Instructor (教育, kyōiku), Medical Services, and Highly Skilled Professional statuses have their own criteria, and the full status is covered in Engineer/Humanities/International Services Visa.^1271128

Bachelor's equivalence and the field-match rule

The degree criteria sit in a Ministry of Justice ordinance (平成2年法務省令第16号) setting landing-permission standards, not in the Immigration Control Act itself.¹ For work requiring natural-science or humanities knowledge, you must meet one of three conditions (as of 2026-07; confirm current figures with the Immigration Services Agency).¹

Route	Requirement	As of
Degree	Graduated from a university, or received equivalent or higher education, having majored in a subject related to the work	2026-071
Japanese vocational school	Completed a Japanese senmon-gakko specialised course (専修学校の専門課程又は専攻科) in a related subject, within the limits of a ministerial notice	2026-071
Experience	10+ years of practical experience (see below)	2026-071

The field-match test is written into the rule itself: you must have "当該技術若しくは知識に関連する科目を専攻して大学を卒業" (graduated from a university having majored in a subject related to that technology or knowledge) (as of 2026-07).¹ Pay must be at least what a Japanese national would receive for the same work (as of 2026-07).¹

Two edge cases come up often. A Japanese junior college (短期大学, tanki daigaku) graduate counts as a university graduate for this rule (as of 2026-07).²⁹

A diploma from a foreign institution equivalent to a Japanese senmon-gakko does not meet the standard. Only Japanese senmon-gakko graduates holding the 専門士 (senmonshi, "specialist diploma") or 高度専門士 (kōdo senmonshi, "advanced specialist diploma") title qualify through the vocational-school route (as of 2026-07).²⁹

ISA lists standard processing periods of 1–3 months for a Certificate of Eligibility, 1–2 months for a change of status, and 2 weeks to 1 month for an extension (as of 2026-07).²⁹

The 10-year experience alternative

The experience route requires "十年以上の実務経験" (10 or more years of practical experience), and time spent studying a related subject at a university, technical college, high school, or Japanese senmon-gakko counts toward the 10 years (as of 2026-07).¹

A shorter rule applies to work that requires "thinking or sensitivity based on a foreign culture", such as translation, interpretation, language instruction, public relations, overseas trade, fashion or interior design, and product development. That work needs 3+ years of related experience, except that a university graduate doing translation, interpretation, or language instruction needs none (as of 2026-07).¹

You prove experience with employment certificates (在職証明書, zaishoku shōmeisho) covering the period of related work, plus school certificates for any period of related study (as of 2026-07).²⁴ An employment certificate has no fixed form, but ISA expects it to state:

• your name, nationality, date of birth, and sex;
• your department, hire date, position, and salary;
• the content of your work;
• the certifying company's name and address, and the certifier's title and name.

These points come from ISA's work-visa Q&A (as of 2026-07).²⁹

Trainee and SSW years do not count as experience

Experience gained under the Technical Intern Training program or the Specified Skilled Worker status is not treated as practical experience for this standard (as of 2026-07).²⁹

IT exam and certification alternatives

Where the work requires IT knowledge, the degree and experience conditions do not apply if you have passed an exam or hold a qualification that a Minister of Justice notice designates (as of 2026-07).¹ The notice is 平成25年法務省告示第437号, last amended by notice No. 118 of 2020-07-20 (as of 2026-10-10).³⁰

The designated Japanese exams are the Registered Information Security Specialist exam (情報処理安全確保支援士試験) and the 11 current Information Technology Engineers Examinations, plus 25 past exam categories (as of 2026-10-10).³⁰ The current examinations are:

• IT Strategist, Systems Architect, Project Manager
• Network Specialist, Database Specialist, Embedded Systems Specialist
• IT Service Manager, Systems Auditor
• Applied IT Engineer (応用情報技術者), Fundamental IT Engineer (基本情報技術者)
• Information Security Management (情報セキュリティマネジメント)

The notice also lists specific exams from 11 other jurisdictions: China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Singapore, and South Korea (as of 2026-10-10).³⁰ Only the exams named in the notice count; a certificate from another body or jurisdiction does not qualify through this route.

You submit the pass certificate or qualification certificate as proof (as of 2026-07).²⁴ Working in Japan's IT and Tech Sector as a Foreigner covers the wider job market.

Teaching-related degree rules for visas

The Instructor status has its own landing standards in the same ordinance. For teaching at a miscellaneous school (各種学校, kakushu gakkō) or similar institution, or teaching in a non-teacher post at any other educational institution, the standards require both of two conditions (as of 2026-10-10):²⁷

• one of: university graduation or equivalent, a related Japanese senmon-gakko course, or a licence for the teaching to be done; and
• for foreign-language teaching, 12+ years of education in that language; for other subjects, 5+ years of teaching experience.

One exception applies: at a miscellaneous school set up to give primary or secondary education in a foreign language to children residing on Diplomat, Official, or Dependent status, only the first condition applies. Pay parity applies to every Instructor post (as of 2026-10-10).²⁷

The ordinance's structure is detailed and differs by type of school, so confirm the exact combination that applies to your post before you file. Instructor Visa covers the status in full.²⁷

Eikaiwa teaching at a private company falls under the Engineer/Humanities/International Services status as "語学の指導" (language instruction), and a university graduate needs no prior experience for it (as of 2026-07).¹ Teaching English in Japan: JET, ALTs, Eikaiwa, and Career Paths covers the employer types.

