Nursing care, or kaigo in Japanese, is the single biggest area where Japan needs foreign workers. With nearly three in ten people aged 65 or older, the country has thousands of elderly care homes, day-service centres and group homes that struggle to find enough staff. That shortage has made caregiving one of the most open doors for Indians who want to work in Japan.
Caregiving is not the same as nursing. A caregiver in Japan helps elderly residents with daily life: eating, bathing, moving from bed to wheelchair, using the toilet, taking part in activities and staying safe. You do not give injections or manage medicines in the way a registered nurse does. What you need most is patience, physical stamina, a respectful attitude and enough Japanese to talk to residents and colleagues.
This guide explains how Indian candidates can enter kaigo work under the Specified Skilled Worker system, which exams they must clear, how much they can expect to earn and how a caregiving job can grow into a long-term career in Japan.
What a Caregiver Does on a Typical Shift
A day in a Japanese care facility follows a fixed rhythm. Morning shifts start with helping residents wake up, wash and dress, followed by breakfast support. The rest of the day includes bathing assistance, toilet care, recreation activities, recording each resident’s condition and helping with lunch and dinner. Night shifts involve regular rounds, changing positions for bedridden residents and responding to calls.
Japanese care homes take record-keeping seriously. You will write short notes about meals, mood, bowel movements and anything unusual. That is why the language requirement for kaigo is stricter than for many other fields: misunderstanding a resident or a senior colleague can affect someone’s health.
The SSW Nursing Care Route
Most Indians enter caregiving through Specified Skilled Worker (i) in the nursing care field. To qualify, you generally need to pass three tests:
- Nursing Care Skills Evaluation Test – checks your knowledge of basic care, communication with elderly people, body mechanics and safety.
- Nursing Care Japanese Language Evaluation Test – focuses on care-related vocabulary and workplace phrases.
- A general Japanese test – JLPT N4 or above, or the Japan Foundation’s JFT-Basic.
The nursing care tests are computer-based and have been held in India as well as in Japan and several other countries. Schedules and venues change, so look for current announcements from the official testing body rather than relying on coaching centres alone.
Graduates of certain care training programmes or people who have completed Technical Intern Training (ii) in nursing care may be exempt from some tests, but a first-time applicant from India should plan to take all three.
Who Is a Good Fit for Kaigo Work?
You do not need a nursing degree, but certain backgrounds make the work and the exams easier:
- ANM, GNM or B.Sc. Nursing students and graduates who understand basic patient care
- People who have worked as home attendants, ward assistants or patient care aides in Indian hospitals
- Candidates with a caregiver or geriatric care certificate from a recognised Indian skill training centre
- Anyone who has looked after elderly family members and is comfortable with personal care tasks
Physical fitness matters. Lifting and transferring residents is part of the job, even though Japanese facilities increasingly use assistive equipment and teach techniques that protect your back.
Preparing for the Exams from India
Start with Japanese. Hiragana and katakana come first, followed by basic grammar and everyday conversation. Once you reach around N5 level, begin learning care vocabulary alongside, such as words for body parts, meals, toileting, mobility aids and common phrases used with elderly people. The official sample questions for the nursing care tests are the best guide to what is asked.
A realistic schedule for a beginner is eight to twelve months of steady study. Many Indian candidates join a Japanese-language institute with a nursing care focus, while others combine online classes with practice at a local old-age home. Whatever you choose, spoken practice is essential: interviews with Japanese care facilities are usually conducted partly in Japanese.
Tips for the employer interview
Interviewers want to see attitude as much as language. Prepare a short self-introduction in Japanese, explain honestly why you chose caregiving, and give a real example of looking after someone, whether a grandparent or a hospital patient. Expect questions about night shifts, living in a rural area and how long you plan to stay. Facilities invest in training you, so they value candidates who show a long-term commitment and a willingness to keep learning.
