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Caregiver (Kaigo) Jobs in Japan for Indians: Salary, SSW Visa & How to Apply
Japan plans to accept up to 135,000 new nursing-care workers under the SSW visa by March 2029. Here is exactly what the job pays, which three exams you must clear, and the fastest legitimate route from India to a Japanese care facility.
Image slot: replace with a licensed photo of a caregiver assisting an elderly resident in a Japanese care facility (suggested search: “kaigo caregiver Japan elderly care” on a royalty-free library). Recommended size 1200ร600px, alt text: “Indian caregiver working in a Japanese nursing care facility under the SSW visa”.
What this guide covers
- What is a kaigo (caregiver) job under SSW?
- How much do caregivers earn in Japan?
- What does the job actually involve?
- Who can apply from India?
- The 3 exams you must clear
- Direct SSW route vs TITP transfer route
- Quick eligibility check
- Visa duration & bringing your family
- Step-by-step: India to a Japanese care facility
- FAQs
Every year, Japan’s population gets older and its workforce gets smaller โ the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare projects a shortfall of hundreds of thousands of care workers by the early 2030s. For Indian candidates willing to learn Japanese, that shortage is one of the most realistic, fastest-growing overseas career paths available today โ no medical degree required, transparent salary bands, and a government-run visa category built specifically for this shortage. This guide breaks down exactly what the job pays, what it demands, and how to get there.
01What Is a Kaigo (Caregiver) Job Under the SSW Visa?
“Kaigo” (ไป่ญท) is the Japanese word for nursing/elderly care. Under the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) programme run by Japan’s Immigration Services Agency, Nursing Care is one of 16 designated shortage sectors โ alongside construction, food service, and agriculture. It lets foreign nationals work directly in Japanese hospitals, elderly care homes (tokuyo), and day-care facilities once they clear the required exams.
Care work sits apart from most SSW sectors for one reason: it does not require a prior professional qualification from your home country. What Japan actually tests is whether you can perform care tasks safely and communicate with elderly residents in Japanese โ which is exactly what Lingua Nest’s Japanese + Jobs in Japan track is built to prepare you for.
Image slot: facility photo โ a modern Japanese care home (tokuyo) exterior or common room. Alt text suggestion: “Japanese elderly care facility hiring SSW caregivers”.
02How Much Do Caregivers Earn in Japan?
Salary depends on the prefecture, the facility type, and how much overtime and night-shift work you take on. Based on 2026 industry salary data and Japan’s minimum wage floors, here is a realistic breakdown for a first-time SSW caregiver from India:
| Experience level | Monthly salary (ยฅ) | Approx. in โน (@ โน0.60/ยฅ) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| First year, regional facility | ยฅ170,000 โ ยฅ190,000 | โน1.02L โ โน1.14L | Smaller cities, rural prefectures |
| First year, metro facility | ยฅ200,000 โ ยฅ230,000 | โน1.20L โ โน1.38L | Tokyo, Osaka, Aichi, Kanagawa |
| 2โ3 years + night shifts | ยฅ230,000 โ ยฅ260,000+ | โน1.38L โ โน1.56L+ | Night-duty and overtime allowances added |
| After Kaigo Fukushishi certification | ยฅ260,000 โ ยฅ320,000 | โน1.56L โ โน1.92L | Certified Care Worker โ senior/supervisory pay band |
Figures are gross monthly base pay before tax, pension and health-insurance deductions, compiled from SakuraPass SSW salary data and industry averages reported by TreeGlobalPartners. Actual offers vary by employer โ always confirm the exact figure in your job offer letter (koyou joken tsuchisho) before signing.
03What Does the Job Actually Involve?
SSW caregivers work inside Japanese care facilities under Japanese supervisors, alongside local and other foreign staff. Per the official SSW nursing care scope, the role covers:
Physical care
Assisting with bathing, eating, and toileting for elderly or disabled residents, adjusted to each person’s physical and mental condition.
Recreational & rehab support
Running recreational activities and functional training sessions that keep residents mobile and engaged.
Monitoring & records
Observing residents’ condition, logging care notes, and communicating changes to nursing staff.
Facility duties
Cleaning, infection-control routines, and general upkeep of resident living spaces.
04Who Can Apply From India?
Age
18 years or older at the time of application; most employers prefer candidates under 35โ40.
Education
No nursing degree required. 10+2 or graduate candidates from any stream are eligible.
Language
JLPT N4 / JFT-Basic A2 minimum, plus the Nursing Care Japanese Language Evaluation Test.
Health
Must pass a standard medical fitness check required for Japanese work visas.