Healthcare professions: the MHLW exam-eligibility routes

Foreign-trained physicians, dentists, pharmacists, and nurses reach a Japanese licence through MHLW certification that they may sit the national exam. The statutes set no nationality condition, and Japanese nationals who trained abroad use the same route.²⁶

Physicians

The Medical Practitioners Act lets a graduate of a foreign medical school, or a holder of a foreign medical licence, sit the national exam if the MHLW Minister certifies that their learning and skill equal or exceed those of Japanese graduates (Art. 11, item 3).² Review is individual: MHLW states that it does not certify any foreign medical school's graduates as a group.³

Only modern Western medicine qualifies. Applicants whose studies were in traditional medicine are excluded.¹⁵

Two routes to the national exam

MHLW runs two routes, and the clinical-language survey decides which one an applicant follows; the document deadlines and exam months in the diagram are MHLW's current scheduling (as of 2026-10-10; confirm current figures with MHLW).¹⁵ The 1-year practical-training step on the preliminary route is set by statute, and every physician who will practise must then complete 2+ years of clinical training (臨床研修, rinshō kenshū) at a prefecture-designated hospital or an MHLW-designated foreign hospital.²

The survey's pass mark is 60 or more out of 100, with no item scored zero by any examiner (as of 2026-10-10).¹⁵ An applicant who met the document criteria but fell below the survey standard can receive preliminary-exam eligibility instead (as of 2026-10-10).¹⁵

Applicants who failed the survey in FY2024 or later have a separate re-application procedure. FY2026 re-applications opened on 2026-02-02 (as of 2026-02).³¹

The preliminary exam has two parts: Part 1 covers basic medicine in 9 subjects, and Part 2 covers clinical medicine in written and practical form (as of 2026-10-10).¹⁵

Certification criteria

MHLW's criteria were revised by notice 医政発0507第3号 of 2024-05-07 and are summarized below (as of 2026-10-10).¹⁵

Criterion	Route A: national-exam eligibility	Route B: preliminary-exam eligibility
Entry requirement	High-school graduation or above (12+ years of schooling)	Same
Medical-school length and hours (graduate courses not counted)	6+ years (2+ pre-medical, 4+ specialised) of consistent modern Western medical education with 4,500+ hours; or 5 years with 5,500+ hours	5+ years (4+ specialised) with 3,500+ hours of specialised subjects
Total schooling to medical-school graduation	18+ years (17 acceptable for 5-year programs)	17+ years
Time since graduation	Within 10 years (time spent in medical education or practice excluded)	Same
Educational environment	University hospital, faculty, and so on roughly equal to Japanese universities	Not inferior to Japanese universities
Home-government recognition	School listed in the WHO World Directory of Medical Schools, in principle	Same
Foreign medical licence	Must hold	Not required
Japanese ability	JLPT N1 (including the pre-2010 Level 1) unless you graduated from Japanese junior-high and high school	Same

N1 and the clinical survey are separate gates

JLPT N1 is a document criterion you must meet before review, and the 日本語診療能力調査 is a later, separate stage. Physicians need both; passing N1 does not exempt you from the survey (as of 2026-10-10).¹⁵

FY2026 application timeline

The FY2026 cycle shows how the windows work.³²

Step	Deadline	As of
Application sheet (申込みシート) by email, March and July tracks	2026-02-27, 17:00	2026-0232
PDF pre-check, March track	2026-03-13, 17:00	2026-0232
PDF pre-check, July track	2026-07-15, 17:00	2026-0232
Original documents submitted in person at MHLW	After PDF pre-check clearance	2026-0232

All FY2026 deadlines have passed. MHLW had published no FY2027 dates as of 2026-10-10, so check MHLW for the next cycle.³

Required documents

MHLW lists ten document categories, including the application form, CV, ID, medical certificate, photos, a copy of the foreign licence, graduation documents, curriculum details with hours, and Japanese-test results (as of 2026-10-10).³³ The curriculum list must be submitted both in print and as an Excel file, with every subject entered (as of 2026-10-10).³³

Every foreign-language attachment, with one listed exception, needs a Japanese translation. For the key items, a public body of the issuing country (its embassy, consulate, or foreign ministry) must confirm that both the document and the translation are true; a Japanese embassy abroad does not fill this role (as of 2026-10-10).³³

You bring the originals of the key items in person; MHLW returns them after checking (as of 2026-10-10).³³

Clinical training permits for foreign doctors

Clinical training (臨床修練, rinshō shūren) is a separate system for foreign-licensed professionals who come to Japan to learn. It is not a route to a Japanese licence.²⁵

Under a special act, foreign doctors, dentists, and nurses and other listed professionals (外国看護師等, covering foreign equivalents of midwife, nurse, dental hygienist, radiological technologist, and other listed allied professions) may practise at a designated hospital under the on-site supervision of a clinical-training supervising physician (臨床修練指導医) or equivalent.²⁵ The act's main terms are statutory:

