SSW Japan Requirements for Filipinos (2026): Tests, Agency, COE, OEC

Key Takeaways

• SSW (Specified Skilled Worker, or Tokutei Ginou) needs two things from you: a passing skills test in your field and a Japanese test (JFT-Basic A2 or JLPT N4 or higher).
• Filipinos cannot apply directly to a Japanese company. The employer must be registered with the DMW through the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Tokyo or Osaka, and you must go through a DMW-licensed agency.
• The paper trail runs in this order: skills test and Japanese test, job match, Certificate of Eligibility (COE) applied for by the employer, visa from the Embassy of Japan, then your OEC from the DMW.
• SSW (i) is limited to 5 years total and you cannot bring family. SSW (ii) has no limit and allows family.
• Japan-bound workers pay no placement fee. Legitimate pre-departure costs are small and mostly paid to government offices or test centers.

What SSW is, in one paragraph

SSW is a Japanese work status for people who already have a usable level of skill in a specific field, such as caregiving, food service, construction, agriculture, or manufacturing. It is not a training program. You are hired as a regular worker under Japanese labor law, which is why Japan asks you to prove your skill with a test before you arrive.

There are two levels. SSW (i) is the entry level for most Filipinos: a maximum of 5 years in total, and family cannot join you. SSW (ii) is for higher, proven skill: no upper limit on stay, and your spouse and children can come. Most people start with SSW (i) and move up later if their field allows it.

Requirement 1: the two tests

Skills test in your field. Each SSW field has its own test, set at the level of Japan's "Trade Skill Test grade 3 equivalent." The test is written and, for some fields, practical. The Japanese used in the questions has furigana (small reading aids above kanji), so you do not need to read advanced kanji. Results show your score and the pass mark. See /tests for how the fields are organized.

Japanese test. You need either JFT-Basic at A2 level or JLPT N4 or higher. Both are accepted. JFT-Basic is computer-based and offered more often in the Philippines, which is why many Filipinos choose it. We explain it in detail in our JFT-Basic guide.

Two important rules from Japan's March 2025 test policy:

• You must apply for tests yourself. Applications submitted by a broker who charges you a fee are meant to be excluded.
• Passing a test never guarantees a visa. It only makes you eligible to be hired.

The minimum age to take the tests is 17. Typical test fees in the Philippines are around PHP 3,000 each, but confirm the exact amount on the official test website before you pay.

One shortcut: if you completed TITP No. 2 (the three-year technical intern program) in good standing, you can move to SSW in the same field without taking either test. Ask the immigration office or your former supervising organization for the exact conditions.

Requirement 2: a DMW-licensed agency and a registered employer

Under Philippine law, you cannot be deployed to Japan as an SSW worker on your own. You must go through a recruitment agency licensed by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). On the Japanese side, the employer must register with the DMW through the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Tokyo or Osaka before it can hire Filipinos through a licensed agency.

What this means in practice:

• If a Japanese company contacts you directly on social media and says "no agency needed," that is not a legal route for an SSW hire from the Philippines.
• If a Philippine "consultant" offers to refer you to a Japanese job but has no DMW license, that is illegal recruitment under Philippine law. Referring or advertising jobs abroad without a DMW license is an offense under RA 8042 as amended by RA 10022.
• You can check whether an agency is licensed on the DMW website. Do this before you send any document.

Hanapon does not refer applicants to any agency and does not post job offers. We only explain the process. Use /check to see the questions you should ask any agency.

Requirement 3: the Certificate of Eligibility (COE)

Once an employer decides to hire you, the employer, not you, applies to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan for your Certificate of Eligibility. The COE is Japan's pre-approval that your status of residence (SSW) is appropriate. Processing time varies; as of 2026, a few months is typical, but it depends on the immigration office and the completeness of the paperwork.

You will be asked to supply documents for the COE application, usually:

• Passport copy
• Test result certificates (skills test and Japanese test)
• Employment contract and conditions of employment
• Medical exam results from a DMW-accredited clinic
• Sometimes a resume and photos

Read your employment contract before you sign it: salary, working hours, housing, and who pays the airfare. Airfare is often covered by the employer, but get it in writing.

Requirement 4: the visa

With the COE in hand, you apply for the visa at the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, usually through the agency or an accredited travel agency. Good news: the visa fee is waived for Filipino nationals. If anyone charges you a "visa fee" for Japan, ask them to show the official fee schedule.

Requirement 5: the OEC

The Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) is issued by the DMW. It proves you were processed legally and it is your exit clearance. You show it at the airport when you leave the Philippines. Without it, immigration officers at NAIA or Clark can stop you from boarding. Do not let anyone tell you the OEC is optional or that a "tourist visa first, work later" plan will work. It will not, and it can get you barred from Japan. We wrote a separate post on why you cannot skip the OEC.

Before the OEC you will also attend PDOS (Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar) and PEOS (Pre-Employment Orientation Seminar). Both are free.

What you pay, and what you do not

Legitimate pre-departure costs are small. As of 2026, a typical list looks like this:

• Passport (DFA fee)
• Skills test and Japanese test, about PHP 3,000 each
• Medical exam at a DMW-accredited clinic
• NBI clearance
• PDOS and PEOS: free
• Visa fee: waived for Filipinos

You do not pay a placement fee. Japan-bound workers are exempt, and Philippine rules do not allow agencies to collect one. If an agency asks for a "processing fee," "training fee," or a "guarantee deposit" of tens of thousands of pesos, stop and read our placement fee post before you pay anything. See /scam for the most common tricks.

After arrival: your support organization

Every SSW (i) worker in Japan must have support from either the employer or a registered support organization. Roughly 1,800 of these organizations list Tagalog as a supported language. They help with housing and paperwork and must hold a check-in interview with you at least every 3 months. They are not allowed to charge you for this. If they ask for money, report it.

A realistic timeline

Every case is different, but a typical path looks like this: study Japanese and pass JFT-Basic (often 6 to 12 months of study), pass the skills test, apply through a DMW-licensed agency to a DMW-registered employer, sign a contract you have read, wait for the COE (typically a few months), then visa, PDOS/PEOS, medical, OEC, and fly.

Nobody can promise you a visa or a job. Anyone who does is selling something. What you can control is the tests, the documents, and choosing a licensed agency.

Sources

• Immigration Services Agency of Japan / Ministry of Justice: Specified Skilled Worker system, Certificate of Eligibility procedures, March 2025 test policy
• Department of Migrant Workers (DMW): licensed agency list, OEC, Migrant Workers Office (MWO) Tokyo and Osaka
• OWWA: PDOS and membership
• Japan Foundation: JFT-Basic
• JLPT (Japan Foundation and JEES)
• OTIT: Technical Intern Training and transition to SSW
• Philippine Labor Code Art. 13(b); RA 8042 as amended by RA 10022
• Hanapon: /check, /routes, /tests, /money, /scam