Indicative Salary for Caregivers
Pay in kaigo depends on the region, type of facility, shift pattern and your qualifications. The government has introduced subsidies to raise care worker pay, and night shifts and qualifications add allowances. The table gives rough, indicative monthly figures before deductions, converted at about ₹0.57 per yen.
| Stage | Indicative monthly pay (JPY) | Approx. INR |
|---|---|---|
| SSW (i) caregiver, first year | ¥170,000 – ¥220,000 | ₹97,000 – ₹1.25 lakh |
| SSW (i) with night shifts | ¥200,000 – ¥250,000 | ₹1.14 – ₹1.43 lakh |
| Certified Care Worker (Kaigo Fukushishi) | ¥230,000 – ¥300,000 | ₹1.31 – ₹1.71 lakh |
| Team leader / senior care worker | ¥260,000 – ¥340,000 | ₹1.48 – ₹1.94 lakh |
The ranges above for caregiver jobs in Japan are estimates based on commonly reported earnings. They vary between employers and cities, and the Specified Skilled Worker Support Website, linked under Helpful Links, is the best place to check current rules.
Many facilities also pay a bonus once or twice a year. From your gross pay, expect deductions for social insurance and tax, plus rent if you live in employer-arranged housing. Figures vary widely by employer, prefecture and experience.
Where You Can and Cannot Work
SSW nursing care workers are mainly placed in facilities such as special nursing homes for the elderly, long-term care health facilities, group homes for people with dementia, day-service centres and facilities for people with disabilities. For a long time, home-visit care was not permitted for SSW workers. Japan has started allowing it under strict conditions, such as training, experience and employer support, so check the current rules if a job involves visiting clients’ homes.
Your work must remain care-related. A facility cannot employ you on a nursing care SSW visa and then make you work mainly as a cook or cleaner.
The Long-Term Path: Certified Care Worker
SSW (i) caps your stay at five years, and unlike most fields, nursing care does not use SSW (ii). Instead, the long-term route is Japan’s national qualification for certified care workers, known as Kaigo Fukushishi. After gaining around three years of practical experience and completing a required practical training course, you can sit the national exam, which is held in Japanese.
If you pass, you can switch to the “Nursing Care” residence status. This visa can be renewed without a fixed limit and allows your spouse and children to join you. It is one of the clearest routes for Indians to build a stable, long-term life in Japan, but the exam is demanding and requires strong reading skills, so keep studying Japanese throughout your SSW years.
Living Costs and Daily Life
Many care facilities are located in suburban or rural areas where rent is cheaper than in Tokyo. Employer-arranged shared apartments often cost between ¥25,000 and ¥50,000 a month. Groceries for a single person who cooks at home might be around ¥30,000 to ¥40,000. Indian spices and lentils are available in larger cities and online, though prices are higher than at home.
Shift work, including nights, can be tiring in the first months. Most Indian caregivers say that building friendships with Japanese colleagues and residents makes the biggest difference to how quickly they adjust.
Protecting Yourself During Recruitment
Because kaigo is popular, some agents charge inflated fees or promise jobs “without exams”. No genuine SSW caregiver job skips the required tests. Use registered agencies, ask for a written explanation of all costs, and keep your passport with you. Before paying for any training programme or applying through an agency, verify the test requirements and visa details on official sources such as the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, the Japan Foundation and the Japanese embassy in India.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a nursing qualification to become a caregiver in Japan?
No. A nursing background helps, but SSW eligibility is based on passing the skills test and Japanese tests, not on a degree.
Are male caregivers hired in Japan?
Yes. Japanese care facilities employ both men and women, and male staff are often valued for physical support tasks.
How long does the full preparation take?
For a complete beginner in Japanese, eight to twelve months is common before you are ready for all three tests and interviews.
Can I bring my family as a caregiver?
Not on SSW (i). Once you pass the Kaigo Fukushishi exam and move to the Nursing Care visa, family members can usually join you.
Is caregiving work very hard?
It is physically and emotionally demanding, especially at first. Proper techniques, teamwork and good Japanese make it manageable and rewarding.
Final Word for Aspiring Caregivers
Kaigo is not an easy job, but it is a respected one with real long-term prospects for Indians who commit to the language and the work. If you have patience and genuine care for elderly people, this could be the most stable path to a career in Japan.