Japan Student Visa JLPT N5 Rule: October 2026 Intake

By Atsushi — host at Bon House in Kanamachi, Katsushika ward. Running it since 2022, with more than 300 guest groups so far.

A Japan student visa now takes JLPT N5 or an equivalent: if you start at a Japanese language school in or after October 2026, "I studied for 150 hours" no longer counts as proof of your Japanese. You need a test certificate such as JLPT N5 or JFT-Basic A1, or the school has to confirm your level in an interview.

The Immigration Services Agency of Japan expects students entering Japanese language institutions to have A1-level Japanese or above on the Japanese Language Education Reference Framework. The rule is not limited to certain nationalities. Below I cover which proof to pick, the order of the visa steps and what to do in your first two weeks in Tokyo, drawing on what I have seen hosting students in Kanamachi just before and after they start school.

Japan student visa language requirement: JLPT N5, JFT-Basic or an interview

Option	When you can sit it	Results	Level needed
JLPT	Usually July and December (7月/12月)	About 1–2 months later	N5 or above
JFT-Basic	Usually every month	Straight after the test	A1 or above
School interview	During application and selection	The school decides	A1 equivalent

On top of these, J.TEST level F or above, NAT-TEST level 5 or above and a BJT score of 300 or more are also accepted as A1 equivalent "for the time being", according to the Immigration Services Agency's list.

If you have the time, take JLPT N5. A pass carries weight with language school admissions and, later, with employers, and the certificate never expires. If you are in a hurry, take JFT-Basic. The catch: JFT-Basic only runs in some countries, and under the 2026 guidance you cannot resit it for 45 days after your last test date.

Japan student visa JLPT N5 requirement: what changed in 2026

Until now, you could show A1-level Japanese with a certificate of "150 hours or more of Japanese study". A notice from the Immigration Services Agency made a test certificate or an interview check mandatory for these applications:

Certificate of Eligibility (COE) applications: students starting school in or after October 2026
Change of status or extension of stay: applications filed on or after 1 July 2026

Schools are also told to interview applicants "wherever possible", even those who hold a certificate. An N5 pass with no conversation behind it makes a poor impression in that interview. Don't prepare for the test alone: get to the point where you can introduce yourself and explain why you want to study in Japan, in Japanese.

One more point: you can usually stay enrolled at a Japanese language school for 2 years at most.

How long JLPT N5 takes to pass, and what to study first

The old Level 4 test (roughly today's N5) was pitched at about 150 hours of study, around 100 kanji and about 800 words. At 1–2 hours a day, 3–4 months from zero is a fair target.

This order gets you there fastest:

Hiragana and katakana (1–2 weeks)
800 core words, starting with the ones you meet every day: numbers, time, family, shopping
Basic grammar: desu/masu forms, the basic particles, the te-form
Mock tests, so the real exam format holds no surprises

To track your progress and get used to the exam, PassJapanese is free and does the job. You practise N5 vocabulary, grammar, reading and listening in the real exam format, with audio. Do a full timed run 1–2 weeks before the test and you'll know how to pace yourself.

I wrote about test-day logistics and venues in the JLPT exam guide for foreigners in Tokyo.

Japan student visa application steps: from school offer to Certificate of Eligibility

Japanese language schools usually take students twice a year, in April and October, or four times a year, in January, April, July and October (school sites in Japanese write these as 4月, 10月 and so on). The steps run like this:

Choose a Japanese language school and apply (document screening and interview)
Submit your JLPT N5, JFT-Basic A1 or other certificate
The school applies for your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) at the regional immigration bureau on your behalf
Once the COE is issued, you receive it together with your letter of admission
Apply for the visa at the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country
Once the visa is granted, fly to Japan and collect your residence card at the airport

The thing to watch is whether your test result arrives in time for the COE application. JLPT results take 1–2 months, so work backwards from the school's application deadline to pick your sitting. If the timing doesn't work, ask the school about JFT-Basic or an interview check instead.

