Learn more about the qualifications, examinations, and annual salary for foreign nationals to become nurses!
Some may feel that working as a nurse in Japan is a hurdle, as the qualifications required and job description differ depending on the type of work. In addition, it is also difficult to acquire Japanese language skills and specialized knowledge.
However, there is a serious shortage of nurses in Japan, and foreign nurses are expected to play an active role. The average annual salary of Japanese nurses is high, and there are numerous opportunities for career advancement.
This article will provide detailed information on how exactly a foreigner can become a nurse in Japan, including the required examinations, qualifications, and annual salary. We are sure that you will find this information useful for foreign nationals who wish to become nurses in Japan. Please read to the end.
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Types of Nursing Positions in Japan
There are four major types of nursing positions in Japan: nurses, public health nurses, midwives, and assistant nurses. Let's take a look at the characteristics of each.
1. nurse
Nurses provide medical care for patients and assist doctors in hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities. They have many opportunities to come in direct contact with patients, such as administering intravenous drips and injections, measuring blood pressure, and wiping patients clean. To become a nurse, you must obtain a national nursing license.
2. public health nurse
Public health nurses provide health guidance for the purpose of disease prevention and health promotion. They often work at local government health centers and business offices, where their main work is disease prevention and health management, such as health education for local residents and health guidance through home visits. To become a public health nurse, one must obtain a national qualification as a public health nurse in addition to a nursing license.
3. midwife
Midwives support the health of mothers and children through pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care. Midwives work in obstetrics and gynecology departments of hospitals and midwifery centers, providing health guidance to pregnant women, assisting in childbirth, caring for newborns, and providing postnatal care for mothers. Midwifery is a very rewarding job that is directly related to life. To become a midwife, one needs both a nursing license and a national certification as a midwife.
4. assistant nurse
Licensed practical nurses provide medical care and assistance to patients under the direction of a physician or nurse. Compared to nurses, assistant nurses are limited in the scope of their ability to independently perform medical care. To become an associate nurse, one must pass an associate nurse examination administered by the respective prefecture, but does not require a national license like a nurse.
As you can see, the qualifications and job descriptions required for the nursing profession in Japan differ depending on the type of work. In order for a foreigner to work as a nurse in Japan, it is necessary to first carefully consider which type of work he/she is aiming for.
National certification is required to become a nurse.
As we mentioned earlier, in order to work as a nurse in Japan, you must obtain a "National Nursing License". This national qualification is granted to those who have completed the prescribed curriculum at a nursing training school (nursing college, junior college, vocational school, etc.) approved by the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare.
In order to qualify for the National Nursing Examination, students must complete hard training in hospital practice as well as study in school. The passing rate of the exam is very high, around 951 TP103T every year, but the road to becoming qualified to take the exam is not an easy one. Especially for non-Japanese, it will require a great deal of effort, as specialized Japanese language skills are also required.
Nevertheless, once you are certified as a nurse, you will be able to work as a nurse anywhere in Japan. If you study at a Japanese nursing school with a good educational system, you will acquire advanced knowledge and skills that you would not be able to obtain in your home country.
Annual income of Japanese nurses
So, how does the annual income of nurses in Japan compare to other occupations? Among healthcare professionals, nurses are known as a popular occupation with relatively high income.
According to a survey by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the average annual salary for nurses in 2022 was 5,081,300 yen. This breakdown includes monthly income of 351,600 yen and bonuses (bonuses) of 862,100 yen.
However, this is only an average, and salaries can vary widely depending on region, years of experience, skills, and other factors.
In particular, the more you progress in your nursing career, the higher your salary tends to be. Salaries also vary depending on the size of the hospital, with larger general hospitals tending to have higher salary levels. If you are aiming for a higher income, aiming for a large hospital in an urban area may be one way to go.
Incidentally, the average annual salary of associate nurses is lower than that of nurses, at approximately 4.18 million yen (monthly income of approximately 300,000 yen and bonus of approximately 620,000 yen). The difference in salary may be due to the fact that the work of assistant nurses is more limited than that of nurses.
Thus, nursing is an attractive profession that requires a high degree of specialization and offers a commensurately high salary.
Reference:2022 Basic Survey on Wage Structure｜Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
How foreigners can work as nurses in Japan
What are the ways for a foreigner to work as a nurse in Japan? There are three main ways
1. become a nurse in the same way as the Japanese
The first method is to enroll in a Japanese nursing training school, as Japanese do, and after graduation take the national nursing examination to obtain certification. With this method, you will follow exactly the same career path as a Japanese nurse.
However, in order to enroll in a Japanese nursing training school, students must have graduated from a Japanese high school or have an equivalent or higher academic ability. In addition, since all classes are conducted in Japanese, considerable Japanese language ability is also essential.
Although it is time-consuming and expensive to start learning Japanese, studying at a Japanese nursing school will give you not only nursing knowledge and skills, but also Japanese language skills and a deeper understanding of Japanese culture and society. It is a way to expand your career options.
A person who has obtained a nursing license in a foreign country comes to Japan and becomes a nurse.
The second method is for those who have already obtained a nursing license in their home country to take the Japanese National Nursing Examination. Under certain conditions, graduates of nursing schools in other countries are also eligible to sit for the Japanese National Nursing Examination.