05The 3 Exams You Must Clear
This is the part most guides gloss over. Nursing care is one of the few SSW sectors that requires three separate assessments, not one:
| Exam | Tests | Where to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| JLPT N4 or JFT-Basic | General conversational Japanese (A2 level) | Lingua Nest A1โN4 batches |
| Nursing Care Skills Evaluation Test | Practical care tasks โ bathing assistance, mobility support, hygiene procedures | Sector-specific skills coaching |
| Nursing Care Japanese Language Evaluation Test | Care-specific vocabulary and workplace communication (CBT, available year-round) | Lingua Nest care-Japanese module |
Candidates who complete Technical Intern Training (TITP) in a related care role can be exempted from some of these exams when transferring to SSW โ see the comparison below.
06Direct SSW Route vs TITP Transfer Route
๐ Direct SSW route
- Clear JLPT N4/JFT-Basic + both nursing-care exams from India
- Apply directly to an SSW-hiring facility via a licensed agency
- Typically 8โ14 months from zero Japanese to departure
- Best if you want to start earning SSW-level salary as fast as possible
๐ TITP transfer route
- 3-year Technical Intern Training placement first, then transfer to SSW
- Some exams waived if your TITP role matches nursing care
- Longer overall timeline, lower stipend during the TITP phase
- Useful if you don’t clear the skills test on the first attempt
๐งฎ Quick Eligibility Check
Answer 3 quick questions โ this does not collect any data, it just gives you an instant read on where you stand.
1. What’s your current Japanese level?
2. What’s your age?
3. Do you have any caregiving, nursing, or hospitality experience?
07Visa Duration & Bringing Your Family
This is the single most misunderstood part of the caregiver pathway, so read it carefully. The standard SSW-1 nursing care visa is capped at 5 years total and does not allow you to bring your spouse or children โ and unlike 11 of the other 16 SSW sectors, nursing care is currently excluded from the unlimited-renewal SSW-2 category.
There is, however, a genuine long-term route: caregivers who pass Japan’s National Kaigo Fukushishi exam (Certified Care Worker qualification) become eligible for a separate “Nursing Care” resident visa, which does allow indefinite renewal and family accompaniment. In practice, this means the strongest long-term plan is: work as an SSW caregiver, gain experience, then sit the Kaigo Fukushishi exam once your Japanese and practical skills are strong enough โ usually after 2โ3 years on the job.
08Step-by-Step: From India to a Japanese Care Facility
Free counselling & eligibility check
A 20-minute call to assess your age, education, and realistic timeline. Book yours here.
Japanese language training (A1 โ N4/N3)
Small-batch classes plus the care-specific vocabulary module you’ll need for the Nursing Care Japanese Evaluation Test.
Register & sit your exams
JLPT/JFT-Basic, Nursing Care Skills Evaluation Test, and Nursing Care Japanese Language Evaluation Test.
Employer matching & interview
We match you with SSW-hiring facilities and coach you through the video interview in Japanese.
Visa filing & pre-departure
Certificate of Eligibility, visa stamping, and orientation on life and work culture in Japan.
If you’re still building your Japanese from scratch, start with the fundamentals โ our guide on 5 essential N5 grammar patterns is a good first step before you move on to N4.
09Frequently Asked Questions
You need JLPT N4 or JFT-Basic (A2 level) at minimum, plus the separate Nursing Care Japanese Language Evaluation Test covering care-specific vocabulary. N3 is recommended for day-to-day comfort with residents and colleagues.
Entry-level SSW caregivers typically earn ยฅ170,000โยฅ260,000/month (roughly โน1.0โ1.56 lakh), depending on prefecture, facility, and overtime. Metro-area facilities (Tokyo, Osaka, Aichi) generally pay at the higher end.
Not on the standard SSW-1 visa, which is capped at 5 years with no family sponsorship. Caregivers who pass the National Kaigo Fukushishi exam can move to the separate Nursing Care resident visa, which allows indefinite stay and family accompaniment.
No formal nursing degree is required. What matters is passing the Nursing Care Skills Evaluation Test and the language exams. A healthcare, hospitality, or caregiving background helps you clear the skills test faster, but it isn’t mandatory.
TITP takes longer upfront but can waive some exams on transfer to SSW. Direct SSW is faster if you can clear all three exams from India. Most Lingua Nest candidates take the direct route since our coaching is built specifically for it.
Sources & further reading
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan โ SSW Nursing Care Field (official)
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare โ SSW nursing care guidance (PDF)
- Japan Foundation โ JFT-Basic official test information
- SSW Japan Study Portal โ Nursing care job & exam details
- SakuraPass โ Average SSW salaries by sector (2026)