Teach English in Japan start-up cost calculator
Last checked: 2026-11-06
Add up what your move to Japan may cost before your first pay. The visa fee and course prices come from sources. Everything else is yours to enter, because there is no official figure. The result is an estimate, and it runs only in your browser.
The 2 and 6 months above are not an example. They come from the 2027 JET guidelines, which say you may need to pay the equal of 2 to 6 months' rent right after arrival, and that some organisations assign housing. We have no source for other employers, so change them to match your lease.
How this estimate works
We add your one-time costs, then add your rent times the low and high months. That gives a range. If you pick a course priced in dollars, we multiply the price by the rate you enter. We do not supply a rate, because the site has no sourced one.
- Certificate of Eligibility: the Immigration Services Agency says it charges no fee, so this counts as zero.
- Visa: about 15,000 yen for a single entry and about 30,000 yen for multiple entry, for applications accepted abroad from July 1, 2026. Several US missions list US$101.
- Flights on JET: the contracting organisation provides the ticket from your designated home-country airport to Narita or Haneda. You pay to reach that airport, so enter only that. Other teachers should ask their employer who pays.
- TEFL: JET does not require one. The immigration status pages we read do not mention one. Private employers set their own rules, so read the job listing.
Worked example
Only the visa fee and course price here are sourced. The rent, flight, exchange rate and other amounts are made-up examples to show the maths. They are not typical costs.
| Input | Example value | Adds |
|---|---|---|
| Visa fee | Single entry | 15,000 yen |
| Flight and travel | 100,000 yen | 100,000 yen |
| Monthly rent | 60,000 yen for 2 to 6 months | 120,000 to 360,000 yen |
| TEFL course | Bridge 120-hour, $399 at 150 yen per dollar | 59,850 yen |
| Documents and medical check | 20,000 yen | 20,000 yen |
| Extra baggage and shipping | 30,000 yen | 30,000 yen |
| Furniture and set-up | 50,000 yen | 50,000 yen |
| Living money until first pay | 150,000 yen | 150,000 yen |
The costs other than rent add up to 424,850 yen. Adding rent gives an estimate of 544,850 to 784,850 yen. The first-weeks comparison at this rate is 375,000 to 450,000 yen.
Caveats on the sourced figures
- Visa fees vary. They are paid in local currency, and each mission sets its own amount. They depend on your nationality and the purpose of your visit, and some people pay nothing or a different amount. The New York consulate lists nationals of the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and other places as exempt. If that applies to you, pick "My own amount" and enter 0. The fee pages we saw do not list a separate work visa fee, so confirm with your embassy or consulate.
- Older pages may be wrong. Before July 1, 2026 the fee was 3,000 yen.
- Course prices can change. They are the prices shown on November 6, 2026 and may differ by country. The TEFL Academy prices are sale prices listed as ending November 10, 2026. The regular prices shown are $563 for Level 3 and $743 for Level 5, and its cost guide gives other figures. See the TEFL and CELTA cost database.
What this leaves out
- Food, phone and transport after your first pay.
- Health insurance and pension. On JET these are mandatory and part is taken from your pay, but we found no yen figure.
- Later costs, such as status renewal fees and resident tax.
- Repayment if you leave JET early. See the contract rules.
- What a private employer may pay for. We have no official source on this, so ask.
See the full list in start-up costs. To test a monthly budget, use the savings calculator.
Sources
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan: visa fees
- Consulate-General of Japan in Boston: visa fees
- Consulate-General of Japan in New York: visa fees
- Immigration Services Agency: Certificate of Eligibility (Japanese)
- 2027 JET application guidelines (Embassy of Japan in New Zealand)
- 2027 JET application guidelines (Embassy of Japan in India)
- JET Program USA: money to bring
- Bridge TEFL: course list
- Bridge TEFL: professional certificates
- The TEFL Academy: Level 3 course
- The TEFL Academy: Level 5 course