SSW Visa Requirements for Vietnamese Applicants: What You Need to Know

Vietnam sends more workers to Japan on the SSW visa than any other country. As of mid-2025, Vietnamese nationals make up the largest share of the 336,196 SSW residents in Japan. But getting there from Vietnam involves more steps than applicants from most other countries — and some traps that are unique to the Vietnamese market.

This guide covers what Vietnamese applicants specifically need to prepare, including the DOLAB agency verification step, the mandatory TB screening, and the real costs involved.

The Four Things Vietnamese Applicants Must Do Before Applying

The SSW visa isn't just a paperwork exercise. You need to complete specific milestones in a specific order before a Japanese employer can even start your visa application.

Step 1: Pass your skills test. Choose the industry you'll work in (construction, food manufacturing, agriculture, etc.) and pass the relevant Specified Skills Evaluation Test. These are held in Vietnam at Prometric testing centers multiple times per year. Test fees range from $25 to $100 depending on the industry.

Step 2: Pass a Japanese language test. You need either the JFT-Basic (A2 level) or JLPT N4. The JFT-Basic is available up to six times a year and gives results the same day — much more practical than the JLPT, which runs only in July and December.

Step 3: Verify your sending organization through DOLAB. Vietnamese applicants must use a sending organization (a licensed Vietnamese agency) that is officially registered with the Department of Overseas Labour (DOLAB) and listed on the OTIT (Organization for Technical Intern Training) portal in Japan. Any agency not on both lists is operating outside the rules. Check the OTIT list at otit.go.jp before signing anything with an agency.

Step 4: Complete the JPETS tuberculosis screening. Vietnam is one of six countries where the Japan Pre-Entry Tuberculosis Screening (JPETS) is mandatory. You must get a chest X-ray at a designated Panel Clinic and obtain a TB Clearance Certificate. This certificate is valid for 180 days from the X-ray date. Without it, the Japanese embassy will not issue your visa.

The Documents You'll Need

Once you have your test certificates and TB clearance, your Japanese employer submits a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) application to the Regional Immigration Bureau in Japan. The typical employer-side processing time is one to three months.

When the CoE is issued, you take it to the Japanese embassy in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City for your actual visa. That step takes five to ten days.

Your personal documents for the visa application include:

• Valid passport (with at least six months of validity beyond your planned entry date)
• Skills test pass certificate (industry-specific)
• Japanese language certificate (JFT-Basic or JLPT N4 or higher)
• Health checkup card completed by a physician and translated into Japanese
• JPETS TB Clearance Certificate from a MHLW-designated Panel Clinic
• 4cm × 3cm photographs meeting Japanese visa photo requirements
• Resume / employment history in Japanese or English

If you're transitioning from a Technical Intern Training Programme (TITP) and have completed TITP Type 2 in the same industry, you are exempt from both language and skills tests. In that case, substitute your TITP completion certificate.

The DOLAB Verification Step: Why It Matters

Illegal broker fees are the biggest financial risk for Vietnamese SSW applicants. Vietnamese law under Law 72 sets service charge ceilings, but in practice many workers still pay $4,000 to $7,000 through unofficial channels — money they borrow and then spend years repaying.

The legitimate SSW pathway charges the employer, not the worker. Recruitment fees paid by the worker are explicitly illegal under Japanese law. Any Vietnamese agency asking you to pay a "placement fee" or "visa processing fee" of more than one month's salary per contract year is violating both Vietnamese law and Japan's bilateral agreement with Vietnam.

How to check your sending organization:

1. Go to the OTIT list of approved Vietnamese sending organizations: otit.go.jp
2. Cross-reference with the DOLAB registration at dolab.gov.vn
3. Confirm the specific company in Japan (the "Accepting Organization") is registered with the ISA — search at ssw.go.jp

If a recruiter pressures you to sign before letting you verify, that is a red flag.

What SSW Actually Costs a Vietnamese Applicant

Despite the "employer pays" principle, there are legitimate out-of-pocket preparation costs:

Total out-of-pocket: roughly $400 to $1,000, all paid in Vietnam before departure. Anything significantly above this — especially "placement fees" or "guarantee deposits" — is not a legitimate SSW cost.

Life in Japan on SSW: What Vietnamese Workers Actually Receive

Once you arrive, your employer (or a Registered Support Organization they hire) is legally required to provide ten support services. These include airport pickup, help finding housing, assistance opening a bank account and registering your address at city hall, life orientation sessions, and quarterly meetings to ensure you understand your contract.

Your salary must be equal to what a Japanese worker in the same role would earn in the same city. All SSW workers are enrolled in Japan's Shakai Hoken (social health insurance and pension). The pension contributions you make while in Japan can be partially refunded as a Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment when you leave — useful to know if you plan to return home after your contract.

SSW Type 1 allows a maximum stay of five years. During those five years, you cannot bring your spouse or children to Japan. If you want to stay long-term with family, the path is to qualify for SSW Type 2 — which requires an advanced skills exam and supervisory experience, but has no five-year cap and allows family members to join you.

The Japan Specified Skilled Worker Visa Guide covers the full application workflow, DOLAB/OTIT verification checklists, industry-by-industry test preparation, and the documents your employer needs to submit — in one place, in English.

Summary: Key Steps for Vietnamese SSW Applicants

1. Choose an industry and pass the relevant skills evaluation test
2. Pass JFT-Basic (A2) or JLPT N4
3. Verify your sending organization through both DOLAB and OTIT before signing anything
4. Complete JPETS TB screening at a designated Panel Clinic
5. Your employer submits the CoE application (1–3 months)
6. Take your CoE to the Japanese embassy in Vietnam for the visa (5–10 days)
7. Enter Japan within three months of CoE issuance

Vietnamese workers have the highest representation in Japan's SSW program for a reason — the pathway is established and the demand is real. The key is doing it through verified channels and knowing which costs are legitimate and which are exploitation.

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