Term	Doctors and dentists	外国看護師等 (nurses and allied professions)
Prior experience	3+ years of clinical practice after obtaining the foreign qualification	3+ years in the relevant work
Permit length	Up to 2 years, set by the Minister	Up to 1 year
Renewal	Once only, up to 2 years, where the Minister finds good reason	Once only, up to 1 year

Permit holders must wear the 臨床修練許可証 (training permit) while training.²⁵ A separate teaching and research category (臨床教授等) requires 10+ years of clinical experience.²⁵

The act was last amended by Act No. 68 of 2022-06-17.²⁵

Nurses

The Act on Public Health Nurses, Midwives and Nurses lets graduates of foreign nursing schools, or holders of foreign nursing licences, sit the national nursing exam if the MHLW Minister recognises them as equivalent (Art. 21, item 5).⁶

MHLW set its criteria on 2005-03-24 and last revised them on 2024-05-07; the current criteria are below (as of 2026-10-10).¹⁸¹⁹

Criterion	Requirement
Entry requirement	High-school graduation or above (12+ years) or equivalent
Nursing-school length	3+ years or equivalent
Total schooling to graduation	15+ years or equivalent
Credits	102+ credits, broadly covering the foundational, specialised-foundational, and specialised fields of Japan's designation rules
Educational environment	Equal to or above Japanese nursing schools
Home recognition	School officially recognised by the national or state government
Foreign nursing licence	Held, in principle
National exam system	Home country has a national exam or equivalent
Japanese ability	JLPT N1 (including the pre-2010 Level 1) unless you graduated from Japanese junior-high and high school

The N1 requirement stands as of the 2024-05-07 revision, with no later change found (as of 2026-10-10).¹⁹

FY2026 applications opened on 2026-04-13, and the landing page showed no closing date (as of 2026-04).³⁴ Check MHLW for the next cycle.

Dentists and pharmacists

Dentists

Dentists follow the same two-route structure as physicians: direct national-exam eligibility, or the preliminary exam followed by 1+ year of practical training (as of 2026-10-10).¹⁶ MHLW likewise does not certify any foreign dental school's graduates as a group.³⁵

The criteria match the physician table: 6+ years with 4,500+ hours (or 5 years with 5,500+), or for the preliminary route 5+ years with 3,500+ specialised hours; 18 or 17 years of total schooling; graduation within 10 years; a foreign licence for the direct route only; and JLPT N1 unless you graduated from Japanese junior-high and high school (as of 2026-10-10).¹⁶

The dental 日本語診療能力調査 covers listening, speaking, writing, and reading of dental terminology and clinical-examination communication. Its pass mark is 60 out of 100, with no zero from any assessor (as of 2026-10-10).¹⁶

The FY2026 deadlines were 2026-02-27 for the application sheet on both tracks, then 2026-03-13 (March track) and 2026-07-15 (July track) for the PDF pre-check (as of 2026-02).³⁶ All have passed; check MHLW for the next cycle.

Pharmacists

MHLW's page for foreign pharmacy-school graduates is undated and shows no application window. It lists these criteria (as of 2026-10-10, page undated):¹⁷

• entry after 12+ years of schooling;
• 6+ years of pharmacy education, at age 24 or older;
• an educational environment roughly equal to Japanese universities and guaranteed by home-country law;
• 5,580+ hours to graduate, of which 4,200+ are specialised hours including about six months or more of practical training equivalent to Japan's;
• good grades in specialised subjects;
• "日本語能力試験1級" unless you graduated from Japanese junior-high and high school.

The pharmacist page uses the old JLPT level name

"日本語能力試験1級" is the pre-2010 name for what is now JLPT N1. Because the page is undated and uses the old wording, confirm the current language requirement and application window with MHLW before you prepare documents.¹⁷

EPA nurse and caregiver candidate programs

The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) programs are open only to nationals of Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.⁹ Nationals of any other country cannot use this route.

The programs started in FY2008 (Indonesia) and FY2009 (the Philippines) under EPAs, and in FY2014 (Vietnam) under an exchange of notes dated 2012-04-18.⁹ JICWELS (Japan International Corporation of Welfare Services) is the sole Japanese placement body; the sending bodies are P2MI in Indonesia, DMW in the Philippines, and DOLAB in Vietnam.⁹

Candidates work at Japanese facilities while preparing for the national exam. The rules below come from the 2026-intake pamphlet published by JICWELS (as of 2025-03).⁹

Rule	Nurse candidates	Care-worker candidates	As of
Maximum stay as a candidate	3 years	4 years	2025-039
Exam attempts during the stay	Up to 3	Once, after 3+ years of work	2025-039
Annual cap per country	Up to 200	Up to 300 (candidates exempt from Japanese training sit outside the cap)	2025-039

After passing the national exam, renewals are unlimited, each for a period of up to 3 years (as of 2025-03).⁹ Candidates who fail in their final year may be designated 特例候補者 (tokurei kōhosha, special candidates) and given a 1-year extension and one more attempt, under conditions MHLW sets by notice after each year's results (as of 2025-03).⁹

Candidates who fail go home, but may re-enter Japan on Temporary Visitor status to sit the exam (as of 2025-03).⁹

Candidate requirements (2026 intake)

