Money: what it costs, what you earn, what gets home
Three numbers matter: how much you spend before leaving, how much you actually take home each month in Japan, and how many pesos arrive when you send it.
1. Before you leave
Legitimate costs for an SSW worker are small and paid to the organization providing the service. If someone asks for more than about PHP 20,000 in total, ask what each peso is for.
| Item | Who pays | PHP | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport (new or renewal) | You | 950 to 1,200 | DFA fee. Do not pay a fixer. |
| JFT-Basic test fee | You | 2,010 | Prometric fee, September 2026. Paid to the test provider only. |
| Skills evaluation test | You | 380 to 2,900 | Varies by field (Prometric list, September 2026). Caregiving also has a Care Japanese Test. |
| Medical exam (DOH-accredited clinic) | You | 3,000 to 8,000 | Only at clinics accredited for Japan. |
| NBI clearance | You | About 130 to 200 | Online appointment. |
| PDOS / PEOS | You | Free | OWWA / DMW. |
| Placement fee | Nobody | 0 | Not allowed for Japan-bound workers. |
| Work visa | You | 5,750 (single entry) | Embassy of Japan fee, July 2026 to March 2027. Only tourist visas are free for Filipinos. |
| Airfare | Employer (usually) | Check your contract | Many SSW contracts cover it. Confirm in writing. |
| Japanese language classes (optional) | You | 5,000 to 40,000 | Depends on the school. Free materials exist. |
Amounts are typical as of 2026 and change. Confirm on the official sites.
2. What you take home in Japan
Your contract shows gross salary. Deductions for health insurance, pension, employment insurance, income tax, and often housing come out before you see it. Use the calculator to estimate. Residence tax starts in your second year and surprises many workers.
- Health insurance
- -¥10,000
- Pension
- -¥18,300
- Employment insurance
- -¥1,100
- Income tax (approx.)
- -¥6,412
- Residence tax
- -¥0
- Housing
- -¥30,000
Estimate only. Food, phone, and transport are not included. Pension paid can be partly refunded when you leave Japan.
3. Sending money home (JPY → PHP)
The same JPY 50,000 can arrive as a difference of several hundred pesos depending on the service. We compare the rate and fee of major services every hour. Some links are affiliate links: Hanapon may earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and the order is always by pesos received, not by who pays us.
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Rates and fees are collected hourly from Wise's public provider-comparison service, which also lists banks and other transfer companies. Wise is one of our partners, so check the final amount on each provider's own site before you send. Remitly and WorldRemit are not in this data yet.
Wise: the rate you see is the mid-market rate
Wise sends yen to a Philippine bank or GCash account at the mid-market rate with the fee shown upfront, which is why it is the rate we compare the others against. Transfers usually arrive the same day or the next. You still need your own ID to open an account.
Open WiseAffiliate link: Hanapon may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The comparison above is ordered by the pesos that arrive, never by who pays us, and you can go to any provider directly.
Two things nobody tells you
- Pension refund (Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment): when you leave Japan for good, you can claim back part of the pension you paid, within two years. Many workers forget and lose it.
- Residence tax after you leave: it is charged on last year's income, so a bill can arrive after you have gone home. Appoint a tax representative before leaving.