Online applications July 22 – Sept 2, 2026; exam held in Japan on Jan 31, 2027
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has published the exam procedures for the 39th National Certified Care Worker (Kaigo Fukushishi) Examination, aimed at EPA care worker candidates who earned exam eligibility and then returned to their home countries. Applications are submitted online via the website of the Social Welfare Promotion and National Examination Center (SSSC), the body that administers the exam. The application window runs from Wednesday, July 22, 2026 to Wednesday, September 2, 2026. The examination fee is ¥20,510, payable either by credit card or via a proxy in Japan paying at a convenience store. The exam takes place on Sunday, January 31, 2027 at test sites across 35 prefectures in Japan. Since the 37th exam, the practical skills test has been abolished and only the written exam remains.
Returning home does not cancel your exam eligibility — you can apply online from your home country. However, test sites exist only in 35 prefectures inside Japan, so you must re-enter Japan on a short-stay visa to sit the exam. Visa applications require a copy of your exam admission ticket in addition to the usual documents, and all travel arrangements and costs are borne by the examinee. The admission ticket is mailed internationally from Japan to your registered "current address," so update your address on My Page immediately whenever it changes.
Promulgated April 28, 2026, effective October 1, 2026. Japan's "equal pay for equal work" rules now spell out bonuses, retirement, family and housing allowances — and employers must state at hiring that you can request an explanation of treatment gaps.
Japan's Central Minimum Wage Council is now debating the FY2026 hike benchmark. The new hourly rates, effective around October 2026, directly affect foreign part-timers and workers. Here is how the system works and what to watch.
From April 2026, part-timers working 20+ hours/week at companies with 51+ employees must join social insurance (health insurance + pension).