Requirement	Indonesia	Philippines	Vietnam	As of
Nurse: home qualification	Nursing diploma III or above, or university nursing graduate, licensed	Licensed nurse under Philippine law	3- or 4-year nursing course, licensed	2025-039
Nurse: experience	2+ years	3+ years	2+ years	2025-039
Japanese after pre-arrival training	JLPT N4 level or above, in principle	JLPT N4 level or above (under adjustment)	JLPT N3 pass	2025-039
Pre-arrival / post-arrival training	6 months / 6 months	6 months / 6 months	3 or 12 months / 2 months	2025-039

JLPT N2 holders are exempt from both pre- and post-arrival Japanese training (Indonesia, the Philippines) or from pre-arrival training (Vietnam) (as of 2025-03).⁹

Care-worker exam change from FY2024

From the 37th exam (FY2024), the care-worker national exam dropped its practical test; only the written exam remains (as of 2026-07).³⁷ EPA care-worker candidates who entered by May 2024 must complete the 介護過程Ⅲ (kaigo katei III) course and submit its completion certificate before applying to register after passing; those who completed 実務者研修 (jitsumusha kenshū, practitioner training) may submit that certificate instead (as of 2026-07).³⁷

Candidates who returned home after gaining care-worker exam eligibility could apply for the 39th exam between 2026-07-22 and 2026-09-02 (as of 2026-07).³⁷ That window has closed.

Pass rates

EPA candidates pass at far lower rates than candidates overall.^38394041

Exam	EPA candidates sat	EPA passed	EPA pass rate	All candidates' pass rate	As of
Nursing, 115th (FY2025, early 2026)	234	20	8.5%	88.3%	2026-033839
Nursing, FY2024	285	53	18.6%	90.1%	2026-0338
Nursing, FY2023	294	17	5.8%	87.8%	2026-0338
Care worker, 38th (FY2025)	1,196	380	31.8%	70.1%	2026-034041
Care worker, 37th (FY2024)	1,314	498	37.9%	78.3%	2026-0340

Other residence statuses, covered in Specified Skilled Worker Visa and Designated Activities Visa, fall outside this article.

Law: registered foreign lawyers (gaiben)

A lawyer qualified in a foreign jurisdiction can practise in Japan as a registered foreign lawyer (外国法事務弁護士, gaikokuhō jimu bengoshi, "gaiben").²⁶ Neither MOJ nor JFBA states a nationality condition on the pages reviewed for this article.

What a gaiben can and cannot do

A gaiben handles legal business concerning the law of the jurisdiction where they qualified and, under conditions, designated third-country law.²⁶ A gaiben may work jointly with Japanese lawyers (bengoshi) on matters with a cross-border element.²⁶

A gaiben cannot act as a litigation representative in Japanese courts, or represent clients in applications to administrative agencies.²⁶

A gaiben may represent parties in international arbitration in Japan, whether Japanese or foreign law applies.²⁶ Since 2020-08-29, the scope of "international arbitration cases" has been wider, and gaiben may also represent parties in "international mediation cases", a newly defined category.⁷

Since 2022-11-01, bengoshi and gaiben may form a joint legal corporation (弁護士・外国法事務弁護士共同法人).⁴²

Eligibility and registration steps

You need 3+ years of practice in your jurisdiction of qualification. Since 2020-08-29, up to 2 years of work in Japan may count toward those 3 years (previously 1 year), under Act No. 33 of 2020.⁷

Registration takes two steps, followed by an ongoing reporting duty.²⁰⁴³

The registration request goes through the bar association you wish to join (for example Tokyo, Daiichi Tokyo, Daini Tokyo, or Osaka) to JFBA. The documents include a CV, a qualification certificate, your disciplinary history, two recommendation letters, an oath, and a photo (as of 2026-10-10; confirm current figures with JFBA).⁴³

After approval, you must submit prescribed documents to the Minister of Justice every 2 years from the approval date.²⁰

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) simplified its approval paperwork for applications from 2024-07-31, excluding cases already in preliminary review (as of 2024-07-31).⁴⁴ The two changes are:

• employer-prepared documents common to several applicants can be reused, if unchanged and current, with a reuse request form;
• a former gaiben who re-applies may submit a declaration in place of full experience documents.

The current MOJ application handbook is the October 2025 revised edition (as of 2025-10).⁴⁵ Neither MOJ nor JFBA states a language criterion or a fee on the pages reviewed for this article.

Becoming a full bengoshi

Three groups may sit the bar exam (司法試験, shihō shiken): law-school (法科大学院) graduates, those who passed the preliminary exam (司法試験予備試験), and law-school students certified by their dean.²¹ Graduates and preliminary-exam passers have 5 years from the first 1 April after gaining eligibility; in-school candidates have the shorter of the time until they leave law school or 5 years.²¹

The exam runs over 4 days in mid-July, with short-answer sections (constitutional, civil, and criminal law) and essay sections (public, civil, and criminal law plus one elective) (as of 2026-10-10).²¹ It is linked to law-school education and the judicial apprentice training (司法修習, shihō shūshū) that follows.²¹

MOJ's description of the system sets out no separate route for foreign-qualified lawyers.²¹ A foreign qualification does not shorten the path to becoming a bengoshi under that description.

