Hire English teachers in Japan

What it costs to hire in Japan

Beyond salary, expect to deal with housing in some form. Many employers offer subsidised or arranged accommodation, or at minimum help with the key money, guarantor and deposit requirements that make renting in Japan hard for a new arrival without a Japanese credit history. Enrolment in social insurance and pension is a legal obligation for qualifying employment, not a perk, and commuting costs are conventionally reimbursed.

Visa sponsorship and your obligations

You sponsor the work status, most commonly the Instructor or the Specialist in Humanities and International Services status depending on the institution and the role. You apply for a Certificate of Eligibility on the teacher's behalf before they can obtain the visa, which means the paperwork starts on your side, not theirs. A bachelor's degree is the usual qualifying basis. Confirm the correct status of residence for your specific institution with immigration before you advertise.

When to recruit, and how long it takes

The Japanese academic year begins in April, and that drives most hiring, with a second wave around the autumn term. The Certificate of Eligibility process runs on its own schedule and cannot be compressed, so an April start realistically means recruiting in the previous autumn and filing early in the new year.

What the contract has to spell out

Be explicit about contracted teaching hours versus required office presence, because the gap between the two is the single most common source of disputes in eikaiwa work. State the housing arrangement precisely, including who holds the lease. Cover paid leave, social insurance enrolment, commuting allowance, renewal terms and notice.

How this goes wrong

Filing for the Certificate of Eligibility late and missing the April start entirely, leaving a class uncovered for a term. The second is writing a listing that reads like a full-time teaching job when the role is substantially dispatch or assistant work, which produces withdrawn acceptances rather than bad hires.

Questions schools ask

What visa do we sponsor for an English teacher in Japan?

Most commonly the Instructor status of residence for school-based roles, or Specialist in Humanities and International Services for conversation schools and corporate language work. Which applies depends on your institution type and the duties, so confirm it with immigration before advertising rather than after you have chosen a candidate.

What is a Certificate of Eligibility and who applies for it?

It is the document that precedes the visa, and the sponsoring employer applies for it in Japan on the prospective employee's behalf. That places the first and slowest part of the process on your side. Once granted, the teacher takes it to a Japanese consulate to obtain the visa itself.

Do we have to provide housing in Japan?

There is no legal obligation, but in practice a new arrival cannot easily rent, because of guarantor, key money and deposit norms plus the absence of any Japanese credit history. Employers who offer arranged or subsidised housing fill roles noticeably faster, and those who offer nothing tend to lose candidates at the offer stage.

When should we start recruiting for an April start in Japan?

The previous autumn. The academic year begins in April, the best candidates commit months ahead, and the Certificate of Eligibility process adds weeks that you do not control. Recruiting in February for an April start means choosing from whoever is left.

Immigration and licensing requirements change. Confirm the current position with the relevant ministry or authority before you contract a teacher.