How to Apply for an SSW Visa in Japan: Every Step in Order

Key Takeaways

The SSW (i) application for a Filipino has a fixed order: tests → a Japanese employer registered through the MWO and DMW, working with a DMW-licensed sending agency → job contract → COE → visa → PDOS and medical exam → OEC → departure.
Three groups act at different steps: you (tests, visa, PDOS, medical exam), the Japanese employer (MWO review, contract, COE), and the licensed sending agency (DMW submissions, PDOS and medical bookings, the OEC application).
The longest official waiting time is the COE: Japan's Immigration Services Agency (ISA) gives a standard period of 1 to 3 months. The MWO review takes 10 to 15 business days, and the visa takes five working days as a standard.
The visa application, PDOS and medical exam can run at the same time.
The COE is valid for 3 months. The visa, PDOS, medical exam and OEC must all be done before it expires.
A Filipino cannot sign an SSW employment contract until the employer has finished the Philippine-side registration. This applies even if you are already in Japan.
If you are already in Japan, you skip the COE, visa, PDOS, medical exam and OEC. After the same employer and contract steps, you apply for a change of status at a regional immigration office in Japan.

What SSW (i) Is

Specified Skilled Worker (SSW, or Tokutei Ginou) is a Japanese status of residence for work in designated fields, and SSW (i) is its entry level. A "status of residence" is the legal category that says what a foreigner may do in Japan; most people simply call it a "visa".

For the documents you need to prepare, see SSW Japan Requirements for Filipinos (2026): Full Checklist. This article covers the order of the process.

Why the Philippines Has Extra Steps

Japan and the Philippines have a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) on SSW. ISA lists the Philippines among the countries that have their own sending procedures. Japan's immigration application does not ask for extra Philippine documents, but the Philippine government sets its own rules for sending workers abroad.

Under those rules, a Japanese employer that wants to hire a Filipino as SSW must complete three things first:

Sign a Recruitment Agreement with a sending agency licensed by the Philippine government.
Apply to the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) at the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo or the Philippine Consulate General in Osaka.
Register with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) as an SSW employer.

Until these three are done, the employer may not sign an employment contract with a Filipino. This applies to people coming from the Philippines and to people already in Japan. Without them, the DMW will not issue the OEC (Overseas Employment Certificate), and without the OEC you cannot leave the Philippines as a worker.

The Whole Process at a Glance

Step	Who does it	Where	How long (official figure)	Official fee
1. Tests	You	Prometric test center (computer-based)	Result on screen; official result within 5 business days	JFT-Basic PHP 2,010; skills tests PHP 380 to PHP 2,900
2. Employer registration	Employer and sending agency	MWO Tokyo or Osaka, then DMW in the Philippines	MWO: 10 to 15 business days	MWO Tokyo: no fee
3. Job contract	Agency refers you; employer signs with you	Through the sending agency	No official figure	—
4. COE	Employer's staff or its agent in Japan	Regional immigration office in Japan, or online	Standard 1 to 3 months	No fee
5. Visa	You	Japan Visa Application Center (VFS)	Standard 5 working days	PHP 5,750 (single entry)
6. PDOS	You (booked by the agency)	OWWA	About half a day	—
7. Medical exam	You (booked by the agency)	Clinic booked through the agency	About half a day	—
8. OEC	Agency applies for you	DMW	No official figure	—
9. Departure and landing	You	Philippine airport, then Japanese airport	—	—

A dash means no official figure was confirmed for this article. Ask the office concerned or check its official page.

Steps 5, 6 and 7 can be done at the same time.

Step 1: Pass the Tests

Who: you. Where: a Prometric test center. How long: a single test sitting; the result appears on screen right after the test.

You need two passes: the Japanese language test (JFT-Basic) and the SSW (i) skills test for your field. The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines lists skills tests for care worker, building cleaning, manufacturing, construction, shipbuilding, automobile repair, aviation, agriculture, food and beverage manufacturing, and food service.

JFT-Basic is a CBT (computer-based test, taken on a computer at a test center) with about 50 questions in 60 minutes. Your total score and result appear on screen at the end, and the official result is on the Prometric site within 5 business days. A score of 200 to 250 points is A2.2 (A2). Since August 2026 the test also reports A1 and A2.1.
Booking rules: you can book or change a test until 23:59 Japan time, three business days before the test date. You cannot take the same exam again for 45 days, counted from the day after the test.
Fees in the Philippines (Prometric): JFT-Basic PHP 2,010. SSW (i) skills tests range from PHP 380 (construction) to PHP 2,900 (industrial product manufacturing).