Accounting, architecture, and engineering

Accountants (CPA)

Statutory audit for reward is reserved to Japanese CPAs (公認会計士, kōnin kaikeishi) and audit corporations.⁸ Registering as a Japanese CPA requires passing the CPA exam, 3+ years of practical experience, and completing practical training (実務補習, jitsumu hoshū) confirmed by the Prime Minister (as of 2026-10-10; confirm current figures with the Financial Services Agency).⁴⁶

The CPA Act also contains a foreign-CPA route (Art. 16-2). A person holding a foreign qualification equivalent to a CPA, with considerable knowledge of Japanese accounting-related law, may perform CPA work after the Prime Minister approves the qualification and JICPA enters them in its foreign-CPA register.⁸

Approval is by examination or selection, carried out by the Certified Public Accountants and Auditing Oversight Board (CPAAOB) under Cabinet Order, for a non-refundable fee.⁸ Registration is cancelled if you lose the foreign qualification.⁸

This review found no Financial Services Agency (FSA) page setting out the forms, schedule, or frequency of foreign-CPA approval (as of 2026-10-10). Contact the FSA or JICPA directly to ask how and when approval is currently handled.

A US CPA can count toward Highly Skilled Professional points as a listed foreign qualification, as described below (as of 2023-12).⁴⁷

Architects

Design and construction supervision of listed buildings is reserved to first-class architects (一級建築士, ikkyū kenchikushi).⁴

The Architects Act (Art. 4(5)) lets a holder of a foreign architect licence receive a Japanese licence without the exam, if the competent authority recognises their qualification as equal to or above the Japanese grade.⁴ The MLIT Minister decides for the first-class licence; the prefectural governor decides for second-class and wooden-structure licences, so that recognition is handled prefecture by prefecture.⁴

The route is discretionary, not automatic. Ask MLIT, or the prefecture for the second-class and wooden-structure grades, what it currently requires.⁴

Engineers

The Professional Engineer title (技術士, gijutsushi) has its own foreign-qualification route. Holders of foreign qualifications that MEXT designates by ordinance as equal to or above 技術士, and whom the MEXT Minister recognises as having the knowledge needed to practise under Japanese law, qualify as 技術士 (Professional Engineer Act Art. 31-2(1)).²²

Graduates of courses MEXT designates as equivalent to passing the first-stage exam qualify as associate engineers (技術士補, gijutsushiho) (Art. 31-2(2)).²²

The APEC Engineer register comes from a mutual-recognition project in which 16 economies currently participate (as of 2026-10-10).¹⁴ Registration began with 7: Japan, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong China, Korea, Malaysia, and New Zealand.¹⁴

The Institution of Professional Engineers, Japan describes APEC Engineer status as a benchmark of the qualities expected of international engineers. Two member economies can still agree, through government negotiation, to exempt each other's technical-competence review for professional licences; Japan and Australia signed a document on a mutual-recognition framework for 技術士 qualifications in October 2003.¹⁴

Licensing does matter for some technical work: building design under the Architects Act, and electrical work on private-use electrical installations, which requires a first-class electrician.⁴¹³

Teaching licenses

The licence rules in this section apply to Article-1 schools, the public and private kindergartens, elementary, junior high, high, and special-needs schools defined in the School Education Act.⁵

Regular licenses and why foreign certificates do not transfer

Teaching staff (教育職員, kyōiku shokuin) at Article-1 schools must hold the corresponding licence (Education Personnel Certification Act Art. 3).⁵ A regular licence (普通免許状, futsū menkyojō) is valid in every prefecture (Art. 9(1)).⁵

A foreign teaching certificate does not convert automatically. Under Art. 18, a holder of a teaching licence granted abroad, or a graduate of a foreign school, may be granted a corresponding licence through 教育職員検定, the teacher-qualification assessment.⁵

The wording is "授与することができる" (may be granted), so the route is discretionary.⁵ Prefectural boards of education run the assessment, and practice varies; ask the board in the prefecture where you intend to teach.

The special teaching license (特別免許状)

The special teaching licence (特別免許状, tokubetsu menkyojō) is granted by a prefectural board of education to working adults without a teaching licence who have excellent knowledge and experience. Its purpose is to diversify and invigorate school education.²³

You cannot apply on your own. The board grants it after a 教育職員検定, based on a recommendation from the school that intends to hire you.²³

The licence is valid only in the prefecture whose board granted it (Art. 9(2)).⁵ MEXT's guidelines on granting it were last revised in May 2024, with related notices dated 2024-09-13 and 2024-10-15 (as of 2024-10; confirm current figures with MEXT).²³

Two related tools exist. A temporary licence (臨時免許状, rinji menkyojō) is valid for 3 years, only in the granting prefecture (Art. 9(3)).⁵ Under the 特別非常勤講師 (tokubetsu hijōkin kōshi) system, part-time instructors without a licence may teach part of a subject area.²³

Teaching English in Japan: JET, ALTs, Eikaiwa, and Career Paths covers how these licences fit typical English-teaching careers.

