Done honestly, the SSW route is not an expensive visa. Add up every official fee and most people spend under ₹10,000 before the flight — the danger is overpriced "agents." Here's the realistic picture, with the actual published fees (figures can change, so verify on the official pages before you pay).

The official test fees in India (Prometric, revised April 2026):

  • JFT-Basic — ₹3,540 (₹3,000 + GST), paid to Prometric at booking. Or the JLPT N4 fee if you take that route instead.
  • Nursing care tests — ₹696 each for the skills evaluation test and the nursing-care Japanese language test (the care field needs both, plus general Japanese).
  • Agriculture skills test — ₹2,830. Construction — ₹1,298. Accommodation (hotel) — ₹4,620.
  • Tests for some other fields are run by different bodies or aren't currently offered in India — check the official ISA exam schedule and our application steps guide for what's sittable here.

The visa itself is almost free for Indians — even after Japan's 2026 fee hike. From 1 July 2026 Japan roughly quintupled visa fees worldwide (single entry ¥3,000 → ¥15,000). But under the bilateral arrangement with India, Indian nationals applying in India still pay just ₹500 for a single or multiple visa (Embassy of Japan fee table, from 1 April 2026), plus the VFS service charge (around ₹800). If an agent quotes you thousands "for the visa fee," they're inventing it.

Other small, legitimate costs:

  • Passport — standard Indian passport fees if you don't already have one.
  • Medical check & police clearance — typically a few thousand rupees in total (a PCC through Passport Seva is around ₹500).
  • Photos, courier, and document translation — minor.
  • Japanese-language preparation — optional but worth it: self-study (free with Komichi), or a coaching course if you prefer structure.

The big variable — and the trap. The visa and tests themselves are cheap. What inflates people's costs is third-party placement agents. Some charge large upfront sums (sometimes lakhs of rupees) promising guaranteed jobs. Be very careful:

  • A legitimate Japanese employer sponsors your Certificate of Eligibility — you should not be charged huge "guarantee" or "job placement" fees to get hired.
  • Never pay large amounts before you have a verified job offer and COE.
  • Use registered recruiters and cross-check the employer. If an offer sounds too good or demands big money upfront, treat it as a red flag. The Embassy of Japan itself warns that the only payments required are the visa fee and service charge on its official page — nothing more.

A worked example. A caregiver route done honestly: JFT-Basic ₹3,540 + two care tests ₹1,392 + visa ₹500 + VFS ~₹800 + PCC ~₹500 + medical and paperwork a few thousand — roughly ₹8,000–10,000 in fees, plus your flight. Compare that with the ₹2–5 lakh some agents quote, and you see where the real cost of a bad decision sits.

Bottom line. Budget for the tests, documents, and your flight — and keep the rest in your pocket. The most valuable "investment" is your Japanese ability, which costs nothing but time. Start free on Komichi and you remove the single biggest barrier between you and a job in Japan.

See also: the full guide to working in Japan from India · requirements · application steps.

Sources (accessed 4 August 2026): Prometric — SSW test fees by country (India) · Embassy of Japan in India — visa fees & fraud warning · Fragomen — Japan visa fee increase from July 2026 · Immigration Services Agency — SSW program (ssw.go.jp). Fees are set by the issuing bodies and can change; always confirm on the official page before paying.