You can book the tests yourself. No agency or middleman is needed. See How to Apply for JFT-Basic and Skills Tests Yourself (No Fixers) and JFT-Basic Explained: What A2 Means and How to Pass It. Test dates are on Hanapon's test schedule tool.

ISA's flowchart lists two kinds of applicants side by side: people who passed the tests, and people who went home after completing technical intern training (ii) or (iii) in good standing.

Step 2: A DMW-Licensed Sending Agency and a Registered Japanese Employer

Who: the Japanese employer and the Philippine sending agency. Where: the MWO in Tokyo or Osaka, then the DMW in the Philippines. How long: the MWO review takes 10 to 15 business days.

This step is between the employer and the agency, but it decides whether your hiring can go ahead at all. It has four parts.

2-1. Recruitment Agreement. The employer receives candidates through a Philippine sending agency licensed by the DMW and signs a Recruitment Agreement with it. The agreement must be notarized (signed in front of a notary, who certifies it) at a notary office in Japan. Licensed agencies are listed on the DMW "Licensed Recruitment Agencies" page. To check an agency yourself, see Licensed Agency for Japan: How to Read the DMW List Yourself or use Hanapon's DMW license search.

2-2. Documents to the MWO. The employer mails the required documents to the MWO in the prescribed forms. These include the model employment contract with working conditions, the Recruitment Agreement, and the job order (also called a manpower request: the employer's list of positions and conditions). MWO Tokyo's checklist also asks for the business license, company profile, company registration or tax return, the list of tasks and duties, the agency's DMW license, a Japanese staff member's payslip, written employment conditions and the salary scheme. Japanese documents must be translated into English, and signatures and hanko must be original, not electronic.

Processing time: MWO Tokyo states 10 to 15 working days, not counting weekends and holidays. ISA states that the MWO's standard period is within 15 business days when the documents are complete.
Fee: MWO Tokyo does not collect fees for this verification.
Which MWO: the MWO at the Consulate General in Osaka handles employers in Aichi, Gifu, Mie, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, Wakayama, Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime, Kochi, Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Oita, Kumamoto, Miyazaki and Kagoshima (as of March 5, 2020). Employers in other prefectures use the MWO in Tokyo.
- MWO Tokyo: Roppongi 5-15-5, Minato-ku, Tokyo (mwo_tokyo@dmw.gov.ph)
- MWO Osaka: URBAN CENTER Midosuji 7F, Awajimachi 4-3-5, Chuo-ku, Osaka (mwoosaka.ssw@gmail.com)
- Both offices handle English, Filipino and Japanese.

2-3. Interview at the MWO. After the document review, the employer's representative or an authorized employee goes to the MWO for an interview in English with a labor officer. Consultants (including gyoseishoshi, Japanese administrative lawyers) and registered support organizations cannot take the interview in the employer's place. An interpreter may attend. The MWO may also inspect the workplace.

2-4. DMW registration. If the MWO finds the employer suitable, it mails the stamped documents and a Recommendatory Memorandum (the MWO's letter confirming the employer passed the review) to the employer. The employer submits them to the DMW through the sending agency. The DMW checks the working conditions, registers the employer and its job order, stamps the model contract and returns it through the agency. Only then can the employer start recruiting Filipinos.

If the employer is already registered with the DMW as an SSW employer, it does not repeat 2-1 to 2-4. It only needs a new job order approval at the MWO when the contract terms change or when it wants to hire more people.

Fees the agency may and may not charge you are explained in Placement Fee for Japan: What You Should Never Pay, and What Is Legit.

Step 3: The Job Contract

Who: the sending agency refers you; the employer signs the contract with you. Where: through the sending agency. How long: no official figure.

The sending agency recruits suitable people based on the registered job order. The employer receives the referral and signs the SSW employment contract with you. This is the first point at which a contract with you is allowed.

Step 4: The COE (Certificate of Eligibility)

Who: the employer's staff or another designated agent in Japan. Where: the regional immigration office covering the planned place of residence or the employer's location, or online. How long: standard 1 to 3 months. Fee: none.

The COE is a certificate from Japan's immigration agency confirming that you qualify for the status of residence. The employer side applies for it in Japan; you do not apply for it yourself. Applications by mail are not accepted.