Roles that need no Japanese license

The licence duty attaches to teaching staff at Article-1 schools.⁵ Private language schools (eikaiwa) are not Article-1 schools, so the duty does not reach them, and eikaiwa teaching fits the Engineer/Humanities/International Services category of language instruction (as of 2026-07).⁵¹

Whether a post inside or alongside the school system needs a licence depends on how the school and the post are classified under the law. No source reviewed for this article lists assistant language teacher (ALT) or international-school posts by name, so confirm with the employer, or with the prefectural board of education, before you assume no licence is required.⁵

The Instructor status covers teaching at schools; Instructor Visa explains how it applies to each school type.²⁷

Qualifications and Highly Skilled Professional points

The Highly Skilled Professional (高度専門職, kōdo senmonshoku) points system rewards some qualifications directly.²⁸ The pass mark is 70 points (as of 2026-03-31; confirm current figures with the Immigration Services Agency).⁴⁸

The table below covers only the qualification-related items (as of 2026-03-31).

Item	Points	Category	As of
Japanese national qualification related to the work	5 per qualification, maximum 10	Advanced specialised/technical only	2026-03-314849
Listed foreign qualification related to the work	5	All three categories	2026-03-31 table; list revised 2023-124847
Degree from a Japanese institution	10	All	2026-03-3148
JLPT N1, or a Japanese major at a foreign university	15	All	2026-03-3148

The foreign-qualification list was revised in December 2023. It includes the US CPA, lawyers qualified in 27 listed jurisdictions (with US states, Australian states and territories, and Canadian provinces itemized), US and UK actuary fellowships, and listed design and fashion awards (as of 2023-12).⁴⁷

The Japanese-qualification bonus is 5 points per qualification, up to 10, and only in the advanced specialised/technical category (as of 2026-03-31).⁴⁸ Highly Skilled Professional Visa covers the full points table, including education, salary, and age.

Credential evaluation and translation workflow

Gathering and authenticating documents

Each recipient asks for a different document set. Collect them early, since some must come from your school, former employers, or your home government.²⁴³³

Document	Needed for	As of
Graduation certificate or proof of equivalent education	ISA, degree route	2026-0724
Employment certificates, plus school certificates for related study	ISA, experience route	2026-0724
Pass certificate for a designated IT exam	ISA, IT route	2026-0724
Curriculum details with hours, in print and Excel	MHLW, physician route	2026-10-1033
Foreign licence copy and graduation documents, certified by the issuing country	MHLW, physician route	2026-10-1033

The As of dates in this table reflect each authority's page (as of 2026-10-10; confirm current figures with the authority that will receive your documents). For ISA, certificates that can be reissued, such as graduation certificates, must be submitted as originals; a diploma may be submitted as a copy if you bring the original for checking (as of 2026-07).²⁹

Arrange home-country certification before the MHLW deadline

For the key MHLW physician documents, a public body of the issuing country (its embassy, consulate, or foreign ministry) must certify both the document and its Japanese translation. Arrange this before the end-of-March or end-of-July document deadline, since a missing certification can push you into the next cycle.³³¹⁵

Whether a particular authority accepts an apostille in place of other authentication is a separate question, covered in Foreign Document Authentication for Japan-Side Use.

Translation standards by recipient

Each recipient sets its own translation rule (as of 2026-10-10).⁵⁰³³⁴⁵

Recipient	Rule	Who may translate	As of
ISA	Attach a Japanese translation to foreign-language documents	Anyone, if the translation is accurate and signed by the translator	2026-10-1050
MHLW (physician eligibility)	Japanese translation of foreign-language attachments (one listed exception); for key items, the issuing country's embassy, consulate, or foreign ministry certifies both document and translation	Not stated, but key items need the public-body certification	2026-10-1033
MOJ (gaiben approval)	Japanese translation attached, stating the translator's name, date of translation, and a pledge of faithful translation	Not restricted on the handbook page	2025-1045

When Certified Translation Is Required in Japan covers the general rules on certified translation.

Getting help

Lawyers and gyoseishoshi (行政書士, licensed administrative scriveners) who have registered as filing agents (申請等取次者) may file residence applications online on your behalf (as of 2026-07).²⁹ Employer staff with filing-agent approval may file change and extension applications (as of 2026-07).²⁹

The Gyoseishoshi for Visa and Immigration explains how to find and work with one. For exam eligibility, the licensing authority itself is the source of a definitive answer.

Question	Contact	As of
Physician or dentist exam eligibility	MHLW 医政局医事課 試験免許室, shikennintei@mhlw.go.jp, TEL 03-5253-1111 ext. 4143	2026-10-103
Nurse exam eligibility	MHLW, via the inquiry form on its foreign-nurse page	2026-10-1034
Gaiben approval	MOJ 司法法制部審査監督課 外国法事務弁護士係, TEL 03-3580-4111 ext. 2374	2026-10-1020

Good to know

A recognized degree is not a license to practice

A degree that satisfies ISA for the Engineer/Humanities/International Services status does not let you practise medicine, nursing, or dentistry. Those are reserved by statute to Japanese licence holders, and the Medical Services status itself requires proof of the Japanese licence.²⁶¹¹

The reverse misreading also happens at the visa stage. A diploma from a foreign institution equivalent to a Japanese senmon-gakko does not meet the work-visa standard; only Japanese senmon-gakko graduates holding the 専門士 or 高度専門士 title do (as of 2026-07).²⁹

Annual application windows are easy to miss

The physician and dentist FY2026 cycle required the application sheet by 2026-02-27, for both the March and July document tracks (as of 2026-02; confirm current figures with MHLW).³²³⁶ MHLW had published no FY2027 dates as of 2026-10-10, so check MHLW for the next cycle.³

Nurse applications for FY2026 opened on 2026-04-13 (as of 2026-04).³⁴ Missing a window generally means waiting for the next cycle.

