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Working in Japan

What you should pay to get a job in Japan

These are the official fees a Sri Lankan pays to go to Japan as a worker, each read from the official page named under it. Everything else an agency charges is a service it must explain and put in writing.

SLBFE fees

  • SLBFE registration (first time)Rs 18,200 plus 18% VAT and 2.5% SSCL, from SLBFE's registration page. SLBFE's older Japan programme page still shows Rs 21,467.LKR 22,027
  • SLBFE pre-departure training for Japan (two days)Not confirmed

    Since 15 September 2026 SLBFE requires first-time Japan job seekers to complete a two-day training before registration and charges a fee for it. The amount has not been published. Ask SLBFE. Source ↗

  • Maximum agency fee for Japan technical recruitmentNot confirmed

    In May 2021 SLBFE was reported to have set a maximum agency fee of Rs 350,000 for Japan technical recruitment and to treat anything above it as illegal. We found no SLBFE circular confirming the current figure. Ask SLBFE what the maximum is today. Source ↗

  • Sending-organisation fee under the ESD programme (from April 2027)The Japan–Sri Lanka Employment for Skill Development memorandum, signed in 2026, says an approved sending organisation must not have taken more than two months' wages from the worker and must publish how it calculates its fees.Max. two months' wages
  • SLBFE registration renewalRs 3,800 plus 18% VAT and 2.5% SSCL, from SLBFE's registration page.LKR 4,599

Source: slbfe.lk ↗ · checked October 10, 2026

Japanese test fees

  • JFT-BasicLKR 12,000
  • JLPT N4 or N5N5 and N4; SLBFE marks it “subject to change”LKR 7,000

Skills test for your sector (SSW only)

  • Nursing care (skills and Japanese)LKR 4,000
  • Agriculture, level 1LKR 6,300
  • Food service (i)LKR 6,300
  • ConstructionLKR 2,000
  • Accommodation (i)LKR 15,500
  • Accommodation (ii)LKR 30,000

Read the JFT-Basic test guide →

Source: prometric-jp.com ↗ · checked October 10, 2026

Japan visa fees in Sri Lanka

The Embassy of Japan's fees are collected by VFS Global in Colombo and reset each year. The amounts below are from VFS Global's table for 1 July 2026 to 31 March 2027; check it again before you pay.

  • Visa fee (consular)Single-entry visa including the Certificate of Eligibility, for Sri Lankan nationals. VFS Global's table for 1 July 2026 to 31 March 2027. Refunded only if the Embassy refuses the visa.LKR 30,000
  • VFS Global service chargePer application, inclusive of taxes, non-refundable.LKR 5,500
  • VFS Global courier chargeMandatory two-way courier for your passport, non-refundable.LKR 2,200

Source: visa.vfsglobal.com ↗ · checked October 10, 2026

TITP through SLBFE and IM Japan

If you go as a technical intern through the SLBFE–IM Japan programme, you apply to SLBFE directly. Its page lists the registration fee above and says the flight is free.

  • Flight ticket (IM Japan programme)flight tickets are provided free of charge through IM JapanFree

Source: services.slbfe.lk ↗ · checked October 10, 2026

Add up your official fees

Pick your route. Only confirmed official fees are added; anything we could not confirm is listed, not counted.

Route
Japanese test
  • SLBFE registration (first time)LKR 22,027
  • JFT-BasicLKR 12,000
  • Sector skills testLKR 4,000
  • Visa fee (consular)LKR 30,000
  • VFS Global service chargeLKR 5,500
  • VFS Global courier chargeLKR 2,200
  • SLBFE pre-departure training for Japan (two days)Not confirmed

Official fees confirmed so farLKR 75,727

Not counted because we could not confirm the amount: SLBFE pre-departure training for Japan (two days).

Anything above this is agency service, training, medicals or travel. Ask for every item in writing before you pay.

What visitors report being quoted

Anonymous and numbers only: no names, no text. A range appears once 3 people have reported, so one number can never be traced to one person.

No reports yet. If you were quoted or paid, be the first.

Reported by visitors. Not verified by us or by SLBFE, and not a judgement of the agency.

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What agencies advertise

For comparison, amounts published by one SLBFE-licensed agency on its own website. They are that agency's prices on that day, not a market rate, and this site does not judge what training or service should cost.

SLBFE's own advice

From SLBFE's Japan recruitment page:

  • “Avoid brokers who ask for money up front promising jobs.”
  • “Ask for a clear breakdown of service fees, other costs, and payment schedule.”
  • “Verify your agency's license with SLBFE before proceeding.”

Source: services.slbfe.lk ↗ · checked October 10, 2026

Frequently asked questions

How much does SLBFE charge to register for a job in Japan?

SLBFE's registration page lists the first-time fee as Rs 22,027 (Rs 18,200 plus VAT and SSCL). First-time Japan job seekers must also complete SLBFE's two-day pre-departure training, whose fee SLBFE has not published.

How much do the Japanese tests cost in Sri Lanka?

Prometric lists the JFT-Basic at LKR 12,000 in Sri Lanka. SLBFE lists the JLPT N4 and N5 at LKR 7,000, subject to change. Sector skills tests for Specified Skilled Worker routes cost between LKR 2,000 and LKR 15,500 depending on the field.

Is there a maximum fee an agency can charge for a Japan job?

For the Employment for Skill Development programme starting April 2027, the Japan–Sri Lanka memorandum caps what a sending organisation may collect from the worker at two months' wages. For other routes, SLBFE was reported in 2021 to have set a maximum of Rs 350,000 for Japan technical recruitment, but we could not find a current SLBFE circular confirming it. Ask SLBFE directly, and ask any agency for a written breakdown before paying.

Is the flight to Japan free?

Under the SLBFE–IM Japan Technical Intern Training programme, SLBFE states that flight tickets are provided free of charge. Under other routes the ticket is part of what an agency or employer arranges, so ask who pays.

Why do agencies advertise packages of Rs 1.5 million or more?

Packages bundle official fees with the agency's own charges: language and skills-test training, medicals, document translation, service fees and the air ticket. The official fees are a small part of that. Ask for each item in writing and compare it with the official amounts on this page.

What is the hardest part of getting a job in Japan?

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Not an official site

expathjobs.com is independent. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Japan Foundation, Prometric, JEES or any ministry. Every fact above was read from an official page on the date shown next to it. Rules and fees change: confirm on the official site before you pay.