Actual processing time: ISA's average for decisions made in July 2026 was 64.1 days for SSW (i) COEs. ISA calculated this figure without food service applications. ISA also notes that processing for work-related statuses tends to get longer every year ahead of April hiring.
After issue: the employer mails the original COE to you in the Philippines.
Validity: a COE is valid for 3 months from the date of issue. The visa, PDOS, medical exam and OEC all need a COE that is still valid, so the remaining steps must fit inside those 3 months.
Food service: an ISA page posted on September 10, 2026 says COE issuance for food service SSW is paused, and change-of-status applications are being processed first. COEs are being issued in order of receipt only for applications received on or before January 31, 2026.

The Philippine side asks employers to finish the MWO and DMW registration (Step 2) before filing the COE application. Details of the COE are in Certificate of Eligibility for Japan: Requirements and Timeline.

Step 5: The Visa

Who: you. Where: the Japan Visa Application Center run by VFS Services Philippines, in Parañaque, Makati, Quezon City, Cebu or Davao (appointments are booked on the VFS site). How long: standard 5 working days from the day after the application is accepted. Fee: PHP 5,750 for a single-entry visa (consular fee for July 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027).

The visa is the Embassy of Japan's endorsement in your passport. You apply for it in the Philippines with your COE. The Embassy's requirement sheet for Student, Worker and Dependent visas lists:

Your passport (signed) and a photocopy of its ID page
The visa application form with a 4.5 × 3.5 cm photo
A photocopy of the COE (the original is not needed; if the COE came by e-mail, a photocopy of the e-mail)

Processing can take longer, from several weeks to several months, if the Embassy needs additional checks. A COE does not guarantee that the visa will be issued.

Japan's pre-entry tuberculosis screening (JPETS) applies to Filipinos entering as mid- to long-term residents, but specified skilled workers are listed as temporarily exempt (Embassy notice dated March 24, 2025).

Step 6: PDOS and the Medical Exam

Who: you, with bookings made through the sending agency. Where: PDOS at OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the Philippine agency that runs it); the medical exam at the clinic booked through the agency. How long: about half a day each.

PDOS (Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar) is OWWA's orientation for workers about to leave. Your COE must still be valid when the booking is made.
The medical exam also takes about half a day and is booked through the agency.

You do not have to wait for the visa to do these. ISA states that the visa application, PDOS and medical exam can be done at the same time.

Step 7: The OEC (Overseas Employment Certificate)

Who: the sending agency applies for you. Where: the DMW. How long: no official figure.

After you have the visa and have finished PDOS and the medical exam, the agency applies to the DMW for your OEC. The OEC proves that the Philippine-side steps are complete, and you must show it at Philippine departure immigration. Your COE must still be valid when the OEC application is made.

The OEC is not issued unless the employer finished the Recruitment Agreement, MWO review and DMW registration in Step 2. See What Is an OEC and Why You Cannot Skip It.

Step 8: Departure and Landing in Japan

Who: you. Where: Philippine departure immigration, then the landing examination at the Japanese airport.

You show the OEC when leaving the Philippines. At the Japanese airport, if the landing examination finds that the conditions are met, you are given SSW status.

Which Steps Take the Longest, and What Runs at the Same Time

Longest official period: the COE, with a standard period of 1 to 3 months and an ISA average of 64.1 days for SSW (i) decisions in July 2026.
MWO review: 10 to 15 business days.
Visa: 5 working days as a standard.
PDOS and medical exam: about half a day each.
No official figure: DMW employer registration, the OEC, and the time an agency takes to match you with an employer. No official source gives a total period from the first test to departure.
At the same time: the visa, PDOS and medical exam.
Deadline: everything after the COE must be finished within the COE's 3-month validity.

What You Do Yourself, and What Goes Through the Agency or Employer

You do it yourself	The employer does it	Goes through the licensed sending agency
Book and take JFT-Basic and the skills test	Recruitment Agreement, MWO review and interview	DMW registration of the employer and job order
Apply for the visa at VFS	Sign the employment contract with you	Referral to the employer
Attend PDOS and the medical exam	Apply for the COE in Japan and mail it to you	PDOS and medical exam bookings
Show the OEC at departure		OEC application to the DMW

ISA's notice requires the Recruitment Agreement, MWO application and DMW registration for every SSW hire of a Filipino, so the agency and employer steps cannot be replaced by your own application.

If You Are Already in Japan (for Example, a Technical Intern)

Someone already in Japan on another status, such as a technical intern training trainee, follows a shorter route.

What stays the same:

Steps 2 and 3 still apply: the employer must have the Recruitment Agreement with a licensed sending agency, pass the MWO review and be registered with the DMW before it can sign an SSW contract with you. This rule applies to people in Japan as well.