Arriving in Tokyo on a student visa: your first 2 weeks

Residence card: issued at immigration when you land at Narita, Haneda and the other major airports
Resident registration: register at the city or ward office for your address within 14 days of moving in
National Health Insurance: sign up at the same counter as resident registration
Bank account: you need your residence card and an address. Some banks restrict accounts by how long you've been in Japan, so the bank your school recommends is the quickest route
Suica or PASMO: the Keisei lines and JR East don't take contactless credit card taps at the gate, so get an IC card first (how to get a Suica)

You register where you live. Spending a few days in a hotel or a guesthouse before you move into your dorm or apartment, then registering within 14 days of moving in, is fine.

Before your dorm opens: a few days at Bon House in Kanamachi

Language school dorms have a fixed move-in date, and plenty of students land a few days early because of flight prices or schedules. Bon House in Kanamachi, Katsushika ward, suits that gap well.

You get a private tatami room with 4 futons inside a detached house, plus your own bath and toilet. There's no kitchen, but there is a fridge, a microwave and a kettle, so bento boxes and ready meals from the nearby supermarkets (Maruetsu and Tokyu Store) keep you fed. The washer-dryer means the clothes from a long flight are clean the same day. The Wi-Fi is fast, and self check-in makes a late-night arrival easy.

From Narita Airport it's 55–70 minutes with one change at Keisei Takasago, and Ueno is 27 minutes with a change at Kita-Senju. It's too far to commute daily to a school in Shinjuku or Takadanobaba, but for the few days before your dorm, or a trip to visit schools before you apply, it fits.

If you have a few days to fill before your dorm opens, check Bon House's room, availability and rates here.

Example: a student landing at Narita 3 days before dorm move-in

Here is how it usually goes for a student on the October intake whose dorm move-in date is fixed, but whose flight lands at Narita 3 days early.

Day 1: Collect your residence card at immigration, then buy a Suica or PASMO at the airport station. Take the Keisei line to Keisei Takasago and change for Keisei Kanamachi, 55–70 minutes in all. After self check-in, run the flight clothes through the washer-dryer, heat a convenience store bento in the microwave and get an early night.
Day 2: Ride to Ueno in 27 minutes with a change at Kita-Senju. Walk the route to your school and find the ward office near your dorm.
Day 3: Pack up and move into the dorm. Resident registration, National Health Insurance and your bank account then happen within 14 days, at the dorm address.

Japan student visa, JLPT N5 and your first weeks in Tokyo: the timeline

Stage	What to do
6+ months before you arrive	Pick your JLPT N5 sitting and start studying
When you apply	N5 or JFT-Basic A1 certificate, or the school interview
After the COE is issued	Apply for the student visa at the embassy or consulate
Day 1 in Japan	Residence card, Suica, your first place to stay
Within 14 days of moving in	Resident registration, insurance, bank

JLPT N5 is within reach if you study steadily for 3–4 months. Start by putting your country's test dates next to your target school's application deadline, and choose your sitting from there. If you still need somewhere for your first few nights in Tokyo, see availability and rates on the Bon House room page, then book.

FAQ

Q. Do I need JLPT N5 for a Japan student visa if I'm going straight to a university or vocational school? The A1 (N5-equivalent) rule covers students entering Japanese language schools and other Japanese language institutions, plus university Japanese preparatory courses. Universities and vocational schools (senmon gakko) set their own Japanese requirements, and many ask for around N2, so check your school's admission guidelines.

Q. If I fail JFT-Basic, can I resit straight away? No. Under the Japan Foundation's 2026 guidance, you cannot resit for 45 days from the day after your test. If your application deadline is close, sit the test while you still have slack in the schedule, or ask the school about an interview check.

Q. Can I register my address at a hotel or guesthouse? Resident registration goes where you really live, so a hotel or guesthouse you stay in for a few days generally doesn't qualify. Register at the city or ward office for your dorm or apartment address within 14 days of moving in.

Japan Student Visa JLPT N5 Rule: What Changes From October 2026, Plus Your First 2 Weeks in Tokyo