Placement Fee for Japan: What You Should Never Pay, and What Is Legit

Key Takeaways

• Filipino workers going to Japan are not charged a placement fee. Not by the agency, not by the employer, not by a "consultant."
• Legitimate pre-departure costs are small: passport, tests (about PHP 3,000 each), medical exam at an accredited clinic, NBI clearance. PDOS and PEOS are free. The Japan visa fee is waived for Filipinos.
• "Processing fee," "training fee," "guarantee deposit," "reservation fee," and "visa assistance fee" are the usual names for illegal charges.
• Collecting unauthorized fees, or referring or advertising jobs abroad without a DMW license, is illegal recruitment under Philippine law.
• If you already paid, keep every receipt and message. You can report to the DMW.

The rule in one sentence

If you are being deployed to Japan through the legal process, nobody is allowed to charge you a placement fee. The DMW rules exempt Japan-bound workers, and on the Japanese side the employer covers recruitment costs. If someone asks you for tens of thousands of pesos to "get you to Japan," the correct answer is no, and the correct next step is to check their license at the DMW.

This is not a gray area. It is the single most important fact on this site. See /scam for the wider list of tricks.

Why people still get charged

Because the amount of money feels reasonable compared to the prize. A Japanese salary of JPY 180,000 to 250,000 a month is life-changing for many families. So when someone says "PHP 150,000 and you are on the plane in six months," a lot of people borrow the money. Scammers know this. So do some licensed agencies that break the rules quietly, and some unlicensed "consultants" who call themselves language schools or training centers.

The scam works because the victim does not know two things: that the placement fee is prohibited, and that the real costs are small. Now you know both.

The legitimate costs, as of 2026

Here is the complete list of what a Filipino SSW applicant typically pays out of pocket. Confirm the exact amounts on the official sites, because fees change.

That is it. Everything on this list is paid to a government office, an accredited clinic, or an official test provider, and you get an official receipt. Nothing on this list goes to an agency's cash box.

Japanese language classes are a real cost if you choose to take them, but they are a choice, not a requirement, and you choose the school. A school that says "our class is required for this job" is bundling.

The illegal fees, by name

Scammers rarely say "placement fee" any more, because people have heard that word. They use other names. Watch for:

• Processing fee. For "processing your documents." Document processing is the agency's job, paid by the employer.
• Training fee. For a "mandatory" course before departure. Unless it is a school you chose freely, this is a placement fee with a different label.
• Guarantee deposit / bond. "Refundable when you finish your contract." Illegal, and rarely refunded.
• Reservation or slot fee. To "hold your place" with an employer. Employers do not sell slots.
• Visa assistance fee. The Japan visa is free for Filipinos.
• COE fee. The employer applies for the COE and pays any cost.
• Test application fee above the official test fee. Japan's March 2025 policy says test applications must come from you; brokers charging for this are to be excluded.
• Support organization fee. In Japan, registered support organizations must not charge the worker. Ever.
• Salary deduction for recruitment after you arrive. Check your payslip. Deductions should be only the legal ones: insurance, pension, tax, and agreed housing.

What is not a scam, but still needs care

Some things are legal but need a written agreement:

• Airfare. Often covered by the employer per contract. If the contract says you pay, that is not illegal, but it should be in the contract you signed, not a surprise at the airport.
• Housing deposit in Japan. Some employers deduct a housing cost from salary. That should be in the contract with the amount stated.
• Language school tuition you chose yourself.

The test is simple: is it in the written contract, with an amount, and is it something the law allows? If not, do not pay.

How to check an agency

1. Go to the DMW website and search the list of licensed agencies. Check the license is valid, not suspended or cancelled.
2. Confirm the agency has a job order for Japan. A license alone does not mean they have real employers.
3. Ask how the Japanese employer registered with the DMW. The answer should mention the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Tokyo or Osaka.
4. Ask for the fee list in writing. A legitimate answer for Japan is short.
5. Ask who applies for the COE. The answer is the employer.

Use /check for the full question list. Hanapon does not recommend agencies and does not take money from any of them. We only give you the questions.

If someone is asking you to pay right now

• Do not pay in cash. Do not pay through a personal GCash or bank account.
• Ask for the official receipt template and the DMW license number before any payment.
• Take screenshots of every message that mentions money.
• Tell them you will confirm with the DMW first. Watch their reaction. A legitimate agency will say "of course." A scammer will create urgency: "slot closes tonight," "the employer is waiting," "everyone else already paid."

Urgency is the tell. Real Japanese employers move slowly. COE processing alone takes months.

If you already paid

You are not stupid, and you are not alone. Many careful people have paid. Do this:

1. Gather all receipts, screenshots, chat logs, and the names and account numbers you paid to.
2. File a complaint with the DMW. Collecting unauthorized fees is a violation, and referring or advertising overseas jobs without a DMW license is illegal recruitment under Article 13(b) of the Labor Code and RA 8042 as amended by RA 10022.
3. If the person is unlicensed, you can also report to the PNP or NBI anti-illegal recruitment units.
4. Do not pay more to "release" your documents. Your passport is yours. Withholding it is another violation.

Remember the shape of the real process

Tests you apply for yourself. A DMW-licensed agency. A Japanese employer registered through the MWO. A COE applied for by the employer. A free visa. Free PDOS and PEOS. An OEC. Airfare usually on the employer. No placement fee.

Anything that does not fit that shape is not the real process. Huwag magbayad. Don't pay.

Sources

• Department of Migrant Workers (DMW): rules on placement fees for Japan-bound workers, licensed agency list, complaint procedures
• OWWA: PDOS
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan / Ministry of Justice: SSW system, Certificate of Eligibility, March 2025 test policy
• Embassy of Japan in the Philippines: visa fee exemption for Filipino nationals
• Japan Foundation: JFT-Basic fees
• Philippine Labor Code Art. 13(b); RA 8042 as amended by RA 10022
• Hanapon: /scam, /check, /money