What changes:

Change of status instead of COE and visa. You apply to a regional immigration office in Japan for a change of status (switching to SSW from your current status while staying in Japan). Once it is approved, the process is complete. ISA's average for SSW (i) change-of-status decisions in July 2026 was 59.5 days (excluding food service).
No PDOS, medical exam or OEC at this point. These belong to the route for people leaving the Philippines.
Later trips home: if you visit the Philippines on a re-entry permit, you must get an OEC from the DMW and show it when leaving the Philippines to return to Japan.
Timing: the Philippine side asks employers to finish the MWO and DMW registration before filing the change-of-status application.

For changing employers while on SSW, see Changing Jobs in Japan on SSW: What Your Visa Actually Requires. SSW (ii), the next level, is explained in What Is the SSW (ii) Visa in Japan?.

Official Fees in One Place

Item	Official fee
JFT-Basic (Philippines, Prometric)	PHP 2,010
SSW (i) skills test (Philippines, Prometric)	PHP 380 to PHP 2,900, depending on the field
MWO Tokyo verification	No fee
COE	No fee
Single-entry visa (July 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027)	PHP 5,750

The fees for the OEC, PDOS and the medical exam were not confirmed on official pages for this article. For a fuller cost picture, see The Real Cost of a Japan Work Visa: A Full Breakdown and Hanapon's cost tool.

FAQ

Q: Can I apply for the SSW COE myself?

Not from the Philippines. The COE application is filed in Japan by the employer's staff or another designated agent, at the regional immigration office or online. You apply for the visa yourself, at the Japan Visa Application Center in the Philippines, after you receive the COE.

Q: Can a Japanese employer hire me for SSW without a Philippine sending agency?

No. ISA's notice states that the employer must sign a Recruitment Agreement with a DMW-licensed sending agency, apply to the MWO and register with the DMW before signing a contract with a Filipino. Without these, the OEC is not issued and you cannot leave the Philippines as a worker.

Q: My COE has arrived. What must I finish before it expires?

The COE is valid for 3 months from issue. Within that time you need the visa, PDOS, the medical exam and the OEC. The visa, PDOS and medical exam can be done at the same time; the OEC application comes after all three, and the COE must still be valid when it is filed.

Summary

The SSW (i) application for a Filipino runs in a set order. You pass JFT-Basic and the skills test. The Japanese employer signs a notarized Recruitment Agreement with a DMW-licensed sending agency, passes the MWO review (10 to 15 business days; MWO Tokyo charges no fee) and registers with the DMW. Only then is the job contract signed. The employer applies for the COE in Japan (standard 1 to 3 months, no fee), and you apply for the visa through VFS (standard 5 working days, PHP 5,750) while attending PDOS and the medical exam. The agency then applies for your OEC, which you show when leaving the Philippines. All steps after the COE must fit within its 3-month validity. If you are already in Japan, the employer and contract steps are the same, and a change of status at a regional immigration office replaces the COE, visa, PDOS, medical exam and OEC.

Sources

Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Procedures for accepting Filipino nationals as specified skilled workers: https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/ssw/nyuukokukanri05_00021.html
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Notice on Philippine-side procedures (PDF): https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/930005921.pdf
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Explanation of the procedure for the Philippines (PDF): https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/930004801.pdf
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Procedure flowchart for the Philippines (PDF): https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/930004800.pdf
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Certificate of Eligibility application: https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/16-1.html
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Average processing days (July 2026 decisions, PDF): https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001470530.pdf
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Processing period data list: https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/resources/nyuukokukanri07_00140.html
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Food service SSW COE status: https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/10_00259.html
Migrant Workers Office Tokyo, Specified Skilled Workers 1&2: https://mwo-tokyo.dmw.gov.ph/index.php/2025/03/17/specified-skilled-workers-12/
Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, Japan Visa Application Center: https://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/00_000035.html
Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, Requirements for Student / Worker / Dependent visas (PDF): https://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/files/100479463.pdf
Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, Visa FAQ: https://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_ja/00_001000.html
Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, Consular fees (PDF): https://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/files/101049024.pdf
Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, Consular fees list: https://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_ja/00_000284.html
Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, Japan Pre-Entry Tuberculosis Screening notice: https://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/11_000001_01844.html
Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, Specified Skilled Worker: https://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/00_000992.html
The Japan Foundation, About JFT-Basic: https://www.jpf.go.jp/jft-basic/e/about/
Prometric, SSW test list and booking rules: https://www.prometric-jp.com/en/ssw/test_list/archives/1
Prometric, SSW test fees: https://www.prometric-jp.com/en/ssw/exam/fee/