Specifically, there is a "system for the recognition of eligibility to take the national examination for nurses, etc." Under this system, if certain requirements are met, foreign nursing qualifications can be recognized in Japan and the applicant can be qualified to take the national examination for nurses in Japan.
However, in order to use this system, you will need to translate and submit documents such as nursing qualifications, educational background, and work experience obtained in your home country. You will also need to have specialized knowledge and language skills in Japanese in order to pass the Japanese National Nursing Examination.
If you have a foreign nursing license and are considering obtaining a Japanese nursing license, please also refer to the following links.
Come to Japan as an EPA foreign nursing candidate and become a nurse
The third method is to come to Japan from Indonesia, the Philippines, or Vietnam under an "Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)" and work in a Japanese hospital while working to obtain a nursing license.
After participating in the pre-departure Japanese language training program offered by the International Health and Welfare Organization, qualified nurses from EPA countries can work and train at a receiving facility in Japan while aiming to pass the National Nursing Examination. The maximum period of stay is three years, during which time they may continue to work as nurses in Japan if they pass the National Nursing Examination.
EPA nurse candidates are required to have already obtained a nursing license in their home country in order to apply. However, unlike the "Recognition System for Qualifications to Sit for the National Nursing Examination," EPA nurse candidates are not individually screened for nursing qualifications in their home country.
This means that Indonesian, Filipino, and Vietnamese nursing license holders can come to Japan relatively smoothly and aim to obtain a Japanese nursing license. This is the recommended route for those who wish to work as nurses in Japan for a long time.
How to find a nursing job in Japan
Once you have successfully obtained your national nursing license, it is time to look for a job. You can find nursing jobs in Japan primarily through the following methods
- Check the hospital's website for employment opportunities.
- Utilize nursing job sites.
- Search at Hello Work (Public Employment Security Office)
- Using a Recruitment Agency
You can find employment opportunities on hospital websites or on job sites specializing in nursing jobs by specifying your location, employment type, salary, and other criteria. Job sites are a convenient way to search for jobs at many hospitals at once.
If you are looking for nursing jobs, we recommend Nurse Job EX, which allows you to search information from all major job sites at once. ▶︎ 120,000 nationwide【 Nurse Job EX】
Nurse Job EX aggregates job information from well-known nursing job sites and recruiting agencies, and always has over 100,000 jobs available. You can easily find a job that suits you by specifying your working area, employment type, salary, and other criteria.
Hello Work also has job openings available for people looking for work. By consulting at the counter, you can be introduced to jobs that match your needs. If you are a foreigner, you may also receive support for necessary procedures, such as confirmation of your status of residence.
The nursing profession remains chronically understaffed, and the job market is extremely high. In addition, the Corona disaster has reaffirmed the importance of healthcare professionals, further increasing the demand for nurses.
Therefore, if you can obtain a Japanese nursing license, you should have no difficulty in finding a job. Rather, it is an opportunity to choose a place of employment that suits your lifestyle.
Nursing assistants are not qualified, but note their residency status.
We have told you that to become a nurse, you need a national certification. However, if you are a nursing assistant, you can work in the medical field without any certification.
The main tasks of nursing assistants are to assist nurses, such as serving meals, changing bed sheets, and helping patients move from one place to another. Since no medical treatment is performed, no special qualifications are required, and if you can speak Japanese, you have a good chance of finding a job.
However, in order to work as a nursing assistant in Japan, you must meet the requirements for status of residence. If your status of residence is based on "Permanent Resident," "Spouse or Child of Japanese National," "Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident," or "Long-term Resident," you are eligible to work as a nursing assistant.
On the other hand, please note that it is not possible to work as a nursing assistant with a "technical internship" or "college student" status of residence. If you wish to work as a nursing assistant, you will need to obtain a "specified technical" status of residence, which requires a certain level of Japanese language proficiency and specialized knowledge and skills in nursing care.
In order to qualify for a specific skilled nursing care residency, the following requirements must be met.
- Pass the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) N4 or above
- Passed the Nursing Japanese Language Assessment Test.
- Passed the Caregiver Skills Assessment Test.
If you pass these tests, you can obtain a "Specified Technical Skills 1" status of residence, which allows you to work as a caregiver in Japan for up to five years.
If you work as a caregiver after obtaining a specified technical resident status, you can also aim for national certification as a caregiver. After gaining at least three years of work experience, you can take the caregiver exam to become a caregiver specialist.
Although nursing care work is a demanding job that requires Japanese language skills and specialized skills, it is also a rewarding job that allows you to continue working in Japan for a long time if you qualify. If you are a foreigner interested in nursing care work, please check the following links for more information.
Please check out this article that explains the types of status of residence, how to obtain it, and the key points for working with a specific skill.
▶︎ What is the status of residence required for foreigners to work in Japan? Also explains "Specified Technical Skills"!
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summary
The requirements for the nursing profession in Japan differ depending on the type of work, such as whether or not you have a national license. There are three main ways for foreigners to become nurses, all of which require a certain level of Japanese language proficiency and specialized knowledge, but once qualified, they can work throughout Japan.
In addition, nursing assistants, who can work in the medical field without certification, can work if they obtain the "specified skill" status of residence, and can also aim to become care workers in the future.
Foreign staff are expected to play an active role in the medical field in Japan. If you can overcome the language barrier and acquire specialized skills, a rewarding career awaits you.
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