Language is the real gate

Physicians, dentists, and nurses need JLPT N1 unless they finished Japanese junior-high and high school (as of 2026-10-10).¹⁵¹⁶¹⁸ Physicians and dentists then also sit the clinical-language survey, which has a pass mark of 60 out of 100 (as of 2026-10-10).¹⁵¹⁶

A physician who falls below the survey standard is diverted to the preliminary-exam route, which adds the preliminary exam and at least 1 year of practical training.¹⁵²

Licenses tie to visas in both directions

The Medical Services status presupposes a Japanese licence, so the licence and the visa stand or fall together.¹¹ EPA candidates who fail in their final year return home unless they are designated special candidates for a 1-year extension (as of 2025-03).⁹

The link runs between statuses too. Experience under Technical Intern Training or Specified Skilled Worker is not treated as practical experience for the Engineer/Humanities/International Services standard (as of 2026-07).²⁹

Survivorship bias in success stories

EPA outcomes differ sharply by nationality. On the 38th care-worker exam, EPA candidates from Vietnam passed at 77.4% (103 of 133), Indonesia at 30.7% (185 of 602), and the Philippines at 20.0% (92 of 461) (as of 2026-03).⁴⁰ First-time takers passed at 44.8% overall, repeat takers at 21.4% (as of 2026-03).⁴⁰

On the 115th nursing exam, EPA candidates passed at 8.5% (20 of 234), against 88.3% for all candidates (as of 2026-03).³⁸ By country, Vietnam passed 11 of 46 (23.9%), the Philippines 4 of 64 (6.3%), and Indonesia 5 of 124 (4.0%) (as of 2026-03).³⁸

Timelines are long even for those who succeed. A certified physician still has to pass the national exam and then complete at least 2 years of clinical training before practising independently.²

See also

• Work Permission by Status of Residence
• Change of Status of Residence
• Extension of Period of Stay
• Immigration Services Agency (ISA): Who Decides What
• Bengoshi, Gyoseishoshi, Shiho-shoshi, and Zeirishi: Who Does What
• Apostille and Hague Convention Authentication

References

Footnotes

1. 出入国在留管理庁. 「在留資格『技術・人文知識・国際業務』」(法別表第一の二及び平成2年法務省令第16号 抄, PDF). https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001366995.pdf ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵

2. e-Gov法令検索. 「医師法」(昭和23年法律第201号), 第11条・第16条の2・第17条. https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/323AC0000000201 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹

3. 厚生労働省. 「外国の医学校を卒業し、または外国で医師免許を取得している方の受験資格認定について」. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_56664.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

4. e-Gov法令検索. 「建築士法」(昭和25年法律第202号), 第3条・第4条. https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/325AC1000000202 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴

5. e-Gov法令検索. 「教育職員免許法」(昭和24年法律第147号), 第2条・第3条・第9条・第18条. https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/324AC0000000147 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷

6. e-Gov法令検索. 「保健師助産師看護師法」(昭和23年法律第203号), 第8条・第21条・第31条. https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/323AC0000000203 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

7. 法務省. 「外国弁護士による法律事務の取扱いに関する特別措置法の一部を改正する法律（令和2年法律第33号）について」. https://www.moj.go.jp/housei/gaiben/housei07_00002.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

8. e-Gov法令検索. 「公認会計士法」(昭和23年法律第103号), 第16条の2・第47条の2. https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/323AC0000000103 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

9. 公益社団法人 国際厚生事業団 (JICWELS). 「2026年度受入れ版 EPAに基づく外国人看護師・介護福祉士候補者受入れパンフレット」(2025). https://jicwels.or.jp/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2026年度版　EPAに基づく外国人看護師・介護福祉士候補者受入れパンフレット.pdf ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸

10. e-Gov法令検索. 「歯科医師法」(昭和23年法律第202号), 第17条. https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/323AC0000000202 ↩ ↩²

11. 出入国在留管理庁. 「在留資格『医療』」. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/medicalservices.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

12. e-Gov法令検索. 「弁護士法」(昭和24年法律第205号), 第72条. https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/324AC1000000205 ↩

13. e-Gov法令検索. 「電気工事士法」(昭和35年法律第139号), 第3条. https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/335AC0000000139 ↩ ↩² ↩³

14. 公益社団法人 日本技術士会. 「APECエンジニアとは」. https://www.engineer.or.jp/c_topics/000/000150.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

15. 厚生労働省. 「医師国家試験受験資格認定制度について」 (criteria table and route flowcharts embedded on page). https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_50884.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶

16. 厚生労働省. 「歯科医師国家試験受験資格認定制度について」 (criteria table embedded on page). https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_54891.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

17. 厚生労働省. 「薬剤師国家試験のページ：外国の薬学校を卒業した方」. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/iyakuhin/yakuzaishi-kokkashiken/gaikoku.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

18. 厚生労働省. 「看護師国家試験受験資格認定基準」. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_29385.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

19. 厚生労働省. 「看護師国家試験受験資格認定制度について」. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_37760.html ↩ ↩² ↩³

20. 法務省. 「外国法事務弁護士 承認・指定申請手続の概要」. https://www.moj.go.jp/ONLINE/FOREIGNER/3-1.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

21. 法務省. 「司法試験の仕組み」(PDF). https://www.moj.go.jp/content/001392276.pdf ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

22. e-Gov法令検索. 「技術士法」(昭和58年法律第25号), 第31条の2. https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/358AC0000000025 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

23. 文部科学省. 「学校における外部専門人材の活用について（特別免許状及び特別非常勤講師制度）」. https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shotou/kyoin/1326555.htm ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

24. 出入国在留管理庁. 「在留資格『技術・人文知識・国際業務』」. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/gijinkoku.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

25. 厚生労働省 法令等データベース. 「外国医師等が行う臨床修練等に係る医師法第十七条等の特例等に関する法律」(昭和62年法律第29号), 第2条・第3条・第4条・第9条・第21条の3. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/web/t_doc?dataId=80008000&dataType=0&pageNo=1 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

26. 日本弁護士連合会. 「外国法事務弁護士とは」. https://www.nichibenren.or.jp/jfba_info/membership/foreign/registered-foreign-lawyer.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

27. e-Gov法令検索. 「出入国管理及び難民認定法第七条第一項第二号の基準を定める省令」(平成2年法務省令第16号), 教育の項. https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/402M50000010016 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

28. 出入国在留管理庁. 「ポイント評価の仕組みは？」. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/resources/newimmiact_3_evaluate_index.html ↩ ↩²

29. 出入国在留管理庁. 「就労資格の在留諸申請に関連してお問い合わせの多い事項について（Q&A）」(令和8年7月). https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001344550.pdf ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰

30. 出入国在留管理庁. 「出入国管理及び難民認定法第七条第一項第二号の基準を定める省令の技術・人文知識・国際業務の在留資格に係る基準の特例を定める件」(平成25年法務省告示第437号). https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/policies/bill/nyukan_hourei_h09.html ↩ ↩² ↩³

31. 厚生労働省. 「日本語診療能力調査において認定基準を満たさなかった方の再申請について」. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_51057.html ↩

32. 厚生労働省. 「医師国家試験受験資格認定の申請の流れ」. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_51718.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

33. 厚生労働省. 「医師国家試験受験資格認定の申請のために必要な書類」. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_51097.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰

34. 厚生労働省. 「外国で看護師免許を取得している方が、日本でも看護師として就労するために」. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000112771.html ↩ ↩² ↩³

35. 厚生労働省. 「外国の歯科医学校を卒業し、または外国で歯科医師免許を取得している方の受験資格認定について」. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_66355.html ↩

36. 厚生労働省. 「歯科医師国家試験受験資格認定の申請の流れ」. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_66354.html ↩ ↩²

37. 厚生労働省. 「介護福祉士国家試験の受験資格を得て母国に帰国したEPA介護福祉士候補者の方に関する第39回介護福祉士国家試験の受験手続きについて」. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_73957.html ↩ ↩² ↩³

38. 厚生労働省. 「経済連携協定（EPA）に基づく外国人看護師候補者の看護師国家試験の結果（過去18年間）」(別添2, 2026). https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/10805000/001678947.pdf ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

39. 厚生労働省. 「第115回看護師国家試験におけるEPA外国人看護師候補者の合格者について」(2026年3月). https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_71621.html ↩ ↩²

40. 厚生労働省. 「第38回介護福祉士国家試験におけるEPA介護福祉士候補者の試験結果」(2026). https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/12004000/001673109.pdf ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

41. 厚生労働省. 「第38回介護福祉士国家試験の合格発表について」(2026年3月16日). https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_71070.html ↩ ↩²

42. 法務省. 「弁護士・外国法事務弁護士共同法人制度の導入について（令和4年11月1日施行）」. https://www.moj.go.jp/housei/gaiben/housei07_00042.html ↩

43. 日本弁護士連合会. 「外国法事務弁護士の登録について」. https://www.nichibenren.or.jp/jfba_info/membership/foreign/about_registration.html ↩ ↩²

44. 法務省. 「外弁承認申請における提出書類の簡素化について」(令和6年7月31日). https://www.moj.go.jp/housei/gaiben/housei07_00048.html ↩

45. 法務省. 「外国法事務弁護士承認・指定申請の手引及び書式」(2025年10月改訂版). https://www.moj.go.jp/housei/gaiben/housei07_00028.html ↩ ↩² ↩³

46. 金融庁. 「公認会計士の資格取得に関するQ&A」. https://www.fsa.go.jp/ordinary/kouninkaikeisi/ ↩

47. 出入国在留管理庁. 「高度人材ポイント制の加点対象となる外国の資格、表彰等一覧」(令和5年12月改訂, PDF). https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/930001661.pdf ↩ ↩² ↩³

48. 出入国在留管理庁. 「ポイント計算表」(PDF, 日本語). https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/930001657.pdf ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

49. 出入国在留管理庁. "Points Calculation Table" (English PDF). https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001398882.pdf ↩

50. 出入国在留管理庁. 「出入国審査・在留審査Q&A」. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/immigration/faq/kanri_qa.html ↩ ↩²